Common questions about Fireworks MX 2004
- What's new in Fireworks MX 2004
- What does Fireworks do?
- Can I build a Web site in Fireworks?
- What file formats can Fireworks Import and Export?
- Does Fireworks run on Windows 95?
- Does Fireworks run on Windows 2000/XP?
- How do Fireworks and Dreamweaver work together?
- How is Fireworks better than Photoshop/ImageReady?
- How much does Fireworks cost for purchase or upgrade?
- Can I use Fireworks with FrontPage?
- Does Fireworks support the EPS or PDF file format?
- How does Fireworks create rollovers?
- How is Fireworks used to create animated GIFs?
- Do I need ATM to run Fireworks?
- Can Fireworks files be used across Macintosh and Windows platforms?
What's new in Fireworks MX 2004
Fireworks MX 2004 introduces many excellent new features, such as:
- AutoShapes: a quick way to create and edit common shapes in an easy and predictable way.
- Built in file transfer: when working in conjunction with Dreamweaver MX 2004, Fireworks MX 2004 can upload and download files to the webserver.
- Photo editing features: touch up photos with Replace Color and Red Eye Removal tools.
- Full Unicode support for editing in many languages.
What does Fireworks do?
Fireworks is used by professional web developers and graphic artists to design, edit, and optimize graphics for the web. Images may be sliced and each slice may be individually optimized for best quality and fastest download. Additionally Fireworks has the ability to export JavaScript which controls such functions as preloading images, swapping images for rollovers, pop-up menus and controlling the interaction of swapped images to allow the user to create nav bars. This makes Fireworks a must-have for user interface designers, and is used not only by web designers/developers for such purposes, but also by multimedia and software developers for their UI design work. Fireworks can now use XML files to dynamically import text into a series of images.
Can I build a web site in Fireworks?
Though it is certainly possible to generate HTML files that link to each other using Fireworks, Fireworks is not an HTML editor. Many users work with Dreamweaver and Fireworks in Studio MX to develop their Web sites, because the two products are integrated to provide a complete Web construction set. Dreamweaver allows users to insert various kinds of web content into HTML pages as well as set <head> tag information. Manipulation of the <head> portion of a document allows pages to be found by search engines, page properties such as background color/image and page margins to be set. Dreamweaver also supports CSS and other DHTML layer features not available in Fireworks. Dreamweaver also enables you to link to and access databases, using any of a number of configurations to drive dynamic web sites. The FTP capabilities built into Fireworks MX 2004, allowing users to upload files and sync their local files to the server's time stamp.
What file formats can Fireworks import and export?
| Fireworks imports: | Fireworks exports: |
* Photoshop 6 and 7 text is imported as text in Fireworks MX and above |
|
Fireworks exports HTML files compatible with the following HTML editors:
- Dreamweaver
- Dreamweaver LBI
- FrontPage
- GoLive
- Generic
Does Fireworks MX run on Windows 95?
No. Support for Windows 95 was eliminated in the MX Studio line of products. Continuing support for Windows 95 would prohibit us from developing many of the powerful features users enjoy in Studio MX. See the System Requirements for Fireworks MX 2004 and Studio MX 2004.
Does Fireworks run on Windows 2000 and XP?
Yes! Fireworks 4 should be installed and launched in Administrator mode before launching it in User mode, see Fireworks 4 requirements for Windows 2000 (TechNote 15569). If you are using Fireworks MX or higher, it is fully compliant with Windows XP.
How do Fireworks and Dreamweaver work together?
Fireworks and Dreamweaver were developed to work hand in hand to allow the Web designer to go from concept to final web site quickly and easily. Fireworks handles the creation, editing and optimizing of graphic content for the web site, performing basic JavaScript export functions such as rollovers and Nav Bars. Dreamweaver is a graphical HTML editing environment that allows users to insert advanced behaviors as well as various kinds of web content, much like a desktop publishing program would for print. Dreamweaver and Fireworks both have the ability to publish files via FTP or Local Server to the Web. Users can launch and edit graphics in Fireworks from Dreamweaver and HTML tables in Dreamweaver can be updated using round trip editing operations. See Dreamweaver Articles on working with Fireworks in the Working with Fireworks area of the Dreamweaver Support section as well as the Working with Dreamweaver area of the Fireworks Support section of the Macromedia web site.
How is Fireworks better than Adobe Photoshop/ImageReady?
Fireworks' vector environment allows the user constant control of web graphics from start to finish. Adobe Photoshop, though an excellent image editing program, does not include as many web capabilities. ImageReady must be used in conjunction with Photoshop to provide slicing, file optimization and rollover functionality. Fireworks is specifically designed to create Web graphics from beginning to end, and does not require additional programs to construct, optimize or add JavaScript behaviors. Fireworks generates images, HTML and JavaScript that is smaller than Photoshop/ImageReady and GoLive, providing a more competitive solution to the needs of Web developers for small, high quality files that quickly download. For a side-by-side comparison, please refer to the Competitive Edge information.
How much does Fireworks cost for purchase or upgrade?
Check out our Macromedia Worldwide Store for exact pricing information. Fireworks may be purchased through any of a number of channels including the Macromedia Online Store, as part of the Dreamweaver MX/Fireworks MX Suite, by calling Macromedia's sales line at (800) 833-6687, or from any of a number of our distributors. Upgrade information is also available, outlining prices for users with earlier versions of Fireworks. International dealers are also listed on the Macromedia Web site. Also check out Macromedia Promotions, for information about current offers.
Can I use Fireworks with FrontPage?
Yes! Fireworks HTML and images should be exported into the FrontPage 2000 Web directory and subdirectories. Once exported to these locations using the FrontPage HTML style, the files can be opened in the FrontPage Editor and further edits may be made from there. Because FrontPage does not actively support JavaScript, Fireworks HTML exported using the FrontPage style will have all of the JavaScript in the <body> instead of the <head> Users can easily move the JavaScript into the head of the HTML file in the HTML window in FrontPage. For information on working with FrontPage HTML, see Exporting and inserting Fireworks HTML into FrontPage (TechNote 16633), along with several other related TechNotes you will find linked to in the Additional information section of that TechNote.
Does Fireworks support the EPS or PDF file format?
Fireworks 4, MX and MX 2004 import and open EPS files. Depending on the source of the EPS file, it may open as a vector file or as a bitmap file. If desired, Fireworks files can be printed to a PDF file using PDF Writer or by printing to file using a PostScript printer driver and then Acrobat Distiller can be used to generate a PDF file from the PostScript file.
How does Fireworks create rollovers?
Rollovers in Fireworks are created by placing artwork into different frames, then drawing a slice object over the artwork. Many different behaviors are available, and one or more behaviors can be added to the slice to attach a mouse event to the <a href> tag. Fireworks generates an HTML table, and the slices are assembled within the table's cells. The mouse event attached to the anchor tag calls a JavaScript function located in the <head> of the HTML document. The Button Editor allows users to quickly create a Button Symbol which can be reused in a document to create multiple rollovers for Nav Bars. The tutorials that come with Fireworks MX 2004 include exercises that show you how to create various types of rollovers within Fireworks. For more information on these topics please refer to the following TechNotes:
Working with Macromedia Fireworks MX buttons and navigation bars (Fireworks Article)
Creating a navigation bar (Fireworks Article)
Changes in the Button Editor in Fireworks MX: Global and Instance level properties(TechNote 16339)
How is Fireworks used to create animated GIFs?
Animated GIFs in Fireworks are created by generating a sequence of frames that contain different content in each subsequent frame. Users can set Frame Delay and Looping properties to control the speed and looping behavior of the animated GIF. Animation symbols allow for quick creation of simple animations, from linear movement, opacity fades, scale/resize to rotation of the animated symbol. An additional feature in Fireworks is the ability to tween objects that have been converted to symbols. This allows the user to quickly build animations that contain tweened motion, opacity and effect settings. Onion skinning may be used to allow the user maximum control over the animation process.
Do I need ATM to run Fireworks?
Apple has a built in PostScript font management system in Macintosh OS X, so Adobe Type Manager (ATM) is not required..
On Windows 98, ATM must be installed to use Type 1 fonts. TrueType fonts may be used on Windows without the presence of ATM. On Windows 2000 and XP, you can install and use Type 1 fonts, since the system converts the font data for use on those systems.
Can Fireworks files be used across Macintosh and Windows platforms?
Yes! You can share your Fireworks PNG (Portable Network Graphics) files with other Fireworks users on either Macintosh or Windows platforms. The source PNG file is always editable. The fonts used for text in the Fireworks file will of course not be identical to those used on another platform so users are advised to have the same fonts installed on their platform as those used on the platform on which the file was created. In Fireworks MX, font caching is implemented, so even if you do not have the required fonts, the information is cached and you will be offered an opportunity to either replace the font(s) with a font on your system or to maintain the appearance of the fonts in the file, which renders the text as a bitmap object, uneditable as text, that appears exactly as it was created on the original computer system.
Additional information
Further information can be found in the Fireworks Product Center.
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