TechNote

Fireworks Photoshop integration issues

Adobe Fireworks CS3 has an improved importer for Adobe Photoshop files (for opening and importing Photoshop files). Though many of the Photoshop file graphics and attributes are carried over into Fireworks, the process is still not perfect. The following TechNote describes common issues encountered with Adobe Fireworks-Adobe Photoshop integration.

Vector shapes rasterized
Grayscale 16 bit color mode
Photoshop CS3 plug-ins
Missing PSD previews
Vector mask rasterized
Custom blend modes
Photoshop targa files
Text on a path
Photoshop Live Effects

Vector shapes rasterized

When you import or open a PSD file with vector shapes in Adobe Fireworks CS3, the vector shapes are rasterized and converted to bitmaps.

To avoid this unwanted conversion, first open the PSD file in Adobe Illustrator and save the file in a Illustrator format. Open or import the .ai file into Fireworks. The vector shape will not be rasterized and will remain as a vector shape.

Grayscale 16 bit color mode

Photoshop files with a color mode set to Grayscale and 16 bits generate an error message when imported or opened in Adobe Fireworks CS3. The error message displayed is:

"Adobe Fireworks CS3 could not open the file. A parameter was incorrect "

Adobe Fireworks CS3 supports RGB, CMYK 16 bit and Grayscale 8 bit color mode, but not Grayscale 16 bit. To work around this issue save the file with a color mode that Fireworks supports.

Photoshop plug-ins

Adobe Fireworks CS3 does not support Photoshop CS3 plug-ins. If you point to Photoshop CS3 plug-ins folder in Fireworks preferences, then the Photoshop CS3 plug-ins will not load. After you restart Fireworks the Photoshop CS3 plug-ins do not display in the Filters menu.

Photoshop plug-ins will only work if they are custom built for Fireworks.

Missing Photoshop previews

Adobe Fireworks CS3 does not display a preview for a PSD file when you open the file. The reason for this is that it would take a considerable amount of time to preview a PSD file. For optimal performance the preview for a PSD thumbnail was deferred.

Vector Mask rasterized

When you import or open a PSD file with a vector mask in Adobe Fireworks CS3, the vector mask is rasterized and converted to a bitmap.

To work around this issue, first open the PSD file in Adobe Illustrator and save the file in a Illustrator format. Open or import the .ai file into Fireworks. The vector mask will not be converted to a bitmap.

Custom blend mode

Photoshop custom blend modes are not supported in Adobe Fireworks CS3. In Photoshop, you can use the blending effects associated with layers to combine channels within and between images into new images. You can use either the Apply Image command (on single and composite channels) or the Calculations command (on single channels). These commands offer two additional blending modes not available in the Layers palette;Add and Subtract. These customer blend modes will not appear correctly when imported into Adobe Fireworks CS3.

Fireworks supports the built in blend modes from Photoshop. This can be done in two ways. From the Layers palette in Photoshop, choose an option from the Blend Mode pop-up menu, or select Layer and choose Layer Style, Blending Options, and then choose an option from the Blend Mode popup menu.

Photoshop targa files

Adobe Fireworks CS3 may display an error message when you try to open a targa (tga) file that was converted from a GIF in Photoshop. The error message displayed is:

"Could not open file. Unknown file type."

If you encounter this error, then open the targa file in Adobe Illustrator first. Export the file as a targa. Then you will be able to open the file in Fireworks.

Text on a path

Creating a Fireworks file with a type layer attached to a path cannot be rendered in Photoshop. To reproduce this, first create a text layer in Fireworks. Next draw a path. Select both the text and the path and select Text and choose the Attach to Path command. Save as a native Fireworks file and then save a Photoshop file. Open the PSD in Photoshop. Photoshop will prompt the following dialog:

"Some text layers might need to be updated before they can be used for vector based output. Do you want to update these layers now?"

If you select Update, then the text will be converted to normal horizontal text with no path. If you select No, then the text will remain in the correct position that followed the path, but the path will still not import.

Photoshop Live Effects

Applying a Photoshop Live Effect to a symbol will change the size of the symbol's bounding box in Adobe Fireworks CS3. To reproduce this, first select a bitmap object. In the Properties window apply one or more Photoshop Live Effects. Convert it to a symbol. Drag an instance onto the canvas. The instance is added to the canvas, but he boundaries of the instance are set to the dimensions of the original layer instead of the actual symbol dimensions.

If you select the transform tool when the instance is selected, then you will notice that the bounding box is a different size than the original symbol.