Description:
The latest release of Macromedia's Fireworks, version 3, offers more features than ever to facilitate good Web site design and better integration with other design tools. For designers who like to experiment with impunity, Fireworks 3 now has a history panel. Similar to a multiple "undo" command, this window lists all actions performed on a file during a session. Unique to Macromedia's implementation of this function is the ability to select and save groups of commands in this panel as a macro and apply that to other objects. Projects can now be previewed directly in the workspace, eliminating the need to export work to a Web browser. This includes previewing animation and rollover graphics and various optimization settings to see how a file will look with different amounts of compression. Integration with Firework's sister application, Dreamweaver, has been improved. For example, objects with Fireworks behaviors are now recognized in Dreamweaver as Dreamweaver behaviors. Imported Photoshop files now retain their layer effects, as well as retaining editable text layers. Also, Fireworks can now export vector graphics in Illustrator, Freehand, or Flash formats, eliminating the need to create the artwork twice. While Fireworks is not the only application for creating Web graphics, it is one of the most well supported and comprehensive--a good choice for any Web site designer. --Mike Caputo
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