Description:
Fireworks, Photoshop, Fireworks, Photoshop. If you've been researching Web-graphics software, these two names are likely rattling around in your head incessantly. So which program is right for you? Well, while Photoshop wrangles the title of best overall high-end image editor year after year, it's still not the most robust solution for Web graphics--that claim belongs to Fireworks 4.0. Dedicated to the Web-graphics world, each new Fireworks release strengthens its hold on its domain (no pun intended). And if Dreamweaver is your Web editor of choice, uniting the two programs will make you a very happy matchmaker indeed. Fireworks' strengths lie in its focus on the creation and optimization of bitmapped and vector Web graphics. Files are easily integrated into Macromedia Flash and Dreamweaver, and importing/exporting Adobe PhotoShop and Illustrator files is a breeze, especially with the program's improved layer-mask handling and a new Color Fill Live effect. Version 4 rolls out a new interface that Flash, Dreamweaver, and FreeHand users will recognize. Tabbed menus allow for customization and keep the screen tidy while organizing elements. New tools for adding interactive elements--rollovers, navigation bars, and pop-up menus--are a very welcome sight. And a Live Animation feature creates frame-based GIF animations, using symbols, instances, and tweening features familiar to Flash users. With built-in HTML and JavaScript capabilities, version 4 delivers the goods to the Web-graphics design community. Like we mentioned, Dreamweaver users will fully realize Fireworks' full potential. These two programs assimilate perfectly, creating the most powerful Web-editing suite available today. --Eric Twelker--This review refers to Fireworks 4.0.
| 
