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Adobe Fireworks CS3 Review |
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Written by Don Lee
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Tuesday, 24 July 2007 |
 Adobe Fireworks has always been an indispensable tool for web
professionals looking to get the most of their web graphics. There has
always been a fine line between a website’s appearance and the time in
which it takes to load in a visitor’s web browser. Fireworks CS3 has
incorporated some really nice features and I was curious to see how
they have integrated it with the other Creative Suite applications.
You can try to visit the most beautiful website but you will probably never visit it again if it takes a tremendous amount of time to load all of the graphics. I’m sure you can think of a few sites that suffer from this problem. With Fireworks CS3, you will find a tighter integration with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. These are my observations about Adobe Fireworks CS3.
All Fired Up
The big thing about Fireworks CS3 is the close integration of Photoshop and Illustrator files into the program. This is an excellent feature and should be very useful for those who wanted a quick path towards getting their artwork onto the web. Now you don’t have to go through a series of exports before you can utilize the power of Fireworks.
Another great and handy feature is the Pages functionality. This is where you can create a prototype website layout without before you go into development mode. By setting up a master page, you can define all of your elements (such as your site navigation) within this page and share them across other pages created within the Pages panel. This helps cut down on duplication and it makes it easier for you to implement changes on the fly.
Fireworks CS3 now utilizes blending modes and layers effects so you can perform some of the popular Photoshop techniques without leaving the program. You should also take note of the new 9 slice scaling option. This feature will allow you to scale symbols regardless whether they are bitmaps or vector based. The great thing is that you can keep the integrity of the file intact.
One feature that interested me for my daily job is the ability to build slideshows. At my job, I have seen a variety of ways of putting slideshows together for the web. Some use Flash, some use DHTML but the desired output is the same. People want the ability to display images and give the user the option of cycling through the images.
Fireworks CS3’s slideshow feature is just a quick six step process. Just select Commands>Create Slideshow and you will be prompted with a window where you can select the images from your hard drive that you want in the slideshow. Set the preferences to how you want your slideshow to appear, the interval time between images and a number of other options. Press the Create button after you have made all of the settings and set the location where you want to export the slideshow and you’re all done.
The Final Word
The direct integration of Photoshop and Illustrator files into Fireworks CS3 is a wonderful feature that helps speed up the production process. You can even import your entire Fireworks project directly into Flash CS3 while maintaining the original integrity of your files.
I really liked the Pages function as I usually build my website layouts via trial and error. Through Pages, now I can map out my site and create it the way I envision it. Once I had my design, I could easily edit the page to input links and other elements. Fireworks CS3 can also help you build interactive applications. The program can export assets to be reused to Adobe’s Flex Builder program. I also enjoyed the new slideshow builder, which makes it easy to create a slideshow without the need for the Flash application. Fireworks CS3 will build everything you need.
I have to admit that I found myself using Fireworks strictly for web graphic optimizations for the past few versions. Now that I have tried Fireworks CS3, I have a renewed interest in the product. The new features has added a new level of productivity that makes Fireworks a great addition to any web professional toolbox.
Adobe Fireworks CS3 earns 4.5 stars out of 5. Highly recommended.
You can click here to download a 30-day trial of Fireworks CS3. You can also visit the official Fireworks CS3 website at http://www.adobe.com/products/Fireworks/. You can also click the following links to purchase Adobe Fireworks CS3 for Apple Macintosh or Microsoft Windows computer systems. Fireworks CS3 is compatible with the Windows Vista operating system and Intel Macintosh systems.
About Adobe Fireworks CS3
Adobe Fireworks CS3 remains the de facto standard for web design applications. It can help you design a simple HTML based website or you can build a completely dynamic website. You can also use Fireworks’s functionality to help you manage and maintain existing websites.
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