ImageReady not included with CS3?

Question

Greetings—
I'm disheartened to learn that CS3 does not include
ImageReady, which I use on a daily basis to create animated gifs.
Does Fireworks fill this void? I've tried vector-based animated
gifs via Flash, but the results have alway been very poor.
I appreciate your comments,
Jon

Answer 1

I won't argue with you about the html - I don't use html from
ANY
graphics app. I use the app for it's primary function -
working on
graphics. I can work just as fast or faster in DW to generate
my html.
I have been using Photoshop since version 2, and FW since
version 1. I
have never found IR to be nearly as intuitive as PS, though.
I'm not
app-bashing, just giving you my perspective as someone who
uses both
programs regularly.
IR did have more flexibility with slices (being able to
custom name auto
slices, for one) and I hope these types of features are
incorporated as
the program continues to evolve.
Splitting slices - I guess if it's something you're used to
doing, it
would be something you miss. Resizing slices has never been a
big deal
to me. I do not know your workflow, but another option is to
resize your
one slice to the dimensions you want and then press either
CTRL+SHIFT+D
to create a clone of the selected slice or CTRL+ALT+D to
create a
duplicate. Then just reposition the slice using the mouse or
arrow keys.
FW is a different workflow - and a faster one, if you give
yourself a
chance to learn the program. It's more closely akin to AI
rather than
Photoshop and it is a unique application in many ways. It is
not PS, but
it's not supposed to be. Working with vectors in FW is a
dream compared
to vectors in PS. Advanced bitmap editing is one of PS's
strongest
features, while FW does decent - but not advanced - bitmap
editing. They
are two different programs, FW comes from the vector world
and does a
pretty decent job of working with bitmaps. It's a hybrid
program and it
does flow differently than a completely bitmap-based app like
Photoshop.
You can select slices on the canvas and delete them. I do it
all the
time. Just click on the slice (or shift-click to select
multiple
slices)and press delete.
You can also select multiple slices - either in the slice
layer or on
the canvas and "batch" optimize them. Select them in the same
manner as
described above and then use the optimize panel to make your
format and
compression settings. If you want to see the result of the
optimize
settings, click on the preview tab while you're working.
As for the interface, well, like any dev cycle, there's only
so much
time to get things done. I'm sure UI will get a facelift
before long, as
it benefits Adobe to have a similar UI for all its apps.
HTH
Jim Babbage - .:Community MX:. & .:Adobe Community
Expert:.
Extending Knowledge, Daily
http://www.communityMX.com/
CommunityMX - Free Resources:
http://www.communitymx.com/free.cfm
.:Adobe Community Expert for Fireworks:.
news://forums.macromedia.com/macromedia.fireworks
news://forums.macromedia.com/macromedia.dreamweaver
Montemedia wrote:
> ... whatever you do or say, don't make Linda mad. I
hope she doesn't
read
> this. I think she comes from the Macromedia perspective
and may not be
> familiar with how smooth the intergration between
ImageReady and
Photoshop used
> to be. I also thought ImageReady wrote some great HTML
with
comprehensive
> options. Fireworks is not the same - it isn't a good
substitute -
I'm not
> saying it's a useless application - it's just not the
same. It still
retains
> that funky, sticky Macromedia interface that made many
of their
applications so
> frustrating to use - never as intuitive as Adobe apps.
>
> ? ImageReady clearly had a more advanced method of
slicing images.
> ? Dividing those slices is a possibility that is not
apparent in
Fireworks.
> ? You could also slect a slice easily without deleting
part of the
image as
> you do it. Deleting a slice from the "Web Layer"
palette is clumsy.
You
> should be able to select it easily from the composition
and hit
"delete" or
> choose it from a right-click context menu.
> You could also select multiple slices at once to
optimize in batch
form -
> quicker and easier to be more precise with a greater
number of
options to
> optimize. ... time to eat dinner ....
>