Understanding the Interface

Understanding the Interface

63Chapter 2 ✦ Understanding the InterfaceFigure 2-28: Adding links to your Web objects iseasy with the URL panel.You can access most of Fireworks’ URL management utilities through the URL panelOptions menu, detailed in Table 2-13.Table 2-13URL Panel Options Menu CommandsOption DescriptionAdd Used URLs to Library Adds the list of current URLs to the URL LibraryClear Unused URLs Removes all URLs from the current listingAdd URL Adds a new URL to the URL LibraryEdit URL Opens the Edit URL dialog boxDelete URL Removes the selected URL from the URL LibraryNew URL Library Creates a new URL LibraryImport URLs Loads a new set of URLs from a previously stored URL Library,a bookmark file, or an HTML pageExport URLs Stores the current URL LibraryStyles panelIf you’ve ever spent hours getting just the right combination of stroke, fill, andeffects for an object — and then find you need to apply the same combination to allthe navigation buttons throughout a Web site — you’ll greatly appreciate theFireworks Styles feature.In Fireworks, a style is a collection of attributes that you can apply to any object.The Styles panel is preset with a number of such designs, which appear as graphi-cal buttons and text, with many more available on the Fireworks CD-ROM. To apply043662-1 ch02.F 8/2/02 2:24 PM Page 63 64Part I ✦ Come See the Fireworksa style, select the object and then select the style; you can even select multipleobjects (such as a row of navigation buttons) and apply the same style to them allwith one click. Styles are a terrific time-saver and a great way to maintain a consis-tent look and feel.The Styles panel, shown in Figure 2-29, is composed of a series of icons, each repre-senting a different style. A style can have the following attributes: fill type, fill color,stroke type, stroke color, effect, text font, text size, and text color. In addition to thepreset styles, you can also save your own combinations. Just highlight the objectwith the desired attributes and select the New Style button on the Styles panel. Youcan also accomplish this by choosing New Style from the Options menu. A full listof the Styles panel Options menu commands appears in Table 2-14.Figure 2-29: Automate applying a consistent lookand feel to your objects by using the Styles panel.Table 2-14Styles Panel Options Menu CommandsOption DescriptionNew Style Creates a new style based on the current objectEdit Style Opens the Edit Style dialog boxDelete Styles Removes a selected style or stylesImport Styles Loads a new set of styles after the currently selected styleExport Styles Stores the currently selected style or stylesReset Styles Reloads the default configuration of stylesLarge Icons Displays the available styles with icons twice as large asnormalFind out more about creating and applying styles in Chapter 16.Cross-Reference043662-1 ch02.F 8/2/02 2:24 PM Page 64 65Chapter 2 ✦ Understanding the InterfaceLibrary panelThe Library panel contains Fireworks Libraries: collections of symbols that you cansave and reopen as needed. Symbols are edited right in the Library. Dragging a sym-bol from the Library panel and dropping it into a document creates an instance ofthat symbol. Instances are copies of symbols that remain linked to the symbol andinherit changes to the symbol. Instances are similar to a Windows file shortcut orMac alias — right down to the arrow badge — and can be animated, tweened, andedited as a group. You can save symbols in Symbol Libraries and use them againand again in multiple documents.The commands detailed in Table 2-15 are located in the Library panel Optionsmenu. Figure 2-30 shows the Library panel.Figure 2-30: The Library panel enables you tostore Libraries of symbols.Table 2-15Library Panel Options Menu CommandsOption DescriptionNew Symbol Creates a new symbolDuplicate Duplicates the current symbolDelete Removes the current symbol from the Library and all itsinstances from the documentEdit Symbol Opens the selected symbol in its own window for editingProperties Displays the Symbol Properties dialog box for the currentsymbolSelect Unused Items Selects unused symbols in the LibraryContinued043662-1 ch02.F 8/2/02 2:24 PM Page 65 66Part I ✦ Come See the FireworksTable 2-15 (continued)Option DescriptionUpdate Updates symbols that were imported from external LibrariesPlay Consecutively displays all frames of a buttonImport Symbols Imports symbols from a saved LibraryExport Symbols Exports symbols to a saved LibraryFind and Replace panelLet’s suppose you’ve just finished the graphics for a major Web site, chock-full ofcorporate logos, and you receive the call. You know, the one from the client whoinforms you that the company has just been acquired and instead of NewCo, Inc.,it’s now New2Co, Inc. Could you please redo all the graphics — by tomorrow?Because Fireworks objects are always editable, the Find and Replace panel, shownin Figure 2-31, makes updating a series of Web graphics a snap. You can change allthe graphics in a selection, a file, a frame, or a series of files. Moreover, Find andReplace can handle more than just text; you can also alter fonts, colors, and URLs,or even snap all the colors to their nearest Web safe neighbor.Figure 2-31: Need to make global changes intext, font, color, or URLs? Pull up the Find andReplace panel and get the job done fast.The Find and Replace feature works with the Project Log panel, which trackschanges made to your documents. You can enable Project Log tracking through theOptions menu commands listed in Table 2-16, as well as specify replacementoptions for multiple file operations.043662-1 ch02.F 8/2/02 2:24 PM Page 66 67Chapter 2 ✦ Understanding the InterfaceTable 2-16Find and Replace Panel Options Menu CommandsOption DescriptionAdd Files to Project Log Tracks changes made in a Find and Replace operation in theProject LogReplace Options Displays options for multiple-file Find and Replace operationsYou can really ramp up your production level of Web graphics if you master theFind and Replace feature. To learn more about it, see Chapter 18.Project Log panelWith the power inherent in Fireworks automation tools, such as Find and Replaceand Batch Processing, you need a way to keep track of the many changes you maymake. The Project Log panel, shown in Figure 2-32, details each change that hastaken place and enables you to not only receive confirmation of the change, butalso to easily open any file that was affected.Figure 2-32: Use the Project Log to manage yourFind and Replace and Batch Process operations.In addition to listing documents altered during an automated process, you can usethe Project Log to keep a number of files close at hand, ready to be opened at will.Through the Add Files to Log command, in the Options menu detailed in Table 2-17,files can be made accessible, but not immediately opened. The Options menu alsoenables you to quickly make changes to files in the Project Log and to re-exportthem using their previous settings.To find out more about what’s possible with the Project Log, turn to Chapter 18.Cross-ReferenceCross-Reference043662-1 ch02.F 8/2/02 2:24 PM Page 67 68Part I ✦ Come See the FireworksTable 2-17Project Log Options Menu CommandsOption DescriptionExport Again Exports selected files in the Project Log using their previoussettingsAdd Files to Log Includes additional graphic files in the Project Log withoutinitially opening themClear Selection Removes the selected files from the Project LogClear All Removes all files from the Project LogAnswers panelThe Answers panel, shown in Figure 2-33, is a Flash panel that dynamically interactswith Macromedia’s Web site, allowing you to access a wide variety of information.The Answers panel initially contains links to the What’s New file, the Readme file,and the Fireworks Tutorials. Along with these links you find a button labeledUpdate. Clicking the Update button checks the Macromedia Web site and refreshesthe panel with an option list containing access to tech notes, a Web search for techsupport issues, and a list of the newest extensions uploaded to the Fireworksexchange. To Update the information in the panel again, select Settings from theoption list and then click Update Panel. The Answers panel Options menu has nospecial settings.Figure 2-33: The Answers panel is your window tothe Macromedia Web site. You can search for help,view top TechNotes, and even see recentlyuploaded extensions.The Answers panel is a new addition to Fireworks MX.NewFeature043662-1 ch02.F 8/2/02 2:24 PM Page 68 69Chapter 2 ✦ Understanding the InterfaceUsing the MenusYou can also find many of the commands and options available in the variousFireworks panels in the menus. You’ll also find, however, that many features areunavailable anywhere else. This section provides a reference to every menu item inFireworks, along with its corresponding default keyboard shortcut, if available.Windows users won’t see all of Fireworks’ menus unless a document window isopen.Application menu (Mac OS X only)The Application menu, also known as the Fireworks menu in this case, is an OS Xonly menu that contains commands for setting up an application and controllinghow it interacts with the operating system. It is formally referred to the Applicationmenu because it becomes the name of the application that is forefront in the OS.While in Fireworks, it’s the Fireworks menu, while in Dreamweaver it’s theDreamweaver menu, and so forth. Table 2-18 lists the commands in the Fireworksmenu.Table 2-18Fireworks Menu Commands (Mac OS X only)Command Description KeystrokeAbout Fireworks Displays the About Fireworks dialog box with n/ainformation about the application and its authorsKeyboard Shortcuts Displays the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box, which n/aenables you to modify keyboard shortcutsPreferences Displays the Preferences dialog box where you Command+Uset user preferencesServices Displays a submenu of available system services n/aHide Fireworks Hides the Fireworks application and all of Command+Hits windowsHide Others Hides all running applications except for Fireworks n/aShow All Shows all running applications n/aQuit Fireworks Quits the Fireworks application Command+QIn the tables throughout this chapter, commands or tools listed in bold text arenew or have changed menu, or panel, locations in Fireworks MX.Note043662-1 ch02.F 8/2/02 2:24 PM Page 69 70Part I ✦ Come See the FireworksFile menuPlacing basic computer operations — creating, saving, and printing files — in theFile menu is standard practice. Fireworks follows this practice and also includescommands for importing and exporting. All File menu commands are listed in Table 2-19.Table 2-19File Menu CommandsCommand Description Windows MacintoshNew Displays the New Document Ctrl+N Command+Ndialog box before creating a new documentOpen Displays the Open dialog box Ctrl+O Command+Obefore opening existing documentsOpen Recent ➪ Displays a submenu of your n/a n/aYour Recently recently opened documentsOpened DocumentsReconstitute Table Creates a Fireworks document n/a n/awith slice objects from an HTML tableScan ➪ Twain Acquire Displays the interface dialog box n/a n/afor a twain source, such as a scanner, if one is available and has been selected, before acquiring an imageScan ➪ Twain Select Displays the Select Source dialog n/a n/abox before allowing you to select a twain source to acquire an image fromScan ➪ Your Lists currently installed — n/aPhotoshop Acquire Photoshop Acquire plug-ins —Plug-Ins typically, each plug-in enables you (Macintosh only) to acquire an image from a corresponding deviceClose Closes the current document Ctrl+W Command+WSave Saves a document, or displays Ctrl+S Command+Sthe Save As dialog box for an unnamed documentSave As Displays the Save As dialog box Ctrl+Shift+S Command+before saving a document Shift+S043662-1 ch02.F 8/2/02 2:24 PM Page 70 71Chapter 2 ✦ Understanding the InterfaceCommand Description Windows MacintoshSave a Copy Displays the Save Copy As n/a n/adialog box before saving a copy of a documentRevert Replaces the current document n/a n/awith the previously saved version of the same documentImport Displays the Import dialog box Ctrl+R Command+Rbefore importing a file into any open documentExport Displays the Export dialog box Ctrl+Shift+R Command+before exporting a document in Shift+Rthe format specified in the Optimize panelExport Preview Displays the Export Preview Ctrl+Shift+X Command+dialog box before exporting a Shift+XdocumentUpdate HTML Places or updates Fireworks n/a n/aHTML code in another HTML file on the same computerExport Wizard Displays the Export Wizard n/a n/abefore exporting a documentBatch Process Displays the Batch Process n/a n/adialog box before processing multiple image filesPreview in Browser ➪ Previews a document in your F12 F12Preview in Primary primary browserBrowserPreview in Browser ➪ Previews a document in Shift+F12 Shift+F12Preview in Secondary your secondary browserBrowserPreview in Browser ➪ Displays the Locate Browser n/a n/aSet Primary Browser dialog box before selecting a browser as your primary browserPreview in Browser ➪ Displays the Locate Browser n/a n/aSet Secondary Browser dialog box before selecting a browser as your secondary browserPage Setup Displays the Page Setup dialog n/a n/abox (for printing)Print Displays the Print dialog box Ctrl+P Command+Pbefore printing a documentContinued043662-1 ch02.F 8/2/02 2:24 PM Page 71 72Part I ✦ Come See the FireworksTable 2-19 (continued)Command Description Windows MacintoshHTML Setup Displays the HTML Setup n/a n/adialog boxExit (Windows only) Quits Fireworks Ctrl+Q —Edit menuThe Edit menu holds the standard editing commands, such as Undo, Cut, Copy, andPaste, as well as numerous commands specific to Fireworks graphics, such as PasteInside and Crop Document. The Edit menu is detailed in Table 2-20.Table 2-20Edit Menu CommandsCommand Description Windows MacintoshUndo Reverses the last action; the Ctrl+Z Command+Znumber of Undo steps is set in PreferencesRedo Redoes the last edit that was Ctrl+Y Command+Yundone by UndoInsert ➪ New Button Displays the Button Editor n/a n/abefore creating a new buttonInsert ➪ New Symbol Displays the Symbol Properties Ctrl+F8 Command+F8dialog box before creating a new symbolInsert ➪ Hotspot Inserts a hotspot object Ctrl+Shift+U Command+Shift+UInsert ➪ Slice Inserts a slice object Alt+Shift+U Option+Shift+UInsert ➪ Empty Bitmap Inserts an empty bitmap object n/a n/aInsert ➪ Bitmap Creates a new bitmap of the n/a n/aVia Copy selected pixels, leaving the original pixels in placeInsert ➪ Bitmap Via Cut Creates a new bitmap of the n/a n/aselected pixels, removing the original pixels from the documentInsert ➪ Layer Creates a new layer n/a n/a043662-1 ch02.F 8/2/02 2:24 PM Page 72 [...]... (it’s the default), the entire graphic will be exported in a single table with the individual elements in the same relative position to each other — however, the output would not be suitable for use on sepa- rate Web pages. If, on the other hand, the Include Areas without Slices option is deselected, the sliced objects are exported as separate files, using the naming con- vention described in the previous... Duplicates the current symbol Delete Removes the current symbol from the Library and all its instances from the document Edit Symbol Opens the selected symbol in its own window for editing Properties Displays the Symbol Properties dialog box for the current symbol Select Unused Items Selects unused symbols in the Library Continued 043662-1 ch02.F 8/2/02 2:24 PM Page 65 89 Chapter 2 ✦ Understanding the Interface Command... information. The Answers panel initially contains links to the What’s New file, the Readme file, and the Fireworks Tutorials. Along with these links you find a button labeled Update. Clicking the Update button checks the Macromedia Web site and refreshes the panel with an option list containing access to tech notes, a Web search for tech support issues, and a list of the newest extensions uploaded to the Fireworks exchange.... reverses this behavior by making the selected point hollow and the deselected points solid. Setting your pointer options The Mouse Highlight preference toggles whether or not moving your mouse over objects on the canvas highlights the bounding box for the various objects. You might want to disable the Mouse Highlight for documents that contain a lot of objects as the flashing of the highlight can become annoying.... select small objects on the canvas. Fireworks MX lets you toggle whether or not the bounding boxes of items on the canvas light up when the mouse passes over them. The Preview Drag preference is similar to the “Show window contents while drag- ging” option in Microsoft Windows. If you disable this option, you will see an outline of whatever you are dragging as opposed to moving the whole selection around. Preview... Displays the About Fireworks n/a — (Windows only) dialog box Mac OS 9 users can display the About Fireworks dialog box by choosing Apple Menu ➪ About Fireworks. Summary With a program as feature-laden as Fireworks, it’s helpful to have an overview of what’s possible. The Fireworks user interface is very flexible and customizable. The more familiar you become with the layout of the program, the smoother... Windows Macintosh Canvas ➪ Image Size Displays the Image Size dialog n/a n/a box before changing the size of a bitmap Canvas ➪ Canvas Size Displays the Change Canvas Size n/a n/a dialog box before changing the size of the canvas Canvas ➪ Canvas Color Displays the Canvas Color dialog n/a n/a box before changing the color of the canvas Canvas ➪ Trim Canvas Shrinks the canvas to fit snugly Ctrl+Alt+T Command+ around... only) The Application menu, also known as the Fireworks menu in this case, is an OS X only menu that contains commands for setting up an application and controlling how it interacts with the operating system. It is formally referred to the Application menu because it becomes the name of the application that is forefront in the OS. While in Fireworks, it’s the Fireworks menu, while in Dreamweaver it’s the Dreamweaver... Come See the Fireworks Table 2-17 Project Log Options Menu Commands Option Description Export Again Exports selected files in the Project Log using their previous settings Add Files to Log Includes additional graphic files in the Project Log without initially opening them Clear Selection Removes the selected files from the Project Log Clear All Removes all files from the Project Log Answers panel The Answers... Polygons, and the Slice tool Figure 3-2: Customize your graphics creation style in the Editing category of the Fireworks Preferences dialog box. The Precise Cursor is very useful for detail work where the tool-specific cursor might block the designer’s view, as illustrated in Figure 3-3. If you haven’t enabled the Precise Cursors option in Preferences, the option can be toggled on or off with the Caps . list of the newest extensions uploaded to the Fireworksexchange. To Update the information in the panel again, select Settings from theoption list and then. modeFeather Displays the Feather Selection n/a n/adialog box before feathering the edges of a pixel selection in bitmap modeExpand Marquee Displays the Expand