Macromedia Studio MX 2004 and 8 was the most popular web design tools. This special bundle set is a great collection of tutorials for you to get up to speed with all of the features in the Studio MX and 8 software. Adobe acquired macromedia and later migrated into the Creative Suite 3 and 4.
Retail box includes Director 7 for Windows 95/98/NT on CD-Rom, Fireworks 2 on CD-Rom, 394 page book "Using Director" and registration insert/serial numbers.
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
Fireworks 3 brings efficiency to Web graphics production. Quickly create buttons, animations, and page comps. Everything remains editable, including files from leading graphics applications. Save production time with the History panel, step-by-step button maker, and the Library. Integrate Fireworks code seamlessly into Dreamweaver and other leading HTML editors. Only Fireworks lets you script the entire application to automate workflow.
Create, optimize, and export interactive graphics in a single Web-centric environment using Macromedia Fireworks MX. Fireworks offers all the tools to make everything from simple graphic buttons to sophisticated rollover effects and pop-up menus. Support for major file formats and HTML standards and integration with popular HTML editors allow users to comfortably use Fireworks MX in any work environment.
The workspace offers bitmap editing, precise text control, automation, and extensibility, allowing for rapid production and easy updates. Broad support for file formats, new standards like XHTML, and Section 508 compliance ensure that output matches current and future needs.
Share files across graphics applications, including Macromedia Flash, Macromedia FreeHand, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator. Create vector graphics for Flash, export SWF files, and open graphics directly from within Flash. Open, edit, and export Photoshop graphics while retaining layers, masks, and text properties. Fireworks also integrates seamlessly with such editors as Macromedia Dreamweaver and Microsoft FrontPage.
Note: This is an upgrade version for owners of Fireworks 4 or earlier.
Fireworks 8 lets you balance maximum image quality with minimum compression size -- to create, edit and optimize images for the web with precise control. Take creative control with seamless vector and bitmap editing in an integrated environment. Make graphics look their best under any delivery scenario with optimization features like export, preview, cross-platform gamma preview, and selective JPG compression. Automatically generate graphics and JavaScript for buttons, interactive interfaces, and pop-up menus without learning how to write code. Produce highly optimized files that still look great -- and get top-quality design results, every time. Recognize ActionScript color values when copied from Flash into FireWorks Save As command for saving bitmaps as GIF, TIFF, or JPEG Evolved logic for determining the default folders in each dialog Over 25 new blend modes, perspective shadow and solid shadow Mock up mobile interfaces with bitmap interface components New buttons, animations, themes and assets AutoShape properties Edit text on path points Recent fonts and multiple marquee selections improvement and optimization Group consecutive nudges as one move Improved tablet support for path scrubber tools & stroke pressure sensitivity Lock objects into the layers panel
Together, Dreamweaver and Fireworks are everything you need! Design build and manage a professional websites. Create all your Web graphics in Fireworks and easily integrate them into Dreamwaver Web Sites. Round trip your graphics and code between Dreamwaver and Fireworks for total control. The fully-integrated feature set and scriptable environments let you automate repetitive tasks and streamline your Web work flow.Quickly create buttons, animations and page comps in fireworks and then integrate them into Dreamwaver. Develop sites visually and with complete control over code using Roundtrip HTML site management and templates.Add media, data and interactivity to your site quickly , with pre-coded objects. round trip graphics and HTML between Dreamweaver and Fireworks.History Palettes in both let you automate Web Production by recording your every move and saving steps as reusable commands.Optimize images for the web with complete control over compression schemes and palettes, crating the smallest hightest-quality graphics right in your workspace. View and manage site assets and links with the Site Map. Make changes to your Web site easily with global search and replace. Synchronize local and remote sites with one click.
Fireworks 3 brings efficiency to Web graphics production. Quickly create buttons, animations, and page comps. Everything remains editable, including files from leading graphics applications. Save production time with the History panel, step-by-step button maker, and the Library. Integrate Fireworks code seamlessly into Dreamweaver and other leading HTML editors. Only Fireworks lets you script the entire application to automate workflow.
Dreamweaver and Fireworks are all you need to build great-looking sites. Create your Web graphics in Fireworks and then integrate them seamlessly into the Web pages you built with Dreamweaver. In Dreamweaver, Roundtrip HTML gives you total control over code. In Fireworks, professional vector and bitmap editing tools let you produce comps and modify files from any graphics source Edit anything, anytime. Together, Dreamweaver and Fireworks reduce production time with tight integration, and History Palettes helps automate repetitive tasks. In addition, the ability to customize both applications using HTML, JavaScript, or XML gives you the power you need for fast-paced Web development.
Macromedia is on a mission to make Director the most used authoring tool for building exciting, interactive content not only for CD-ROM presentations but for the Web as well. The new version of Director, 8.0, is totally geared toward reaching that goal.
This is not the first version of Director to offer integrated Web authoring features, but Macromedia has refined Director into a streamlined production environment capable of outputting to a variety of formats.
Improved sound controls include behaviors linked to objects for building immersive audio tracks. This includes more precise audio control over multiple audio streams, including better management of looping tracks. Many file types can be imported, among them AIFF, WAV, SND, and MP3.
The Property Inspector is a new window for editing properties of a sprite or other member. The window changes according to which element is currently selected and shows properties for that selected member. If more than one member is selected, the Inspector reveals only the common properties.
Also new is Runtime Imaging, for what is essentially on-the-fly rendering of images. This results in rich and exciting graphics without the overhead of a large download. Developers also have control now over off-screen compositing, onscreen effects, and transitions. All of this is controllable through Lingo commands.
New Web-specific features include Publish, a command for saving to streaming Shockwave files using HTML templates; and Loader movies, for creating small looping movies that play while the body of the Shockwave file is downloading. Also, Shockwave content can now be resized while maintaining its aspect ratio in a browser window.
Numerous tweaks and enhancements make this release of Director an important tool for the interactive-content creator. If your interactive projects are now being delivered through more avenues than just CD-ROM, Director 8 can help pave the road. --Mike Caputo
Director is the market-leading multimedia solution for creating engaging rich-media corporate presentations, e-merchandising applications, and entertainment. Director combines graphics, sound, animation, text, and video to create streaming, multiuser, interactive Web content that is easy to deploy for CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and the Web.
Macromedia Director 8 Shockwave Studio streamlines the authoring process with centralized, automated functions that make it easier to manage assets, edit complex animations, build graphics on the fly, and create content for low bandwidth. Director 8 Shockwave Studio has a modern, professional authoring environment that enables developers to deliver results. Studio components include Director to integrate, control, and deliver media created from the studio's content creation tools; Fireworks to create graphics in a robust design and production environment; sound editor BIAS Peak LE to create and edit sound for use in Director; behavior libraries to quickly and easily create interactivity in Director; and Shockwave Multiuser Server 2 to deliver multiuser experiences and multiplayer games on the Internet.
