Adobe CS 3 Fireworks - Fall 2008 810:022 class

  1. Fireworks CS3 is a program for designing professional computer graphics and animations and web application components. It has lots of innovative solutions for tackling some of the tasks that graphic designers face. There are wide range of tools to use in Fireworks. You can create and modify both vector and bitmap graphics within the same file using Fireworks software.

  2. "Fireworks is a versatile program for creating, editing, and optimizing web graphics."

    1. "You can create and edit both bitmap and vector images, design web effects such as rollovers and pop-up menus, crop and optimize graphics to reduce their file size, and save time by automating repetitive tasks."

    2. "When a document is complete, you can export or save it as a JPEG file, GIF file, or file of another format long with HTML files containing HTML tables and JavaScript code for use on the web. "

    3. "You also can export or save a type of file specific to another program, such as Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Flash, if you want to continue working in the other program."

  3. Fireworks reminds me of SuperPaint. Years ago, a computer user who wanted to do graphics bought either MacDraw or MacPaint, depending on whether they wanted to do painting and work with pixels (bitmapped graphics) or drawing and work with objects (vector graphics). If you needed to do both, you purchased both programs. It was a revolution when the progam SuperPaint was created so you could switch back and forth between Drawing mode and Painting mode on the same canvas. 
    "In Fireworks, the tool you select determines whether the object you create 
                                   is a vector 
                                               or a bitmap. 

 For example, select the Pen tool from the Vector section of the Tools panel, 
     and you can begin drawing vector paths by plotting points.

 Select the Brush tool, and you can drag to paint a bitmap object."
  4. I will assign some selected reading from the following online Adobe Fireworks document Adobe Fireworks CS3 - Using Fireworks. We will emphacize the Fireworks application in the hands-on classes in the Studio ITT labs. You will probably read a few pages from each of the following chapters. 
    Chapter  2: Fireworks Basics
Chapter  3: Selecting and Transforming Objects
Chapter  4: Working with Bitmaps
Chapter  5: Working with Vector Objects
Chapter 11: Slices, Rollovers, and Hotspots
Chapter 12: Creating Buttons and Pop-up Menus
Chapter 13: Creating Animations
Chapter 16: Using Fireworks with Other Applications
  5. The Systems Integration part of Microcomputer Applications and Systems Integration would be served by Chapter 16: Using Fireworks with Other Applications. The textbook for the class also has that as a theme.