Re: thanks for the advice

At 07:14 AM 17/01/00 -0600, pmburrow(at)SoftHome.net wrote:
>I just want to thank the ones who responded to my request for advice about=
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>a graphics
>software programs. I had several good comments on Paint Shop, PhotoImpact=
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>and even
>PhotoShop. However no one commented on Fireworks. Is there anybody out=20
>there using this
>product?

I just purchased Fireworks 3 a few weeks ago and I am absolutely thrilled=20
with it myself.  I have tried PSP 5 and 6 extensively in the past and find=
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Fireworks to be far superior and easier to work with.  I also have=20
Photoshop but for Web work I almost never use it anymore as everything is=20
easier to do for me in Fireworks.  The new features in version 3 make it=20
even more powerful than before.  It can now import Photoshop files with=20
layers, editable text and most live effects intact.  It can also apply=20
several Photoshop plugins and filters as live re-editable effects to=20
Fireworks objects.  Furthermore, Fireworks now imports and exports a lot=20
more image formats than before including Corel Draw, Illustrator,=20
Photoshop, .tiff, targa, etc (import) and Illustrator, Flash, .tiff,  .bmp=
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(and probably pict on the Mac) among others (export).

Another nice feature is that you can preview export settings in the same=20
window where you work on the document (no need for separate dialog boxes)=20
and those settings are saved with the Fireworks file so you don't have to=20
recreate them if you need to make some changes to your design and re export=
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the graphic.  Its animation features are also top notch (tweening, symbols)=
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and you can save any graphical element in your designs as symbols that you=
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can use in other projects.  Note that Fireworks was found to export the=20
smallest animated GIF files of all the popular editors (including Ulead's=20
Gif Animator 4.0) in independent tests.  I don't recall where I read that=20
but I'll pass on the URL if I find it.  The HTML and JavaScript it=20
generates is also surprisingly good and the behaviors you create in=20
Fireworks 3 will be recognized in Dreamweaver 3 if you use it.

That's just scratching the surface of the features in Fireworks 3 but one=20
of the main reasons to choose a graphic editor over another is probably how=
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comfortable you are with its interface and how easy to use it is for=20
you.  Fireworks is it for me so I wouldn't hesitate to highly recommend it.

HTH!

St=E9phane Bergeron

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