Fireworks

Objectives

A one-day course for those expecting to add graphics to their Website using Macromedia Fireworks. Some basic HTML experience is essential. Knowledge of PhotoShop, FreeHand, Illustrator and/or any other commercial graphics application is an advantage, although not strictly necessary. During the course of the day, students build up a complete website, with an emphasis on experimentation.

Orientating yourself in Fireworks, understanding the palettes

Introducing Web graphics:

Resolution and format issues
Setting up a basic JPEG
Understanding bit depth, quality, smoothing, and export issues
Setting up a basic GIF:
Understanding transparency, interlacing and palette issues
Working with the 216-colour palette:
Matching HTML-defined colours
Basic drawing:
Brushes and fills, colour definition, text formatting, working with layers
Complex drawing:
Complex brush and fill variants, effects, conversion to bitmap,
Applying filters

GIF animation:

Working with frames, tweening and symbols, timing and disposal methods,
Filepath issues

Imagemapping:

Understanding imagemap formats, defining URLs, generating and exporting
The completed HTML structure

Rollovers

Working with frames, generating and exporting the completed HTML structure

Imageslicing

Setting up Object properties, exporting the completed HTML structure
PNG format images
When to use PNG formats, accommodating older browsers