Web development tools provider, Macromedia, will soon release a new version of its advanced graphics production tool for Web sites.
Fireworks 2, according to Macromedia, is a major upgrade and will be made available as a stand-alone application or integrated with Macromedia's Dreamweaver 2 visual HTML editor along with the company's vector-based animation product, Flash.
Officials indicate that part of Fireworks' new features include the "advanced implementation" of image slicing, behaviours and greater compatibility with a number of Web page creation tools. Also, Fireworks has been designed to streamline the workflow of design, production and coding of images for Web sites.
Tom Hale, vice president of Macromedia's Web Publishing division, said, "As Web sites become larger and more central to business operations, consistent design and the ability to rapidly make changes across multiple graphics become crucial."
"Fireworks provides real productivity advantages to businesses that each day face the challenge of keeping graphics-intensive sites updated and fresh in order to attract and keep visitors," Hale added.
Fireworks 2 enables designers to create graphics with "sophisticated behaviours" such as rollovers, then export those graphics (as well as the code for the behaviours) in a format that can be recognised by HTML editors. Code can be exported in the native format of HTML programs such as Dreamweaver and Microsoft's Front Page.
Developers are able to work within Dreamweaver and utilise the full set of Fireworks editing features and return to the HTML editor once graphics modifications have been completed.
Another benefit of the close integration of Dreamweaver and Fireworks is the addition of an "Optimise in Fireworks" menu item in Dreamweaver. This uses the Fireworks Optimisation engine for graphics selected in Dreamweaver. Macromedia officials also claim that the new JavaScript behaviours in Fireworks will appear as native behaviours in Dreamweaver 2.
Fireworks 2 allows graphic and text Styles to be shared among workgroups and the system also provides a Find and Replace feature which can globally update text, fonts, colours and URLs.
Other new features of the system include a URL manager which helps keep links consistent throughout a site; a Behaviour palette for quickly creating sophisticated interactivity; and batch processing capabilities that can automate tasks or generate JavaScript applets.
Fireworks 2, which will ship in March, is available for Windows 95/98 and NT 4.0 as well as Mac OS 7.5.5 or later and will be priced at A$399.
In other Macromedia related news, the company announced that new optimised version of Shockwave 7 and Flash players will be available to desktop computers which are powered by Intel's new Pentium III processor.
According to Macormedia, Pentium III-based PC users will experience "high-fidelity" Web sites, animated user interfaces, vector-based graphics, games and cartoons without having to download or install special plug-ins/software. No time frame has been given for the release of the new player software.
