Fireworks 7.0.2 / Freehand 11.0.2

[senocular]

Fireworks has a new updater (http://www.macromedia.com/support/fireworks/downloads_updaters.html) (patch) to get you up to speed with Fireworks 7.0.2. You can read the release notes here (http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/fireworks/mx2004/releasenotes_fwmx702.html). Doesn't seem to be that crucial of an update, but it is comforting to know that Macromedia is sticking to their guns in addressing such issues and patching them.

Also, if you've missed it, the Freehand 11.0.2 updater (http://www.macromedia.com/support/freehand/updaters.html) was released last month. You can read the release notes for that update here (http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/freehand/releasenotes.html).

[DDD]

thanks sen.....I think I am one of the few who use FW here.

[senocular]

I know rev and I are big users ;)

[jingman]

I'm trying to start - need to vindicate buying the Studio package ;)

[iloveitaly]

I tried the demo of fireworks. personally IM CS is alot better.

[DDD]

CS? the whole suite? Fireworks really is a mix between illustrator/freehand and photoshop. Really good for layouts. AND IT HAS THE DOTTED LINE TOOL

[senocular]

Originally posted by DDD
AND IT HAS THE DOTTED LINE TOOL

lol

[iloveitaly]

no i am just talking about image ready....
also i found fireworks really slow compared to image ready.
I also like the interface better....

[senocular]

The statement still applies. Fireworks is a mix of what is offered across multiple applications in CS. Like DDD said, its a mix of ILL, PS and IR. It's certainly not as powerful as those 3 combined, nor does it try to be, but it has just what it needs of those to be basically the best tool for what it tries to accomplish. And Fireworks MX 2004 has made incredible improvements in speed compared to MX. To quote myself from another post: "Drawing is like rubbing your hiney on silk. Its wonderful!" ;) My favorite part is its extensibility through scripting. That has saved me many times (and much time). And of course you can't forget the dashed lines!

[DDD]

well said....I have been a dotted line crusader for quite sometime now. I wonder why it has taken soooo long to get it added. I actually forgot how to use image ready. Soon as they introduced round trip editting IR went out the door. Still would not sub out PS tho.

[senocular]

I work with Director a lot at work and using Fireworks is SOO much easier than PS/IR. Exporting graphics is a breeze (and a lot faster), especilly with FW Director export (though I substitute FW's scripts with my own ;)) but best of all is not having to wait for that friggen image update when going back and forth between PS and IR. That was so incredibly annoying and a waste of time.

[DDD]

speking of FWMX 04 (sorry to hi-jack)

Sen - Do you know why my FWMX04 wont recognize my PS plugins folder? I pointed it to it in the preference options. Weird enough on my laptop it sees it.

[senocular]

same plugins? and I assume this is after having restarted Fireworks right?

[DDD]

yeah I pointed the plugins to look in the PS folders but they do not show up in my filters menu.

[senocular]

yeah, that is odd. I dont know. Since your laptop can see it, you might want to see if you can find what the differences are between the settings of the two (maybe different directory names or something else minor etc) and see if something quirky in that is the culprit. Otherwise I dont know. I've personally never had a problem before :-/