Re: Fireworks files into Flash

[David Mendels]

Hi,



This is an interesting question, and we have spent a good deal of time

thinking about it.  Firework's native format is .PNG.  This is a bitmap

format. (And Flash 3 does support PNGs from Fireworks with alpha

transparency.)  We use custom data within the .PNG file to to store the

Fireworks objects (strokes and fills) as if they were vectors, and provide

vector editing tools so that all aspects of your bitmap are editible at all

times, but it is at all stages a bitmap. (BTW, this is fundamentally what

is so unique about Fireworks--Everything is editible all the time--our goal

was not to just solve the graphics optimization problem, but to solve the

"client" problem, and let you easily change/edit your work at any stage.)

Furthermore, we allow designers to add organic, natural effects to their

strokes/fills in Fireworks such as feathered edges, drop shadows, natural

media brushes.  These are editable as if they are vectors, but there is

actually no way to accurately represent them as vectors in a product like

Flash.  We could export the underlying 2D geometry as Flash, but you would

lose the brushes/shadows/bitmappy effects.  Would this be useful? Can you

or anyone comment further on how you would like to work with Fireworks >>

Flash?


-David

Macromedia


At 06:09 PM 7/13/98 -0300, Judy Miller wrote:

>thanks Mike,

>do you know if there are any plans to rectify this? Metacreations has a

>program called Expression which is similar but exports as Vector. I haven't

>played with it too much, but I find fireworks so much easier to use and

>learn than Freehand. I would imagine, I could create some pretty nifty

>effects easily and quickly. I was bouncing in my seat when I realized the

>implications of the live effects. You can play and play with colour,

>texture, patterns, the whole thing without having to redo steps. This is

>such a fantastic enhancement for web designers,. BUT the fact that I can't

>import as vector so that I can scale, and play more in Flash, not to mention

>the file size or scaling ability sort or bugs me.

>It would be quite the enhancement to either develop an xtra or add vector

>export in the next version.

>

>Judy Miller

>Fall River Decorative Arts

>

http://fallriver.ns.ca judyfallriver [dot] ns [dot] ca (mailto:judyfallriver [dot] ns [dot] ca)

>

>>> At 3:35 AM -0700 7/13/98, Judy Miller wrote:

>> >But I would like to know why you can't export your

>> >vector based drawings in Fireworks into Flash as vectors.

>>

>> That may be the biggest blunder Macromedia made in Fireworks 1.0.

>> You can't

>> export the vectors to anything.

>>

>> --MIke

>

>

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---------------------------------------------------------------

David Mendels                               

Vice President and co-General Manager, 

Graphics Business, Internet and Multimedia Business, Macromedia

                     

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