Linking Together Macromedia Flash 5, Freehand 9 & 10, Dreamweaver 4, & Fireworks 4

This presentation is going to emphasize the integration of these four strong web building, designing, and authoring products from Macromedia. Each will be treated on an individual basis while showing how they work superlatively together. The following are brief synopses of the four programs to be reviewed.

Flash 5 is a multi-use program. On its simplest level, it uses vector objects to create animations (bitmapped images can be incorporated as well). On a more complex level, it can be used to create interactive web sites with sound and motion. Its flash player format or SWF file extension is becoming a standard in the industry with newer releases of programs such as Curious Labs Poser Pro Pack supporting it in their export options. SWF is the format recognized by Macromedia=s Flash Player which is a free download from Macromedia. It also can be found in the full install of Internet Explorer 5.5. With this Flash player anyone can view these animations either on the web, since it plugs into newer versions of Netscape and IE, or on one's machine. Also these animations can be seen in the  Quick Time Viewer, whose download from the Apple site is free. This viewer also is included on many CD=s of  commercial  programs.

Freehand 9 is a vector illustrating program. It offers a wealth of tools and and can integrate seamlessly with Flash 5 for creating and editing vector files. It, also, can export and import files to and from other illustrating programs. In addition, it has tools that can work with bitmapped programs and a trace tool to convert bitmapped images into vector images.

Freehand 10 is the newest version of Freehand. Soon after I wrote this article and the review of Freehand 9, Freehand 10 was released with many updates which includes an interface more similar to other Macromedia products and more features to create a tighter bond between Flash and Freehand.

Dreamweaver 4 is a web authoring tool. It integrates with Flash 5 and Fireworks 4. It is a very flexible program that offers incredible control of web layout and special effects. It has numerous options that can be explored for building a simple or highly complicated web site.

Fireworks 4 is the image editing program for creating or editing bitmapped images in Dreamweaver 4. It has the capability of importing, working with, and, then, exporting Adobe Photoshop files while keeping elements such as layering intact. Its native format is PNG. It, also, works seamlessly with Flash in editing and optimizing bitmapped images for use in the latter's program.

These programs can be purchased separately or in two studio suites. Freehand 9 and Flash 5 comprise one suite while Dreamweaver 4 and Fireworks 4 comprise the other. Additional programs come with these such as MGI Photovision and Allaires's HomeSite.

The requirements for the Freehand 9/Flash 5 Studio are:

  • 50 MB of disk space with 70-80 recommended
  • CD-ROM drive
  • 800x600 color monitor
  • 32 MB of Ram
  • PowerPC (Macintosh)
  • System 8.1 or later (Macintosh)
  • 133 MHz Intel Pentium processor or higher (Windows)
  • Windows 95, 98, 2000, or NT 4 (with Service Pack 3)

The requirements for the Freehand10/Flash 5 Studio are:

Freehand 10

  • Intel Pentium Processor with Windows 98, Me, 2000, or NT4 or
  • PowerPC Processor with Mac OS 8.6 or higher
  • 64 MB of available system RAM
  • 70 MB of available disk space
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 or Netscape Navigator 4 or later recommended
  • 800x600, 256-color display
  • CD-Rom drive
  • Postscript level 2-compatible printer or higher

Flash 5

  • Intel Pentium Processor with Windows 98, Me, 2000, or NT4 or
  • PowerPC Processor with Mac OS 8.5 or higher
  • 32 MB of available system RAM
  • 40 MB of available disk space
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 or Netscape Navigator 4 or later recommended
  • 800x600, 256-color display
  • CD-Rom drive
  • Postscript level 2-compatible printer or higher

The requirements for the Dreamweaver/Fireworks Studio are:

Windows

  • Intel Pentium Processor with Pentium II recommended
  • Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, or Windows NT 4 with Service Pack 5
  • 64 MB of available RAM
  • 800x600, 256-color display with 1024x768 and millions of colors recommended
  • CD-ROM drive
  • 190 MB of disk space is required during the installation of this suite

Macintosh

  • Power Macintosh Processor with a G3 or higher recommended
  • Mac OS 8.6 or 9.x
  • 64 MB of available RAM
  • 150 MB of available hard disk space
  • 800x600, 256-color display with 1024x768, and millions of colors recommended
  • Adobe Type Manager Version 4 or later with Type 1 fonts
  • CD-Rom drive
  • 215 MB of disk space is required during the installation of this suite

For more information on all these programs and other Macromedia programs, go to http://www.macromedia.com

While all high end programs offer multiple ways of achieving a result, using multiple programs in an integrated fashion easily quadruples the number of ways. In these reviews, I will present some ways that I have found to create small but high quality files. I am sure that there are other ways equally good and very possibly better. These comments will be mainly aimed at the "newby" user.

All four of these programs overlap in certain areas. But each one excels in their specific area. For example, I always went back to Fireworks to optimize my files.

I always find it useful when reading a review to know a little about the orientation of the user. Firstly, I use Windows 98 SE on a Pentium III. I have been a graphic professional for many years who used a PC when the majority of graphic artists used a Mac. Of the four programs I am reviewing, Freehand is the only one with which I am familiar. For that reason, I decided to spend a few months working with all the programs and creating a new website for myself using only these four. The website can be found at: http://www.perpetualvisions.com

I do not claim to be an expert on these programs and am not writing this article and the four reviews from that perspective; however, I am writing from the perspective of one who has studied these programs by using them and reading many third party books. Using these methods, I have acquired a competent knowledge of them.

There are many features common to all the programs. One great feature is the internal link in each program to go directly from the program to Macromedia's home page and the Exchange Forum. From the Exchange Forum, one can download software such as Extensions. These are great! They add behaviors such as Open Browser Window that allows for a second window to be opened with a "mouse over" and then this new window can be closed with another "mouse over." There are over 400 of these on the Macromedia Exchange section of their site.

So as not to be redundant, I will try to explain how these programs can be interlinked with each other without repeating the information in each review. Although the programs have been paired together in Studios, they work integrally with each other and in certain areas overlap. For example, Macromedia Dreamweaver contains tools for creating Flash text and buttons while Fireworks contains vector editing tools and can work with either vectors or raster image.

Since I do not know JavaScripting, I cannot give first hand examples of how these type of functions work in concert. As I stated previously, the interfaces are similar. This means that the panels (sub-sub menus) are consistent, the names of items are consistent, the tool bars are as consistent as they can be due to the various nature of the programs, etc. Other examples are that at least three of the four programs have capabilities to make buttons, rollovers, do animation, etc. But, each offers a slightly different approach and angle so, in actuality, there is little redundancy.

Tool Bars in Three Programs
Freehand 9 Freehand 10 Fireworks 4 Flash 5

When an item, such as a graphic, is exported with attached HTML, it goes flawlessly from Fireworks into Dreamerweaver, HTML can also be exported specifically to other web authoring programs.

Symbols are used throughout the programs although their function can vary slightly. A symbol in Flash, for example, can be used as many times as desired in an animation without added to its size. Symbols can be exported from one program directly into another.

Until I had uploaded part of my site to the Internet, I did not know how well it would perform. I was more than amazed at how well the various programs worked with each other and reported information as to file size and download times, for example. I, also, was amazed at how well the previews worked in the various programs.

I have had enough experience with programs erroneously stating download times or showing export quality. I have had to redo portions of web sites before due to these factors. The performance of all four of these Macromedia products was flawless.

I highly recommend all four products. For individual reviews, click on the following links: Fireworks 4, Flash 5, Freehand 9, Freehand 10, Dreamweaver 4 or click on the Articles button at the bottom of the page to return to the Articles Index.