WHY DO YOU DESPISE FIREWORKS?

Ever since Adobe announced the acquisition of Macromedia, everybody is trying to figure out what will be the fate of the products we use regularly. I think I've read it all, and although it would make sense to slash out Freehand (the product has been stagnant for so long, in effect favoring Illustrator), I don't understand why some neglect Fireworks importance.

Fireworks, with all its quirks, is better than ImageReady, period. Comparing Fireworks to Photoshop makes no sense, they have different missions. Although it's been very long since I used Fireworks for creating layouts and slicing graphics for web pages, it is is still my weapon of choice for editing and optimizing (not retouching) photographs, and creating other visuals (bitmaps) for my Flash applications. I even use it to create emoticons for my chats over MSN Messenger... that's another story.

Anyway, as a user of Fireworks since version 2, I don't think it deserves to be dropped, or have its guts spilled around. If anything, it should be used to make a better ImageReady or replace it completely, if at all possible.

Archived under: Adobe Systems, Fireworks. | Permalink | google | del.icio.us | digg

For the first time ever, I agree with you Oscar! ;-)

Fireworks is NOT comparible to Photoshop. Fireworks SHOULD replace ImageReady. Fireworks SHOULD receive as much future development as possible!!!

Thanks for bringing this up!

Leif

I *love* Fireworks. I'm a web-only person and use it as my primary graphics editor/creation tool. I only go into Photoshop to touch up a photo now and then. If Fireworks went away you'll find me bunched up in ball crying. You're right- Fireworks is superior to ImageReady, which I tried. It's not in direct competition with Photoshop, but I can see somebody saying "lets just add some more vector stuff to Photoshop and we can ax Fireworks." They'd be wrong, but I can see it happening.

This family loves da Fireworx!

http://www.mediadiva.net/blog/archives/2005/04/fireworks_rocks.html

Exactly my thoughts, Oscar.

I, however, have used Fireworks frequently to build some basic web layouts/icons. It's much easier than the PShop/Illustrator combo, as you get vector and bitmap together, and the colors are accurate when output to web.

I've tried ImageReady for the same thing, but it's just clumsy.

Fireworks with some basic knowledge is a very productive web layout tool, and really can't be compared to anything else.

I'm with you on this one Oscar. Although I don't use it as much as I used too, Fireworks is indespensible to me for one big juicy reason...EASE OF USE. I'm not going to claim that it can do what photoshop can, that's a bit foolish as you said above, but when you need something good fast, there is no comparison.

Hopefully it won't 'die' but instead either replace or combine with ImageReady (can you say 'ImageWorks'??). Alas...we'll have to wait and see...

Just my $.02 ;)

I tend to agree... it also starts up a lot quicker than PS.

Since V1 i've loved the ability to directly edit a PNG file and keep editable vectors in there. Makes editing a layout nice and easy. Its optimization process rocks. Plus the JS scripting functionality is nice, unique AFAIK. Theres also the handy export wizards for flash and director...

I, for one, love Photoshop, but would lament the complete loss of Fireworks... If anything, could Adobe just support PNG a little better?

I love fireworks-it's quick startup, tight png support, object oriented layers system, symbols, styles, text handling, object masking, and html output capability just rock. If photoshop is a broadsword when it comes to web graphics then FW is the scaple. We do a lot of e-learning and FW is so fast to bring in a pic or raster line art, crop it, add a dropshadow, save, import to flash, done-on to the next screen. If adobe thinks that i'll suddenly start loading up photoshop for webgraphics they'd be wrong. They should send image ready to the junk heap and tie FW to it as the web envirnment. I've been hoping that apple would support FW in DVD pro. Never made sense to load Photoshop for a menu image that was740 pixels across.

Very true about fireworks. I also use it to retouch photos. The rubber stamp tool works wonders for removing unwanted elements from a pic. Also cant count all the times I've seen my wife put together the look of a site in FW and then slice it up and run it through DW. Its a great workflow once you get the hang of it.

Now Freehand is a weird case. I first tried it at version 9, but with MX it became very useful to me for Flash graphics. The object panel works great with the heirarchy of objects/effects. The thing is, the features I use it for should be part of Flash anyway, and may well be with 8Ball. Nevertheless the workspace style is also great for storing many related graphics in one file, like a wide field view of the library.

I LOVE Fireworks, and this is the first I've heard about the Adobe purchase. I'd be devestated if Fireworks went away. And - I think you mean "fate" not "faith" of Fireworks.

I hope to see the MAXIMUS for Graphics Software, not killing Illustrator or Freehand, but merging both. Freehand has strong weapons against the Illustrator and vice-versa. I use both softwares Adobe's and Macromedia's for my work, I combine perfectly the Photoshop with Freehand (cause the versatility of managing files) and sometimes Illustrator, which is some short in liberty on formats of work, but has great tools. So don't see this like a destruction from the ideas of a company but an evolution of two species to something superior. Well I know this guys will bee smart enough to think like this, and not loosing any followers.

Enjoyed browsing through the site. Keep up the good work.

Freehand is dead. But Fireworks must lie on. I use it daily and it is superb for Web stuff

http://www.trainingconnection.com