FW CS3 - how to export multiple panel headers?

Hi,

I have typical web diesign issue but it seems that it is difficult or even
imposible to achieve with FW CS3. Maybe somebody can help me.

I have to create 2 sets of headers (title + background) for 2 graphic
panels. First set of headers (for first panel) cosist of 6 variants. Second
set contains only 2 variants. It is important to keep position of both
groups of headers becouse background underneath them is different and
headers are semi-transparent. Each of variant of headers is kept on separate
frame. In this case, if 6 frames is created then 6*2=12 files will be
exported but I need only 8. Of course I could remove unexpected files by
hand but real project is large and number of unexpected files is about
100!!! It is almost impossible to keep in mind what files should be
removed.

Is any way to create as many files as I need?

Regards,
Marek

Marek wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have typical web diesign issue but it seems that it is difficult or even
> imposible to achieve with FW CS3. Maybe somebody can help me.
>
> I have to create 2 sets of headers (title + background) for 2 graphic
> panels. First set of headers (for first panel) cosist of 6 variants. Second
> set contains only 2 variants. It is important to keep position of both
> groups of headers becouse background underneath them is different and
> headers are semi-transparent. Each of variant of headers is kept on separate
> frame. In this case, if 6 frames is created then 6*2=12 files will be
> exported but I need only 8. Of course I could remove unexpected files by
> hand but real project is large and number of unexpected files is about
> 100!!! It is almost impossible to keep in mind what files should be
> removed.
>
> Is any way to create as many files as I need?
>
> Regards,
> Marek
>
>
Rather than using frames, this might be better accomplished by having
each header on a separate page in Fireworks, assuming you have FW CS3 or
higher. A link to the png file might also help us be more specific.

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H Jim,

> Rather than using frames, this might be better accomplished by having each
> header on a separate page in Fireworks, assuming you have FW CS3 or
> higher. A link to the png file might also help us be more specific.

Yes, that is true but in this treatment it is necessary to place slices on
each page separately. When cutting lines changes its locations (which is
typical during developing process) it is necessary to go page by page and
shift and resize slices. I would prefer keep slices on one page to avoid
problems with relative positioning slices spreaded through many pages.

By the way... do you know whether FW CS4 has solution for this typical
issue? I'm expecting either slice resizing/relocation through many pages or
something like multistate symbols having one slice and producting many
files.

Marek wrote:
> H Jim,
>
>> Rather than using frames, this might be better accomplished by having each
>> header on a separate page in Fireworks, assuming you have FW CS3 or
>> higher. A link to the png file might also help us be more specific.
>
> Yes, that is true but in this treatment it is necessary to place slices on
> each page separately. When cutting lines changes its locations (which is
> typical during developing process) it is necessary to go page by page and
> shift and resize slices. I would prefer keep slices on one page to avoid
> problems with relative positioning slices spreaded through many pages.
>
> By the way... do you know whether FW CS4 has solution for this typical
> issue? I'm expecting either slice resizing/relocation through many pages or
> something like multistate symbols having one slice and producting many
> files.
>
>
Well don't see any quick answer to your problem if each slice needs to
be a custom size. It might be more clear if we had an example of what
you are trying to achieve.

If I am misreading your post and indeed, all the slices DO need to be
the same size, one other option would be to place the slice template on
a master page, and have your designs (again) on separate pages. This can
solve the issue of "slice resizing/relocation through many pages..."
Multistate symbols - button symbols for example - only use the same
slice for each state. For that matter, if you place a slice over an area
that has several different states, you will get a slice from each
state/frame. Just make sure to "export selected slice(s) only", so you
don't get a bunch of grahics you don't want.

There has been no significant change to how slices are utilized in CS4.

My apologies if I am not "getting" what you are trying to do.

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Ok, take a look http://lifekauf.de/test.png

After exporting this file you will get 4 headers of panel 1 and 2 headers of
panel 2. There are no unneeded files exported.
I used the button symbol to achieve it. Unfortunately only up to 4 states of
headers I can export using this symbol. Take a look on slices construction.
When I decide to resize any panel I can easly fix slice border by shifting
vertical line between slice p1 and panel 1 and horizontal line between p0
and panel 1. If your idea will be implemented where all header will be on
separate page then every change to the layout requires correction of
size/position slices page by page. It is hard then to keep slices on one
page fitting to slices used on other pages.

Marek wrote:
> Ok, take a look http://lifekauf.de/test.png
>
> After exporting this file you will get 4 headers of panel 1 and 2 headers of
> panel 2. There are no unneeded files exported.
> I used the button symbol to achieve it. Unfortunately only up to 4 states of
> headers I can export using this symbol. Take a look on slices construction.
> When I decide to resize any panel I can easly fix slice border by shifting
> vertical line between slice p1 and panel 1 and horizontal line between p0
> and panel 1. If your idea will be implemented where all header will be on
> separate page then every change to the layout requires correction of
> size/position slices page by page. It is hard then to keep slices on one
> page fitting to slices used on other pages.
>
>
I will try to review this over the weekend, time permitting.

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Jim Babbage .:CMX:. & .:Adobe Community Expert:. wrote:
> Marek wrote:
>> Ok, take a look http://lifekauf.de/test.png
>>
>> After exporting this file you will get 4 headers of panel 1 and 2
>> headers of panel 2. There are no unneeded files exported.
>> I used the button symbol to achieve it. Unfortunately only up to 4
>> states of headers I can export using this symbol. Take a look on
>> slices construction. When I decide to resize any panel I can easly fix
>> slice border by shifting vertical line between slice p1 and panel 1
>> and horizontal line between p0 and panel 1. If your idea will be
>> implemented where all header will be on separate page then every
>> change to the layout requires correction of size/position slices page
>> by page. It is hard then to keep slices on one page fitting to slices
>> used on other pages.
>>
> I will try to review this over the weekend, time permitting.
>
As I understand it, you have two issues here:

1) you want to resize a slice across multiple pages

2) You want to have a different number of frames/states for certain
slices on different pages.

Solution for # 1: Put your slices on a web SUB LAYER and share that
layer across the pages you want to have common slicing for. This layer
only needs to be created once. Then, when you resize the slice, it will
resize on all pages sharing the web sublayer.

Solution for # 2: Add your frames/states to the pages you need them.
Select a slice and right-click on the slice. Choose Export Selected
Slice. Deselect Current Frame only (and possibly Current page)in the
export menu. Export your slices.

This works fine in CS4 and CS3 with one notable exception; in both
applications, the original slice name is ignored, and Fireworks exports
the frames/states based on the page name.

Example:

original slice name: panel_top
final graphic name(s): page 1.gif, page 1_f2.gif, page 1_f3.gif etc . ..

I have not had time yet to try out exporting multiple selected slices to
see what happens to the file names. Will try to make time to do that
tonight.

HTH



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> 1) you want to resize a slice across multiple pages

Not necessarily - generarlly I would like to have access to slice editing.
It is hard to fit slices across pages because I can't show on one page
posiotion of slices placed on another one (excluding master page slices
which are unusefull because produces files on each page - even on those
which don't contain graphics for use on web page).

> 2) You want to have a different number of frames/states for certain slices
> on different pages.

The only thing I would like to achieve is to have possibility of creation of
unpredictable number of panel headers (customers can request more headers in
later time). I can't use separate slices for each version of panel header
because all headers looks good only particular place in graphic design. Note
that I want to avoid producing unusefull files which would be generated when
frames are used.

> Solution for # 1: Put your slices on a web SUB LAYER and share that layer
> across the pages you want to have common slicing for. This layer only
> needs to be created once. Then, when you resize the slice, it will resize
> on all pages sharing the web sublayer.

It could be solution but I can't see any option allowing to share or not
sublayer. Do you mean to use master page to share slice(s) among pages?

> Solution for # 2: Add your frames/states to the pages you need them.
> Select a slice and right-click on the slice. Choose Export Selected Slice.
> Deselect Current Frame only (and possibly Current page)in the export menu.
> Export your slices.

Hmmm... this is also solution but very risky. Notice that state of option
"current frame only" is not remembered and I'm afraid that one careless
export can produce hundreds of files hard to select and remove, especially
when destination folder contains many other files.

>
> This works fine in CS4 and CS3 with one notable exception; in both
> applications, the original slice name is ignored, and Fireworks exports
> the frames/states based on the page name.
>
> Example:
>
> original slice name: panel_top
> final graphic name(s): page 1.gif, page 1_f2.gif, page 1_f3.gif etc . ..
>
> I have not had time yet to try out exporting multiple selected slices to
> see what happens to the file names. Will try to make time to do that
> tonight.

No no ... it works fine. The slice names are used.

BTW

Fireworks before MX version had very usefull functionality. It was possible
define as many frames as needed and define on slice level which frames
should be exported for this particular slice. In typical project most of
slices was set to only first frame. Panels headers, rollovers etc was set to
more exported frames.

When I moved old projects to CS3 I received a lot of unneeded files after
exporting.

I'm trying to "simulate" lost very usefull functionality of FW. Mentioned
above option still exists in CS3 but seems not working. In Frames panel
double click on field having time units. New dialog box appears with
checkbox "include when exporting". Functionality was limited to animations
only.

Hi Marek:

As I said in solution one, you must create a WEB sub layer. You cannot
share a main web layer to other pages, but you can share a web sub layer
to other pages. Select the web layer on a page and then create a new
sublayer OF the web layer. Then choose Share Layer to Pages from the
Layer options menu. Add your slices to that web sub layer. Then the one
set of slices become common to all pages you choose to share the web sub
layer with.

If you need different slice dimensions on each page, that won't work,
and you will have to have independent slices on each page, as you
probably do now.

As for the other risk, well, you will just have to be careful of what
you do. Sounds a bit trite, I know, but that's all I can think of, other
than using a new folder for those exports.

If you do accidentally export to many graphics, yuo can always sort by
time and delete them, then re export and ensure the proper options are
selected or deselected.


Marek wrote:
>> 1) you want to resize a slice across multiple pages
>
> Not necessarily - generarlly I would like to have access to slice editing.
> It is hard to fit slices across pages because I can't show on one page
> posiotion of slices placed on another one (excluding master page slices
> which are unusefull because produces files on each page - even on those
> which don't contain graphics for use on web page).
>
>> 2) You want to have a different number of frames/states for certain slices
>> on different pages.
>
> The only thing I would like to achieve is to have possibility of creation of
> unpredictable number of panel headers (customers can request more headers in
> later time). I can't use separate slices for each version of panel header
> because all headers looks good only particular place in graphic design. Note
> that I want to avoid producing unusefull files which would be generated when
> frames are used.
>
>> Solution for # 1: Put your slices on a web SUB LAYER and share that layer
>> across the pages you want to have common slicing for. This layer only
>> needs to be created once. Then, when you resize the slice, it will resize
>> on all pages sharing the web sublayer.
>
> It could be solution but I can't see any option allowing to share or not
> sublayer. Do you mean to use master page to share slice(s) among pages?
>
>> Solution for # 2: Add your frames/states to the pages you need them.
>> Select a slice and right-click on the slice. Choose Export Selected Slice.
>> Deselect Current Frame only (and possibly Current page)in the export menu.
>> Export your slices.
>
> Hmmm... this is also solution but very risky. Notice that state of option
> "current frame only" is not remembered and I'm afraid that one careless
> export can produce hundreds of files hard to select and remove, especially
> when destination folder contains many other files.
>
>> This works fine in CS4 and CS3 with one notable exception; in both
>> applications, the original slice name is ignored, and Fireworks exports
>> the frames/states based on the page name.
>>
>> Example:
>>
>> original slice name: panel_top
>> final graphic name(s): page 1.gif, page 1_f2.gif, page 1_f3.gif etc . ..
>>
>> I have not had time yet to try out exporting multiple selected slices to
>> see what happens to the file names. Will try to make time to do that
>> tonight.
>
> No no ... it works fine. The slice names are used.
>
>



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