Editorial Reviews:
From vector drawing to bit map editing to animations, Fireworks 3 puts all the Web graphics tools you need into a single, cohesive package. Packed with timesaving tips and real-world examples, this comprehensive guide shows you how to make the most of Fireworks, whether you're looking for an in-depth tutorial on program fundamentals or savvy advice on the new workflow management tools and enhanced Dreamweaver integration.
Many digital designers, even fans of Macromedia Dreamweaver, use Adobe Photoshop/ImageReady and Illustrator for image creation and manipulation, and constantly go back and forth between applications. In this latest Bible, Dreamweaver power user Joseph Lowery proved to himself that Macromedia Fireworks, which handles both vector and bitmap art, is an effective replacement for those applications, increasing both productivity and creativity. As with others in the series, the Fireworks 3 Bible works well both for beginners who need guidance in learning the software and experienced users looking for a good reference manual. Although the book isn't tutorial-based, you perform step-by-step tasks along the way, and the index is thorough enough to help you find solutions to problems. The book is not written as a face-off between Fireworks and other applications, but you'll quickly discover tasks for which Fireworks has the edge, particularly in Web production. For example, methods for creating hot spots and sliced GIFs are similar to those in Photoshop/ImageReady, but here we learn how to use the Fireworks Insert > Hotspot or Insert > Slice option to encompass an entire object instantly, including all of the drop shadow or other effects. A single click + key combination wins over a click + drag any day. Fireworks is included in the Dreamweaver Studio package, and the construction of the application fits the Macromedia model. This is most apparent when creating rollovers; Fireworks uses Behaviors, while ImageReady uses layers and a rollover/animation panel. Lowery is adept at explaining the whys along with the hows, and the chapter on activating Fireworks with Behaviors clearly explains this method and gives a firm foundation on how Behaviors work in Dreamweaver, Flash, and, on a much larger scale, Director. There's not much to complain about in this excellent book, except for a small but confusing organizational choice in the step-by-step instructions: a more intuitive organization would have been to have the "Notes," which offer advice and caveats, precede the step to which they refer, instead of following it. Otherwise, Fireworks 3 Bible is as comprehensive as it is well written, and it might just convert those die-hard Illustrator/Photoshop/ImageReady Web designers. --Angelynn Grant Topics covered: Tools and interface, including new tools in version 3; learning the Fireworks way of creating graphics; using Live Effects and Xtras; methods for optimizing workflow and having a consistent look in images, for example, by using Library, Commands, and History palettes; integrating work with Dreamweaver; basic GIF animation techniques, and customizing Fireworks with JavaScript Application Programming Interface. CD-ROM contains both trial and demo versions of relevant software and filters, along with extra commands, templates, textures, and other art.
Customer Reviews:
Displaying 1 to 5 of 12 total reviews (Page 1 of 3):
 Good Book for learning fireworks.
The book is good for learning how to do most if not all of the fireworks basics. It also covers a few advanced topics, but not in enough depth.The book is the only one on the market so if your looking for another resource, try the manual. Otherwise, I would suggest it. Nice! But could have been a little better!
This was a fairly good book. But, I found myself getting lost and confused several times while reading. I have never used Fireworks 3, and I have not used any other sort of graphics design program before. So I am new to graphics design. I found the book to be very helpful but confusing in a couple of chapters. I did have a few problems with the book. The first couple of chapters throw all the menus and tool options at you right off the bat. It kinda blew my mind, and I almost had a melt down! One last thing I didn't like about the book is the constant pointers to using Fireworks with Macintosh. I am ofcourse a Windows user, so I found the constant references to Mac pointless. I will remain a Windows user until the day I die, so I could of done without the references to Mac in the book. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Moreover, I would recomend this book to anyone who wants to learn a quick and easy graphics design program such as Fireworks! Not quite as good as it could be
I recognize that this is probably the most comprehensive book on Fireworks 3, but I am a little disappointed in it. There is lots of good information. It is sometimes overwhelming. There are examples in the book that you just can't follow along with. They give you the completed exercise but why not give you the starting graphics, give you directions and let you create the finished product yourself. I was also disappointed in several chapters on the CD ROM that didn't seem to have the correct files as the chapters in the book. So I decided to go to their web site to see if they had corrections. When I went to the site identified in the book, it was the site for the Fireworks 2 book. The book is an invaluable resource and should be in anyone's collection if they are working with Fireworks 3, but, in my opinion, this is not a 5 star book.  Great intro to design for developers
With my background being primarily in database and application development, reading the Fireworks 3 Bible was somewhat of a sidestep for me. For quite a while I have been writing ASP pages to serve as front ends to my databases-- all the rollovers and DHTML I used was hand-coded. Though fun, writing such things out manually is anything but speedy. Enter Fireworks! Not only is Fireworks speeding up my development, the work I produce is of a decidedly higher order.The Fireworks 3 Bible is the only serious work out there on Fireworks. Luckily it's a good tech manual. I have hardly any background in graphic design, so I sat down and read this book cover to cover (if you know Photoshop/Illustrator you should be able to skim and pick up just the details you need). It was great to get an overview of vector graphic and image editing-- I feel as if I could pick up other Macromedia/Adobe products and fudge my way through basic designs. I would recommend this book to any web developer. My approach to web development has been completely altered. Brilliant
There is no doubt at all that Lowery not only has the indepth knowledge about the subject but the fact that the fluent,lucid and fantastic manner in which he explains the complete Fireworks subject in nothing short of amazing. Very few computer gurus can teach what they know, I mean teach well, and without doubt Lowery is one of them. If you are knew to fireworks,or at the intermidiate level,this is the book which after reading, you can afford to add the word "GURU" in your title. If you are looking to pick up Fireworks fast,have no time to waste through fat books, EVEN THEN,do NOT miss out this brilliant book.Skimming through section 1 of this book should be enough to help you working efficiently with Fireworks menu and toolbars.I mentioned this point cause I myself was under tremendous pressure from my manager to pick up the Fireworks stuff for the projects,and initialy had opted for the "Firworks fast and easy web development book" so I could immediately pick up the tool.Wrong Choice.I gave up reading that book within 30 minutes of opening the first page.This book guides you thro the steps involved in familiarizing with the Fireworks basics and then moves on to the deeper and extensive stuff which you can do with Fireworks. The first 136 pages are slow and you may feel like throwing away the book.DONT.The real fun starts after the 136 pages provided you have read well upto that part. after 136 pages its nothing short of a high speed Bond movie chase. Each chapters/articles are carefully detailed with enough of juices to drink which would last a lifetime. Basic chapters like "managing color"(in my opinion a very fundamental principle to learn and pick to avoid making amess of your website),'choosing strokes',"composing text" and many more - form the Second section of "Mastering tools".This section is a beginner's delight. The author then moves on to more advanced sections like "acheiving effects" , programming with fireworks(if you need it), and many more. This is the kind of book you pick up to learn a new subject and then make place for it near your desktop for a lifetime refrence and guidance. More Customer Reviews:
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