[Sigia-l] Fireworks MX 2004 as a prototyping tool

[Listera]

"David Heller" wrote:

> ... the only thing missing from making fireworks a viable prototyping tool
> is that it doesn't have libraries that I have seen. Am I wrong?

You mean share a Flash library? I don't think so, although FW can directly
read/write Flash PNG files w/o import/export. The problem is with
interactivity, since FW behaviors are JavaScript-based (external) but Flash
uses ActionScript (internal) to do the same.

> The real question is, why not just prototype directly in Flash. ;)

Don't get me started on Flash UI issues. :-)

For anything complex, the 'timeline' workflow/UI falls apart completely. If
you ever worked in an OO authoring tool like mTropolis, iShell or, even,
Norpath, you quickly realize just how much the timeline metaphor sucks.

Fortunately, I'm not the only who thinks so, Macromedia essentially hides
the timeline UI in Flash MX 2004 with the introduction of Slides/Forms
editors. But it's a kludge. They ought to ditch the darn approach and move
to event-based, OO foundation. Actually, they are going even further with
Royale, which is in beta, that gives you a traditional IDE and a textual
approach to define the UI programmatically. (Lot of great opportunities with
the latter.) Unfortunately, all this will take time to mature. I think Flash
will become a great tool in about two more revs.

> The only thing I like photoshop for over Fireworks is photomanipulation.
> Seriously that's it.

Well, that's an ocean-size area. :-) There *are* lots of stuff in raster
format that PS does that FW can't come close to. But, again, we are talking
about web production here, so it's a subset and FW does great.

Ziya
Nullius in Verba