Integrating Flash, Fireworks, and Freehand f/x & Design: Solutions for Web Design Workflow is perfect if you've already used each of these applications individually, but want to become more efficient by taking advantage of the specific strengths each offers and coordinating tasks between them all. Projects cover creating maps, wireframe diagrams, photographs, navigational bars, animated GIFs, Flash movies, building Web sites, and more. And the book even discusses how to integrate Fireworks within Dreamweaver.

This is a tutorial-based book and fairly text-heavy. You'll get the most out of it if you can invest the time to follow along step by step in front of your computer, either using the files provided on the CD-ROM or generating new artwork yourself. The author has a gentle, friendly style that's encouraging and supportive. The introduction to the chapter on Flash by noted Flash expert Hillman Curtis only amounts to three pages of advice, but it's also very encouraging to newbies.

The book's level is set, roughly, at intermediate to advanced, but this needs to be clarified: If you call yourself "advanced," this will all be familiar territory (no advanced user needs to see how Bézier curve handles work). On the other hand, if you're a designer who is experienced in other graphics applications, but a rank beginner with any of these Macromedia products, you'll probably be able to follow along just fine. The bulk of the audience will be users who feel they haven't yet maximized their integration of Flash, Fireworks, Freehand, and Dreamweaver, as well as those who've lagged behind in taking the leap into ActionScripting. (Isn't that most of us?) You won't become an ActionScripting pro, but you will pick up some of the fundamentals.

A nice bonus: the CD-ROM contains 20 QuickTime movies demonstrating key steps in several projects. --Angelynn Grant

About the Author
Joyce J. Evans has over 10 years of experience in teaching, tutorial development, and Web design. She authored Integrating Flash, Fireworks and FreeHand f/x & Design (Coriolis Group Books), received Editor's Choice Awards for her Fireworks 4 f/x & Design, and coauthored Dreamweaver 4: The Complete Reference. Currently, Joyce writes Web reviews, tutorials, and articles for Web Review, DT&G Graphic Design, The Internet Eye, and Art Today.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Integrating Flash, Fireworks, FreeHand f/x & Design teaches how to bring together Macromedia's popular Web-design tools into one integrated workflow. Delve into the power of Fireworks, discover FreeHand's exceptional drawing tools, and prepare designs for use in Flash. Master the hottest features and how to integrate them into designing compelling Web pages. Featuring a Flash introduction by Flash guru Hillman Curtis, this book teaches how to design bannder ads, make Movie Clips, and write ActionScript! Projects within this book were contributed by leading designers including Scott Hamlin, Tracy Kelly, Ian Kelleigh, and Fig Leaf Software. The accompanying CD-ROM contains tutorial movies, a free copy of Eye Candy™ 3 Special Edition, demos and plug-in demos, and 500 free photo objects from Hemera Technologies.

AUTHOR DESCRIPTION