OK, accept the sad news - ImageReady was discontinued.
Hopefully most of its features have been included in Photoshop CS3. Of course it is not as convenient as before, but I already know guys who are happy with changes.
So, we have lost (it is in Adobe Fireworks CS3 now):
- Export to Macromedia Flash SWF
- Image Map tool
- Group Slices Into Table (however, you can export subgroup of slices as a table)
As you have noticed, this features are very helpful for those who are into web design.
If you hope that new and improved Fireworks-2-Photoshop integration will make you happy, you are wrong. It sucks actually. Fireworks simply doesn't understand styles and clipping layers. Hope Adobe will fix that someday.
Now I should say that everything is not so bad and we are not doomed still...
So here are features which were included:
- Slice tool/Slice Select tool -
These tools are available on the Toolbar.
- Tab Rectangle tool/Pill Rectangle tool -
This is available through the Rounded Rectangle Shape tool.
- Slice palette -
In the Slice Options dialog box.
- Animation palette (love this one) -
Window > Animation. It has two modes: Frames and Timeline. Frames mode corresponds to the Animation palette in ImageReady.
Timeline gives you a simplified version of timeline in Adobe After Effects, which is really cool.
- Edit Animated GIF files -
Photoshop CS3 can create animated GIF files.
File > Save For Web & Devices. Unfortunately you cannot just open an existing animated GIF file as before.
BUT! you can do it if to use Import function.
File > Import > Video Frames to Layers... you won't find GIF in the list of available formats. It doesn't matter, in the File Name: type GIF file name with extension.
For example: animation.gif and press Load button.
That's it, now you have your GIF animation and can edit it the way you got used to in ImageReady.
Import > Folder as Frames - do the next:
File > Scripts > Load files into Stack.
In the Load Layers dialog box, select Folder from the Use menu. Browse to the folder that contains the images you want to include and click OK.
Select Make Frames from Layers in the Animation palette menu.
Export > Layers as Files -
File > Scripts > Export Layers to Files.
Variables -
Image > Variables.
Select File > Save For Web & Devices -
This is very important menu. Here you can save your file as GIF animation.
Just select desired GIF preset and if satisfied, you are done. If not, there are a lot of settings to play with. Under color table you can choose loop options.
That's it, hope after this article you won't blame Adobe for what they have done :)
You better not to know what Autodesk have done to Maya. Guess it is a nice topic for the next article 8)
Hopefully most of its features have been included in Photoshop CS3. Of course it is not as convenient as before, but I already know guys who are happy with changes.
So, we have lost (it is in Adobe Fireworks CS3 now):
- Export to Macromedia Flash SWF
- Image Map tool
- Group Slices Into Table (however, you can export subgroup of slices as a table)
As you have noticed, this features are very helpful for those who are into web design.
If you hope that new and improved Fireworks-2-Photoshop integration will make you happy, you are wrong. It sucks actually. Fireworks simply doesn't understand styles and clipping layers. Hope Adobe will fix that someday.
Now I should say that everything is not so bad and we are not doomed still...
So here are features which were included:
- Slice tool/Slice Select tool -
These tools are available on the Toolbar.
- Tab Rectangle tool/Pill Rectangle tool -
This is available through the Rounded Rectangle Shape tool.
- Slice palette -
In the Slice Options dialog box.
- Animation palette (love this one) -
Window > Animation. It has two modes: Frames and Timeline. Frames mode corresponds to the Animation palette in ImageReady.
Timeline gives you a simplified version of timeline in Adobe After Effects, which is really cool.
- Edit Animated GIF files -
Photoshop CS3 can create animated GIF files.
File > Save For Web & Devices. Unfortunately you cannot just open an existing animated GIF file as before.
BUT! you can do it if to use Import function.
File > Import > Video Frames to Layers... you won't find GIF in the list of available formats. It doesn't matter, in the File Name: type GIF file name with extension.
For example: animation.gif and press Load button.
That's it, now you have your GIF animation and can edit it the way you got used to in ImageReady.
Import > Folder as Frames - do the next:
File > Scripts > Load files into Stack.
In the Load Layers dialog box, select Folder from the Use menu. Browse to the folder that contains the images you want to include and click OK.
Select Make Frames from Layers in the Animation palette menu.
Export > Layers as Files -
File > Scripts > Export Layers to Files.
Variables -
Image > Variables.
Select File > Save For Web & Devices -
This is very important menu. Here you can save your file as GIF animation.
Just select desired GIF preset and if satisfied, you are done. If not, there are a lot of settings to play with. Under color table you can choose loop options.
That's it, hope after this article you won't blame Adobe for what they have done :)
You better not to know what Autodesk have done to Maya. Guess it is a nice topic for the next article 8)
See you next time.
Good luck and have fun!
Kostya Koss (aka) Almakos.
Good luck and have fun!
Kostya Koss (aka) Almakos.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kostya_Koss