Thread

Hello,
I’ve been using Fireworks for years and really like it.  However, believe it or not, until recently I didn’t use it to create layouts.  I was just using it for specific elements.

I just started using it to create designs and output CSS/HTML.  Seems pretty good, although the output needs tweaking and cleanup.

Just wondering, anyone else here like using Fireworks for this purpose?  Or do you have another application you like better?

Thanks,
Matthew

Yes, I use Fireworks all the time. It’s the most productive tool I’ve found so far for wireframing, page comps, etc. But some of it’s “features” are frustrating to put up with so I’m always interested in other options…

I never ever use it’s html/css output feature though. I always print comps, annotate with how I’m thinking to code the html/css, then code by hand.

Hi martinj,
I never liked any tools for creating HTML/CSS, but recently read on some design forums that people were using Fireworks for this. So I tried the export features and loked at the results.

It’s not perfect, but Fireworks does get the general layout correct and it creates CSS styles and IDs.  I calculated the time it took me to “clean up” the produced CSS, and it was not that different from what it normally takes me to code a site by hand.

It’s fun to discover a tool you’ve been using for years!

Thanks,
Matthew

Hi Matthew

I absolutely agree it’s fun (and sometimes why didn’t I try this before???) when you find a new tool in old software.

I guess the html/css use comes down to personal preference and knowing how far to trust the automated process - sounds like you’ve got that sussed 😊

Have you tried any alternatives to Fireworks (other than Photoshop or Illustrator). I think if Adobe could address some of the long standing bugs in Fireworks it would be much more productive - unless they have already done so in CS5/5.5 - I’m still using CS4.

Hi martinj,
I’ve been using Fireworks since 1999, when it wasn’t even Adobe ___.  I think the reason I didn’t think of it as a layout tool is because in those days it didn’t make sense to use layout tools.  Hey, we just had HTML back then!  CSS?  What was that?

My main problem with the CSS output in Fireworks is that it creates a separate style for each DIV, and adds a few extra DIVs.  But it’s pretty easy to delete the extra stuff and then begin editing in earnest, adding background images, etc.

Long ago, I didn’t think this way.  But these days, it comes down to a time calculation.  I tracked the time to lay out a couple of sites, and for me it helped to use Fireworks as a starter.  If I have extra time these days, I’d rather spend it posting on the CodeIgniter forum!

If anyone has other tools that work well, or better, I’d be interested in hearing about it.

Thanks,
Matthew

I’ve been using Fireworks CS5 for quite a bit now and have fallen in love with it. I used to mock up my layouts with Photoshop, but switching to Fireworks has been a night & day type of thing for me.

I can’t speak much towards the features for exporting directly to HTML/CSS, since I have never been a fan of those features in any program. I prefer to code everything by hand and just use the templates I’ve built in Fireworks as a reference.

If I were you, I would just stick with Fireworks. If you’re only grudge with it is the way it exports HTML/CSS, then you’re probably going to be disappointed with other programs too, since almost all automated markup processes have their flaws.

Maybe pairing Fireworks with Dreamweaver would make a good combination for you? Most of the newer versions of the Adobe suites have better integrated workflows with each other. It might be something you want to check out.