FIREWORKS: panels

PANELS There are several panels that you should have open on your desktop to make working easier and faster. Open them using the Window menu.
LAYERS The layers panel is indispensible. Each time you draw something, paste something, or import something, Fireworks creates a sub-layer in the document. You can see these in the layers panel under the default layer. Reorganize these sub-layers by clicking and dragging them up or down in the list: as with layers in all other software, the upper layer contains the frontmost object. Double click on a layer or sub-layer to rename it. Hide or show a layer or sub-layer by clicking on the eye icon. Lock a layer or sub-layer by clicking in the box next to the eye—a little lock icon will appear. Collapse a layer by clicking on the triangle to the left. Add a new layer by clicking on the folder icon at the bottom of the panel. Add a mask to a sub-layer by clicking on the mask icon at the bottom of the panel. Add a new bitmap sub-layer by clicking on the pad icon at the bottom of the panel. Delete a layer, sub-layer, or a mask by clicking on it and dragging it to the trash icon. The layer or sub-layer you’re working on is highlighted in blue: click on a layer in this panel to select the object on it. This is especially helpful when there are things on top of where you want to work.
WEB LAYER Within the layers panel is a default layer called the “web layer.” This is where all the hotspots and slices that are created within a Fireworks document reside. You can name the slices and hotspots on each sub-layer of the web layer (double click on the name to change it), but it’s far more important to name them in the properties panel since those names are the ones that are exported with the file. The slices and hotspots that are created within a Fireworks document dictate a table of sorts, and this table and its defining HTML code is what’s exported when you optimize and export a file. Areas that aren’t covered with slices or hotspots may or may not be exported, depending on what you specify in the export dialog box (see the section on OPTIMIZING & EXPORTING), but it’s important to recognize how they work and how to create or adjust them for maximum performance—that is, quick to load in a browser.
FRAMES Frames are used for simple and disjoint rollover, as well as for simple gif animations. Double click a frame to name it. Add new frames by clicking on the + frame icon at the bottom of the panel. Turn on onion skinning so you can make adjustments with reference to objects on other frames using the onionskin options. Distribute to frames is used for creating an animation. Double click the frame delay column to change how fast or slow an animation plays (lower numbers play the animation faster).
LIBRARY When you create a button or a symbol, it’s placed in the library. Drag symbols and buttons from the library to the canvas to use them. Name or rename a symbol or button by double clicking it’s name in the list. Duplicate a symbol by dragging its name to the + symbol/button icon at the bottom of the panel. Add a new symbol by clicking on the + symbol/button icon. Edit a symbol’s properties by clicking on the “i” icon. Delete a symbol or button by dragging it to the trash icon.
HISTORY This panel is useful from time to time. Its best feature is the ability to select several steps and then click the “replay” button at the bottom. This performs those steps again, and again. Save a series of steps as a command by selecting them from the list and then clicking the disk icon at the bottom of the panel. Name the command and click OK. Your saved command is now available at the bottom of the Commands menu.
OPTIMIZE This is, perhaps, the most import panel of the bunch since the main object of using Fireworks is to create, edit/alter, and export images for use on the web. Use the optimize panel to test and then select the best format for your web graphics. See the section on OPTIMIZING & EXPORTING for more details.