Macromedia debuts Dreamweaver 8, Fireworks 8

Macromedia today also announced Macromedia Dreamweaver 8, the latest release of its professional web design and development tool. Dreamweaver 8 provides a combination of visual layout tools, application development features, and code editing support. The company also announced Fireworks 8, an update to its application for creating and optimizing graphics for the web. Both Dreamweaver 8 and Fireworks 8 are available as a stand-alone product or as a component of Macromedia Studio 8 (also announced today). Both products will ship in September. Dreamweaver 8 is $400 (with upgrades priced at $200), while Fireworks is $300 ($150 upgrade).

Dreamweaver 8 includes tools to simplify the integration of XML-based content, such as RSS feeds into websites and applications using a drag-and-drop workflow, while other advancements include improved code hinting for XML and Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) as well as new tools for working with CSS.

"The advances in Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 are the direct result of listening to customers around the world and then building a host of practical features to fit their needs," said David Mendels, general manager, Macromedia. "Dreamweaver 8 not only delivers tools and workflow improvements that help make users more efficient, it also supports the web's best practices and is more closely integrated with the Studio 8 family and the latest technologies."

Dreamweaver 8 also greatly simplifies working with CSS, according to the company. A new unified CSS panel provides an easier way to understand a CSS file and how the cascade of styles applies to content. The panel provides a visual way to manage and edit CSS, which it says reduces the need to resort to code-based "trial and error" methods: "CSS layout visualization allows users to see complex CSS-based layouts more clearly on Dreamweaver's design surface. These tools make CSS more approachable to new users while offering greater precision and control for advanced users."

Dreamweaver 8 also delivers new zoom and guides tools to inspect images, view pixel-level details and to easily measure distances between objects. A new code collapse tool helps designers and developers focus on specific code, and a new coding toolbar offers easy access to common coding functions. Dreamweaver 8 also features background transfers and upload functions, allowing users to more perform multiple tasks simultaneously. Version 8 of Dreamweaver also includes support for ColdFusion 7 and PHP 5 and easier integration of Flash video.

Fireworks 8 offers new effects, expanded file support

Macromedia Fireworks 8 updates the company's solution for creating and optimizing high-quality, lightweight graphics and images for the web. Fireworks 8 delivers many new creative tools, interactive design features, and mobile assets. Designed to support both vector and bitmap images, the new release adds a range of effects for creating improved, more realistic, and higher-quality web graphics.

Fireworks 8 includes more than 25 new blend modes, such as overlay, color burn, additive, and subtractive, to alter the look of colors and objects as well as a new shadow effect. It also features roundtrip integration with Dreamweaver 8 and Flash Professional 8, letting users save time by sharing assets without having to reapply changes.

Fireworks 8 also includes new interactive design features and new mobile assets for digital asset creation, including the ability to create pop-up menus in the Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) format without the need for programming. New mobile assets give designers and developers a selection of bitmap interface components to quickly begin mock-up efforts for mobile interfaces.

"Macromedia Fireworks 8 is critical for us to complete our new Internet portal and for maintaining the sites our students complete for nonprofit agencies and community organizations," said Rick Reece, instructional technology specialist, Broward County Schools. "Fireworks 8 enables us to quickly create high-quality images, move vector and bitmap files between other graphic programs, and build upon our design comps with ease."

Macromedia said the update offers refined user interface aspects, an improved ability to consolidate tools into common panels for easier access, and expanded file import capabilities to support QuickTime Image, MacPaint, SGI, and JPEG 2000 formats.

Both Dreamweaver 8 and Fireworks 8 are expected to ship in September with localized versions in German, French, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese expected to follow shortly thereafter. Pricing is $400 and $300, respectively, with upgrades priced at $200 and $150.

Filed under: Graphics/Web Design