Macromedia Fireworks - CS4 Troubleshooting Guide

Adobe Fireworks
CS4 Troubleshooting

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A note to our customers
Adobe provides this searchable PDF of archived technical suppor customers who own and continue to enjoy older, unsupported vers information in these documents is not updated, and will become increasingly less accurate as hardware, browsers, and operating systems continue to evolve. Please be aware that these archived documents reflect historical issues and solutions for products that are no longer supported. Adobe does not warrant that the information in this document is accur
ions of our software products. The
ate.
Last updated 11/6/2015

Contents

Welcome window in Fireworks is partially off the screen and cannot be closed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Using Photoshop layer masks in Fireworks 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Uninstall Fireworks 8 | Mac OS X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Unexpected results exporting CSS for multiple pages or multiple states in Fireworks (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Text tool in Fireworks CS3 displays "?" instead of Russian or Greek on Mac OS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Supported file formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
How to show a ''don''t show again'' dialog again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
When you scale down an ellipse, the elliptical shape changes (Fireworks) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Quick tips for Fireworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Where are the opacity slider and blend modes in Fireworks 4? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
How to make small text characters look cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
How to make Fireworks 4 buttons work in Fireworks 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Limitations of importing and exporting PSD files in Fireworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Limitations of importing and exporting AI files in Adobe Fireworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Limitations of the Adobe Fireworks CS4 trial version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Intermittent crash or hang in Adobe Fireworks CS4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
After installing the English version, Fireworks 8 launches in a different language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
General file and code troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Fireworks Online Forums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Fireworks JavaScript preloads explained . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Fireworks generated HTML code with FrontPage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Fireworks document fails to display in the 2-up and 4-up preview windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Fireworks CS6 known issues and bugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Fireworks CS5 known issues and bugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Adobe Fireworks CS4 hangs when working with text (Mac OS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Fireworks crashes on launch. An error report is generated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Fireworks 8 Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Fireworks 3 Eye Candy filters in Fireworks 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Fireworks 3 crashes after the splash screen appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
How to feather an object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Feathered selections and transparent gradients in Fireworks 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
How to export animations in sliced images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Error :" Your user privileges do not allow Fireworks to update your registry..." when launching Fireworks CS4 on Windows 50
Error "An internal error occurred" | Startup | Fireworks CS4 | Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Error "File is not found" when creating an AIR package in Fireworks (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Error "Could not launch...internal error..." when launching Fireworks CS4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Why do sliced images from Fireworks have broken icons inside Dreamweaver? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Differences in single-state export between Fireworks CS4 and CS5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
How to create a fade-in/fade-out animation in Fireworks 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Changing the location of a Pop-up Menu exported from Fireworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
How to change the location of submenus in a Fireworks Pop-up Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
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FIREWORKS
Content s
Button text does not update correctly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
How to animate a text fade in and out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
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Welcome window in Fireworks is partially off the screen and cannot be closed

Issue

After launching Fireworks 4, the Welc o m e w ind ow appears partially off the screen with the Close Window button not visible. (The Welcome window can also be activated by choosing Help > Welcome.) Because the Close Window button is not visible, the window cannot be closed and now covers the Fireworks workspace.
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Reason

The Welcome window can appear too-large on the screen if the monitor is set to a low resolution, such as 640 x 480 pixels.

Solution

Three methods exist to close this window, including:
Using the Alt+F4 function keys
The Fireworks Welcome window is a standard system element which can be removed by first pressing and holding the Alt key and then pressing the F4 function key (Alt+F4). This keyboard shortcut will close any currently active window (unless Function keys have been disabled on the system or some other configuration setting has disabled the key combination). For this key combination to work, first make sure that the Welcome window is currently the active window by clicking on it.
Changing the monitor resolution
1 Right-click on an empty place on the Desktop.
2 Select Properties in the context menu. The Display Properties dialog box will appear.
3 Click the Settings tab and locate the Screen Area slider.
4 Move the slider to the right to increase screen resolution to at least 1024 x 768 pixels.
Once the screen resolution is set to 1024 x 768 pixels or higher, the Fireworks 4 Welcome window will not appear with its title bar and close box on your monitor until you delete the Fireworks 4 Preferences.txt file. Once this is done, the Welcome window will appear on the screen with its title bar and close box. Click the close box to close the window.
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Disabling the Welcome window in the Fireworks 4 Preferences.txt file
1 Close Fireworks, if it is currently open.
2 Choose Start > Programs > Accessories > Notepad to launch Windows Notepad.
3 In Notepad, choose File > Open and navigate to the Fireworks 4 directory which normally would be located
at:C:\Program Files\Macromedia\Fireworks 4
4 Open the file named Fireworks 4 Preferences.txt found in the Fireworks 4 folder.
5 Locate the following line in the preferences file (use Notepad's Edit > Find command, if
necessary):DisplayWelcomeMovie) (true)
6 Change "true" to "false".
7 Save the file.
8 Exit Notepad and launch Fireworks 4. The Welcome window will now not appear unless the user chooses Help >
Welc o me i n Fire work s 4.

Using Photoshop layer masks in Fireworks 3

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Accessing a layer mask from Adobe Photoshop Layer masks in Photoshop do not appear as masks in Fireworks 3 layers. Instead the masked objects appear in the Fireworks 3 PNG file as an image with a transparent background. Beginning with Fireworks 4, however, the masks are retained from Photoshop files.
This TechNote, then, is useful for Fireworks 3 users who would like to use a Photoshop file containing masks. The inst ructions show users h ow to use a layer mask from a Photoshop d ocument as a mas k in Fire work s. Such a layer mas k can be edited when selected. This TechNote is also useful for all Fireworks users wishing to follow the
Fireworks steps
to composite masked images in all versions of Fireworks.
Note: This workaround is for Fireworks 3 users. Layer masks in Photoshop files that are opened or imported into Fireworks 4 or MX will be retained as bitmap masks.
Strategies There are two ways to approach the task:
A user can copy and paste a mask to a new layer from within a Photoshop file if a selection path is not needed for modification. See
first set of Photoshop instructions for step-by-step instructions.
the
If you wish to change a selection, you have the option of either using a previously saved selection or creating a selection from the mask. The instructions below will show how to add a modification, such as a feathered edge, to the selection. You will also learn how to recreate the layer mask as an image on a new separate layer. Refer to the
of Photoshop instructions for step-by-step instructions.
second set
Once the layer mask is separated out to its own layer, import the file into Fireworks and use the mask object to mask any other object in the document.
Photoshop tasksPreparing a Photoshop file with a layer mask (without a selection path):
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1 Open the Photoshop file containing the layer mask and turn off the
2 Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Macintosh) an d click the thumbnail for
visibility of any other layers. If more than one layer has a layer mask applied, you will need to perform this operation multiple times (once for each individual layer mask). Make sure that only one layer is visible at this time.
the layer mask. This will make the mask itself visible rather than the artwork on the layer.
3 Press Ctrl + A (Windows) or Command + A (Macintosh) or choose
Select > All to select all of the mask image. Press Ctrl + C (Windows) or Command + C (Macintosh) to copy the mask.
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4 Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Macintosh) an d click the thumbnail for
the artwork on the masked layer to restore the artwork for that layer. This will make the artwork visible in the document window rather than the mask. Press Ctrl + D (Windows) or Command + D (Macintosh) to deselect all.
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5 Press Ctrl + V (Windows) or Command + V (Macintosh) to paste the
mask image from the clipboard into the document. This will create a new layer with the mask on it.
Note:A Fireworks mask contains two colors. The black areas will cause the image being masked to appear opaque. The white areas will cause the image being masked to appear transparent. In Fireworks MX these colors are reversed, i.e. black areas will cause pixels to appear transparent and white objects will cause pixels to be opaque.
6 To remove the mask from the layer, drag the thumbnail of the layer
mask to the layer palette's trash icon. Select Discard in the alert window that appears.
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7 The layers palette will now appear with the mask on the first layer and
the unmasked layer below it. Repeat steps 1 through 6 for any other layers with masks that you wish to use in Fireworks. Choose File > Save As. Name and save the file as a Photoshop file format.
When the Photoshop document is opened or imported into Fireworks, the grayscale images on their own layer may be used with images in other layers as masks. Simply use the Mask Group command.
Proceed to the Fireworks portion of this TechNote.
Preparing a Photoshop file with a layer mask (with a selection path):
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1 Open the Photoshop file containing the layer mask. Notice that the
2 Choose Select > Load Selection. Choose the selection that was used
black areas of the mask are the background. These areas mask out to reveal the graphic in Layer 1 with the Foreground_layer image on top.
to generate the mask. If the selection was not saved, do the following: Open the Channels panel. Hide all channels except the mask. Select the Magic Wand. Set the tolerance for the wand to 12. Click on the black area to select all of the mask (use shift-click if noncontiguous areas exist).
Note:If you want to reverse the mask in Fireworks, you can choose Select > Inverse. If you want to feather the selection you can choose Select > Feather, then set a pixel distance for the selection's feather.
3 Click the triangle at the top right of the Layers palette to display the
palette menu. Choose New Layer and fill the selection with black. The image on the new layer will be an exact duplicate of the layer mask but it will be a grayscale image on the new layer. If you inverted the selection it will be a reverse of the layer mask.
Note:In Fireworks 3 and 4 masks, black areas cause the image being masked to appear opaque. White areas cause the image being masked to appear transparent. This is reversed in Fireworks MX masks.
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Tip:You can also save your selection as a clipping path in Photoshop.
Open the Paths panel in Photoshop. While the selection is still marqueed, click the Options arrow at the top right of the Paths panel and select New Path from the pop-up menu. Name the path and click OK in the New Path dialog box. With the path highlighted in the Paths panel, click the Options arrow again and choose Make Work Path. Set the tolerance to .5 and click OK in the Make Work Path dialog box. Double-click the work path and give it a name in the Save Path dialog. Click the Options arrow one more time and choose Clipping Path. Select the path from the pop-up in the Clipping Path dialog box and set the flatness to 3 device pixels. Click OK to save your settings. Choose File > Export > Paths to Illustrator to create a vector shape which may be imported into Fireworks and used as a mask or for other purposes. The vector shape is always editable but if pixel level accuracy is needed in your mask, a bitmap selection may work better.
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4 Choose File > Save As. Name and save your file as the Photoshop file
format.
Fireworks tasksTo use the layer mask in Fireworks, do the following:
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1 In Fireworks, open the Photoshop file containing the layer mask. Use
2 Because the mask has been converted to a layer in Photoshop, it will
the default settings as illustrated in the image below.
also appear in the same layer in Fireworks. Notice that all of the layers are intact. The Layer that had the layer mask on it appears as an image with a transparent background. In this example, the selection was feathered so the foreground image has a glow around it. The canvas color is showing through the feathered area.
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3 In this image, the layer mask was left intact and the duplicate mask
was feathered to produce a mask for the background image. Masking the background image with a feathered image will produce transparency at the intersection of the images, allowing the canvas to show through. If desired, a background layer with colored fills can be added to give a variety of colors to the glow, adding interesting lighting effects.
Select the mask image and the background image and choose Modify > Mask Group to create the masked background with its feathered edge.
4 In the layers panel, click the Options arrow and select New Layer...
Name the layer. Move the new layer to the bottom of the layer stack. Draw vector paths containing gradients using colors from the foreground and background images.(The eyedropper in the Gradient Fill Editor's swatch pop-up should be used to select colors from the image). In this selection the flowers on the hat, the green in the background and a yellow color were chosen to get a glow in some areas and a shadow in others.
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5 Because the vector shapes are behind the areas that are feathered and
semi-transparent, they show through the feather only slightly giving the image a glow in some places, a shadow in others. This adds depth to the image. Also, the Mask Group in Fireworks allows you the option of ungrouping the mask. You can then apply it to any other image you wish to import.
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Uninstall Fireworks 8 | Mac OS X

You can uninstall Macromedia Fireworks 8 from Mac OS X using one of the two methods listed below.

Use the installer

When uninstalling Fireworks, be sure to select the correct location for the Fireworks application folder in the installation program. It necessary to select the correct location to locate and remove the necessary files. Do the following:
1 If Fireworks is running, choose File > Quit
2 Launch the Fireworks 8 Installer.
3 When prompted to select a Destination, click the Select Folder button. Navigate to the location on your hard drive
where the Fireworks application folder is installed. Click Choose.
4 On the next Install screen, select the Uninstall option from the pop-up menu at the top of the dialog box. Click the
Uninstall button to begin the uninstallation process.

Uninstall manually

To manually uninstall Fireworks 8 from your computer, delete the following folders:
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Note: C
onfirm that Fireworks is not running before proceeding.
Fireworks 8 application folder - The location of this folder varies if installed to a location other than the default
loca
tion of the Applications folder.
Fireworks support files - Delete the Fireworks 8 folder from the following path: [hard_drive]: Users: [user_name]:
ibrary: Application Support: Macromedia:
L
Fireworks preferences: Delete the Fireworks 8 folder from the following path: [hard_drive]: Users: [user_name]:
ibrary: Preferences: Macromedia:
L
Note: De
lete the folder located in the Users folders for each user account that has run Fireworks 8.

Unexpected results exporting CSS for multiple pages or multiple states in Fireworks (Windows)

Fireworks version

CS4

Issue

When you try to export CSS for multiple pages or multiple states in Adobe Fireworks you may experience unexpected results, including (but not limited to) an error message such as, "Individual slice exception[1,1]"
Last updated 11/6/2015

Solution

Limit CSS export to the current page and the current state. Exporting multiple pages and multiple states is not supported.

Text tool in Fireworks CS3 displays "?" instead of Russian or Greek on Mac OS

Issue

When you type cyrillic (for example, Russian, Greek) using the Text tool in Adobe Fireworks CS3, question marks are displayed instead of the desired characters. This happens regardless of whether you have set theoperating systeminterface to English or to Russian/Greek.
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Solution

Upgrade to Fireworks CS4.
To purchase an upgrade from Adobe, visit the Adobe Store at http://store.adobe.com/, click the link for your region,
click Software, and then click the link for the product you want to purchase.
To locate an authorized reseller, visit the Adobe website at
www.adobe.com/store/customerregistration/other_places.jhtml
.

Supported file formats

This document provides an overview of the supported file formats in Fireworks. For more information about how to use different file formats in Fireworks, see the Fireworks online Help.
Supported file formats for new files
New documents in Fireworks are saved as Portable Network Graphic (PNG) documents, the native file format for Fi
reworks.
Supported file formats for opening, importing, and saving
Fireworks PNG
Flattened PNG
GIF
animated GIF
JPEG
BMP
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WBMP
SWF
AI (Illustrator 8)
PSD
PICT (Mac OS only)
TIFF
Supported file formats for exporting
Adobe PDF
HTML and images
images only (based on original file type)
FXG (CS5)
MXML (CS5)
EPS (Open only) (CS5)
Dreamweaver library (lbi)
CSS and Images (htm)
Director (htm)
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Animations (animated GIF files, Flash SWF files or Fireworks PNG, states or layers as multiple files)
For more information on the export options of Fireworks, see the section "Optimizing and Exporting" in the online Help.

How to show a ''don''t show again'' dialog again

When you first install Fireworks, it will often show dialogs with specific advice or tips.
The following are some examples of these dialogs:
How to reduce preview time in the Export Preview dialog
Warning when converting a vector shape to filtered pixels
Warning when changing text in a single button state
Most of these dialogs have a small "Don't show again" checkbox withinthem, so you can stop seeing them if you wish. Fireworks gives you necessary information once, and then gets out of your way as you learn the program.
There may be an occasion when you will want to see one of these dialogs again. This TechNote describes how you can get these dialogs to come back after you've checked the "Don't show again" option.
To see the dialog box again do the following:
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1 Quit Fireworks.
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2 Delete the Fireworks Preferences file. On Windows this is file is found
3 Restart Fireworks. You will see all dialogs again, including registration
Note:Be sure to shut down Fireworks before removing the preferences file. Many programs read their preferences at startup, modify them during operation, and write them to disk when closing. If you delete the preferences while Fireworks is running, then it will just write a fresh copy of the old preferences when you shut it down.
in your Fireworks 3 folder, and on Macintosh this file is found in your System-level Preferences folder.
reminders.

When you scale down an ellipse, the elliptical shape changes (Fireworks)

Issue

When you scale down an ellipse so that the guides cross over, the elliptical shape changes in Adobe Fireworks.

Fireworks Version

CS4, CS5

Reason

The ellipse is a path and scaling up or down will scale the points within it. Restriction is placed on the guides such that they don't cross each other while scaling down, this is one measure to avoid the overlap, but if the points between the 2 guides are not in a straight line they are bound to overlap.

Solution

Place the guides in such a way that path points don't overlap.

Quick tips for Fireworks

Here are some fast and friendly tips for Fireworks users, courtesy of Macromedia Technical Support. To get these daily, check out our Quick Access Bar .
Last updated 11/6/2015
To tween a live effect, apply the effect to the first instance, clone or duplicate and then change the effect settings to the second instance.
To edit images in Fireworks 2 or 3, just select the desired bitmap editing tool and start using the tool. Fireworks will intelligently change to image edit mode.
In Fireworks, everything is editable all of the time. Try creating some text, applying multiple effects, then change the text: It's easy with Firewor ks!
Use the button editor to quickly create a button in Fireworks. Clone or duplicate the button to create multiple instances of the button for a nav bar.
Use FreeHand clip art from the Clipart Viewer in Fireworks. Drag and drop the art from the viewer into a Fireworks open document window.
Copy and Paste charts from Excel 97 (Windows) or Excel 98 (Macintosh) to Fireworks. In Windows, use Chart Location on new sheet.
To use PowerPoint images in Fireworks (Windows) save the slide as a PNG, GIF, or JPEG and import into Fireworks.
To use PowerPoint Clipart in Fireworks (Macintosh) choose File > Import.
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To ensure all text formatting changes apply to all characters (Macintosh), use the Text Menu instead of the Text Editor.
The PICT format version of a Kodak Photo CD image can be imported or opened directly in Fireworks (Macintosh).
To use FreeHand created charts in Fireworks copy and paste the charts into Fireworks.
To use Photoshop compatible plug-ins in Fireworks go to File > Preferences, select Folders from the pop-up menu click Photoshop and the ellipsis button. Navigate to the plug-ins folder and click selec t. Restart the Fireworks application.
Moving your FreeHand artwork into Fireworks couldn't be easier. Fireworks can open existing FreeHand 7 and 8 files and li sts options for a simple conversion.
For help with adding Fireworks generated HTML into other HTML applications open the Fireworks HTML file in a text editing software. Read the comments.
To easily resize an object to an exact percentage select Modify >Transform> numeric transformation. Type in the desired percentage.
To easily update an edited image on each frame use symbols and instances. Select the object, choose Insert > Convert to Symbol. Clone or duplicate the instance on the canvas. Any change to the symbol is reflected in the all instances of the symbol across all frames.
To edit objects across multiple frames turn on Onion Skinning in the Frames panel and choose Show all Frames and Multi-Frame Editing.
To add or change a color to selected text, use the fill color. Use tweening with changing position, a transformation (Scale, Rotation, or Perspective), and opacity to create a variety of simple animation effects.
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Fireworks PNG files can be imported into Flash 4. No need to export as a different format!
To edit a gradient select the Paint Bucket and use the set of handles.
Use the Paint Bucket set of handles to rotate and change direction of a pattern or texture.
Use the Batch command to automatically convert a folder of files to another Fireworks supported format or to the same format with different settings.
To make a Hotspot that is exactly the same shape as an object in Fireworks 3, select the object and then choose Insert > Hotspot.
Fireworks can open FreeHand files containing blends destined for animation and place each step on a separate frame, making quick work of an animated GIF.
Check out the Fireworks online forums athttps://www.adobe.com/support/forums/
To restrict an edit to objects on only one layer such as deleting unwanted slices, choose Single Layer Editing from the Layer panel's Options pop-up.
To get Photoshop layer masks into Fireworks, in Photoshop Alt/Option-click on the mask and copy it. Click on the trash icon in the layers panel to delete the mask and then create a new layer and paste. Save the document. Now the mask can be used in Fireworks via the Modify > Mask Group command.
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Use the Matte color selector in the Export Preview dialog to quickly set a background color to be designated as the transparent color for transparent GIFs.
Keep checking our Web site at www.macromedia.com/support/fireworks for the latest in tutorials and news on how people are utilizing Fireworks.
In Fireworks 3, you can save steps in the History panel as commands that you can use later in other documents.
Go to the Extensibility section of the Fireworks Support Site to download JavaScript commands that you can use in Fireworks.

Where are the opacity slider and blend modes in Fireworks 4?

Issue

In Fireworks 3 (and previous versions), the opacity slider and the blend modes pop-up list used to create object interactivity are located on the Object panel. These features are no longer on the Object panel in Fireworks 4. Where are they located in Fireworks 4?
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Solution

In Fireworks 4, the opacity slider and blend modes pop-up list are located toward the top of the layers panel.

How to make small text characters look cleaner

Issue

Many users wish to export GIFs and JPEGs that contain text elements that are smaller than 14 points. Most screen rendered text that is smaller than 14 points will either display pixelated or will be too "muddy" to read. Is there a way to make screen rendered text that is smaller than 14 points look better?

Reason

There are two ways to render fonts in bitmap images: 1. anti-aliased and 2. with hard edges. When fonts are rendered in Fireworks, the default setting is as anti-aliased, setting the text fill to "Hard Edge" in the Fill panel will allow text to be displayed without anti-aliasing. Sometimes an in-between setting is desired and this can be accomplished in Fireworks.
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Solution

In Fireworks text fills can be manipulated in the fill inspector as well as opacity in the Opacity Toolbar (Fireworks 1) or the Object panel (Fireworks 2). By overlaying text with a hard edge with the same text anti-aliased and using the Opacity slider to make further adjustments, a satisfactory appearance can be created.
To solve the problem do the following:
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1 Type your text in the Fireworks Text editor and set the font size. This
text is 14 point. Anti-aliasing is on by default.
Note:Text under 14 points in size is usually unreadable in GIF images. If you need to use text smaller than 12 points, consider using HTML text and place it in a layer overlapping the image if needed.
2 Clone the text object and set the fill edge to Hard Edge in the Fills
panel.
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3 The combination of the two text objects should result in a better
overall rendering
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4 The Opacity of the Anti-aliased text and the hard edge text can be
manipulated to achieve a good balance of the two.
Note:The Opacity setting in Fireworks 2 may be found in the Object panel.
Note:Some fonts are specifically meant to look good at small sizes on the web, hence they are called web fonts. They may be found on
Microsoft's web site, but beware that they are not good for high quality print material.

How to make Fireworks 4 buttons work in Fireworks 3

Issue

Multi-state buttons created in Fireworks 4 do not work in Fireworks 3.

Reason

In Fireworks 4, button symbols are placed on unshared layers; in Fireworks 3 they are placed on shared layers. Multi­state button symbols located on a non-shared layer in Fireworks 3 will not display the changes between the states. Consequently, when Fireworks 3 opens a Fireworks 4 PNG file containing multi-state buttons, the buttons are placed on a non-shared layer and they will not display the changes across the states.

Solution

If the multi-state buttons are not contained within a symbol, you can open the button or buttons in the Button Editor in Fireworks 3 to cause them to work again. Part 1 below outlines the steps for causing these multi-state Fireworks 4 buttons to work properly in Fireworks 3.
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If, however, the Fireworks 4 buttons are contained within a symbol (as in the case of a nav bar symbol), additional steps will be necessary to make the buttons within the symbol function properly in Fireworks 3.
Part 1: Making Fireworks 4 buttons work in Fireworks 3
1 Create a multi-state button in Fireworks 4 or open a Fireworks 4 PNG file which already has a multi-state button.
2 Add one frame for each button state after the Up state using the New/Duplicate Frame button at the bottom of the
Frames panel. (In other words, the Frames panel should have at least as many frames as there are states in your button.)
3 Save the PNG file as a new Fireworks 4 file.
4 Open the new Fireworks 4 file in Fireworks 3.
5 Double-click the instance of the button on the canvas. If you are in a Preview Mode (such as Preview, 2-up or 4-up)
click the Original tab to display the PNG document. Double-clicking the button instance will open the button in the Button Editor.
6 Choose the Over tab.
7 Close the Button Editor. This will cause the button to move to a new shared layer in Fireworks 3.
8 Follow steps 5 through 7 for any other multi-state buttons on the canvas.
9 Save the PNG file as a new Fireworks 3 file (with a different name). Do not overwrite the Fireworks 4 file since you
may need to use it later.
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Part 2: Making Fireworks 4 buttons within a nav bar symbol work in Fireworks 3
1 Open a Fireworks 4 PNG file which has a symbol which contains multi-state buttons. For convenience, this symbol
will be referred to as a nav bar symbol in the following steps.
2 Add one frame for each button state after the Up state using the New/Duplicate Frame button at the bottom of the
Frames panel. (In other words, the Frames panel should have at least as many frames as there are states in your buttons.)
3 Save the PNG file as a new Fireworks 4 file.
4 Open the new Fireworks 4 file in Fireworks 3.
5 Choose Window > Library if the Library is not already open. Access the Button Editor by clicking on the button in
the Library”launching the Button Editor from within the Symbol Editor will not make the buttons work in Fireworks 3.
6 Double-click one of the nav bar symbol's buttons in the Library to launch the Button Editor. If you first get the the
Symbol Properties dialog box for the button instead, then click Edit to launch the Button Editor.
7 Choose the Over tab.
8 Close the Button Editor. This will cause the button to move to a new shared layer in Fireworks 3.
9 Follow steps 6 through 8 for each of the other buttons contained within the nav bar symbol.
10 Double-click the nav bar symbol in the Library or double-click the instance of the nav bar symbol on the canvas.
This will launch the Symbol Editor.
11 Delete each of the buttons currently inside the nav bar symbol.
12 Drag each of the nav bar symbol buttons from the Library back into the Symbol Editor, placing them in the same
position as they occupied in Fireworks 4.
13 Close the Symbol Editor.
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14 Save the PNG file as a new Fireworks 3 file (with a different name). Do not overwrite the Fireworks 4 file since you
may need to use it later.

Additional Information

For more details about Fireworks buttons, see Using the Button Editor (TechNote 14302). Building a Nav Bar in Fireworks 3 (TechNote 14306) describes the process of creating a nav bar symbol.

Limitations of importing and exporting PSD files in Fireworks

What's covered
PSD import and export improvements
Known limitations of PSD import and export
Owing to enhancements in Fireworks, many elements of the original PSD file are retained when importing and
orting as a PSD file.
exp
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PSD import and export improvements
The improved support for PSD import and export allows you to import and export the following elements in a PSD file:
Layer affects
Layer groups
Transparency
Te xt
Slices
Smart objects
Vecto r shap e s
Guides
Gradients
Known limitations of PSD import and export
Importing
Text objects with transformations applied revert to default fonts if the original font used to create an object is not
found on the system.
Photoshop adjustment layers are not preserved when imported.
PSD files are not a valid file type when creating a slideshow.
Text on a path does not retain its original position.
Reopening a PSD exported from Fireworks could move the layers up or down in the stack when reimported.
Editable clipping mask
Editable adjustment layers
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