The Envelope Please
Another powerful new distortion tool is the 'Envelope.' You can take any object,
including text, and attach a preset envelope shape to it and click a button
to see the object distorted by the envelope. Once applied you can continue
to edit the shape by playing with the anchor point handles. You can even
save the new envelope for use later. This is another powerful tool not available
in Fireworks or Flash.
Shockwave Shakes Up Freehand
The major enhancement to Freehand is the ability to create, import, and export
Flash (.swf) files. This is a big plus. Those familiar with Flash know all
about 'symbols.' 'Symbols' are graphics saved to a symbols library. Symbols
enable designers to reuse the same graphic repeatedly throughout a document
but not increase the file size. Whether you have one or a thousand the demands
on your system will be the same. Another plus with symbols is the ability
to edit the original symbol and when you save it the change is passed along
to every other instance (representative of the original) throughout the document.
An enormous time saver. These symbols can also be exported to Flash for the
creation of swf animations.
Flash animation in Freehand is not as easy
as in Flash but for simple projects it can get the job
done. You can animate objects by use of layers. You create
a graphic, a circle for example. Then you duplicate it
and change the color and size. Now to animate it use
the blend tool to create the tweening shapes.
All shapes exist on a single layer. By
going - Xtras - Animate - Release to Layers - each shape
is placed on its own layer in order. You can now export
the file in swf format or to Flash as a series of frames.
Here is a simple example:
You can export swf files with a number
of options, including, Autoplay, Protect from Import,
Full Screen Mode, Frame Rate, Image and Path Compression.
You can also add URL links. But Freehand is in no way
a replacement for Flash. It has no timeline, no action
scripting and no audio capability. But Freehand is an
excellent tool for creating swf graphics that can be
placed in an existing Web page or imported into Flash.
Freehand Goes HTML
With the new HTML Publishing function designers can now create web pages or
templates. Designers can easily add live hyperlinks within Freehand's URL
editor, set whether bitmaps or vector graphics should export as swf, gif,
jpeg, or png, and whether the html is exported in layers or tables. This
is an excellent way to design and create master pages or templates that can
be brought into Dreamweaver for further work.
