The addition of 9-slice (or intelligent) scaling solves the problem of distortion when scaling an object. It lets you specify which parts of a bitmap or vector symbol you want to scale and which parts you want to preserve. And scaling is preserved when you copy and paste a symbol from Fireworks CS3 into Flash CS3. For example, if you copy a symbol containing a rectangle with rounded corners and 9-slice scaling is activated, you can paste the symbol in Flash and scale the symbol up or down without distorting the corners.

You can now select an image and use the Copy command in Fireworks and the Paste command in Dreamweaver to copy an image to a Web page. The Paste command in Dreamweaver launches its Image Preview dialog box, which walks you through optimizing and saving the image to your Dreamweaver site. Once you’ve saved the image, it automatically appears on the Web page. This copy and paste method is more efficient than in previous versions of the software.

The new Common Library feature provides a means for creating and storing symbols—including button, graphic, and animation symbols—which you can add to any image in Fireworks CS3. The program ships with a variety of common and rich symbols that are suitable for use in mockups, applications, and Web sites. Rich symbols contain editable properties and attributes that you can change through the Symbol Properties panel. You can also create your own rich symbols, complete with editable properties, using the Create Symbol Script command. The command launches a dialog box that allows you to create a JavaScript file that controls a symbol’s editable properties and attributes, even if you don’t know JavaScript.”

Keep up the great work!
J