FW MX 2004 Tutorial (4): Effects and styles

In order to achieve better graphics processing, you can also use a variety of special effects for the image in fireworks. Especially in the production of Web buttons, the use of these special effects will make the button image more beautiful, more stereoscopic. And a graphic object can be processed repeatedly with multiple effects, and the results of these effects can be saved as a style. Therefore, the style is a set of various special effects in a "combination effect."

　　1 . Use and edit effects

Use effects: Both bitmaps and vector objects can use special effects, so we can create a drawing object on the canvas first, as shown in Figure 4-01.

Figure 4-01

Then, in the effect column to the right of the object's property box, click the Add Effects button, and you can add any special effects to the object from the pop-up Effects options menu, as shown in Figure 4-02.

Figure 4-02

The effect is shown in Figure 4-03 when you add the inner bevel and projection two effects for an object.

Figure 4-03

At the same time, all the effects that are used by the current object are displayed in the effect bar.

Figure 4-04

Edit effects: When you click the "Edit Effects" button in the effect bar, you can eject the Special Effects Edit dialog box, as shown in Figure 4-04.

Figure 4-04

To stop a special effect, just cancel the check in front of the effect name. To remove a special effect from the effects bar, click the "Remove Effects" button.

　　 2 , use, and import filters

Using filters: Supports the use of special effects plug-ins in fireworks, which is to support third-party filters. For example, the eye Candy 4000 le entry in the Effects Options menu is the filter provided by Alien skin Company, as shown in Figure 4-05.

Figure 4-05

After selecting a good drawing object, you can start a filter's settings window by using the Effects Options menu, as shown in Figure 4-06.

Figure 4-06

The settings on the left side of the window can directly affect the image preview effect on the right. The items that are set can also be saved through "settings-save" in the window so that they are invoked at any time.

Import filters: Because fireworks supports third-party filters, you can use an external filter in addition to the filters you can use with fireworks. For example, the previous version of the filter imported Photoshop5.5.

Start the Edit-preferences window in the Fireworks menu bar first, as shown in Figure 4-07.

Figure 4-07

Click the "Browse" button on the right after you check the "Photoshop plug-ins" tab in the Folder tab of the window. Then select the directory of the Photoshop filter in the Path selection box. As shown in Figure 4-08.

Figure 4-08

After adding the required external filters in the Photoshop plug-in folder, restart fireworks for use.

　　 3 , Build Style

Using styles: In drawing, in addition to using special effects to create various effects for graphics, you can also use the 30 styles provided by fireworks in the Styles panel. As shown in Figure 4-09.

Figure 4-09

The style is easy to use, just select the image, and then click the style you want to use from the Styles panel, as shown in Figure 4-10.

Figure 4-10

When you use a style, some effects appear automatically in the effect bar in the property box of the object. As shown in Figure 4-11.

As shown in Figure 4-11

Visible, the style is to use some special effects designed to be saved after the "combination effect." Just using styles will be simpler and more intuitive.

In the provided style, there are also some text styles that are represented by ABC. It's for text design. You can add effects to text by clicking the text style directly after the text is selected. As shown in Figure 4-12.

Figure 4-12

Although the text is designed primarily for text, graphics objects can be used as well.

New style: After you add a variety of effects or styles to a drawing object, click the New Style button in the lower-right corner of the styles panel to save all styles or effects that the object is currently using as a new style for easy reuse.

Figure 4-13

In the New Style dialog box, you can lose the name of the new style in the name bar. Under the name bar, you can modify the related retention effects of a style based on the selection of different properties, and display the set effect chart in the preview window on the left. When you click on the "OK" button, the newly created style is added to the style panel. As shown in Figure 4-14.

Figure 4-14

Styles Panel List: Click the button in the upper-right corner of the styles panel to eject the Drop-down list of the styles panel, as shown in Figure 4-15. To edit an established style, double-click the style, or click the Drop-down list in the upper-right corner of the styles panel to select the Edit Style option.

Figure 4-15

Edit Style--Selecting the item pops up the same edit dialog box as the new Style window, where you can change the related properties of the selected style again. As shown in Figure 4-16.

Figure 4-16

Delete Style--deletes one of the selected styles. Or you can click the Delete Style button directly in the lower-right corner of the styles panel;

Import Style--you can introduce STL-formatted style files from the outside, but the styles that are currently in use will be replaced entirely;

Export style--the current style panel can be exported as a style file in STL format;

Reset Style--for restoring the default 30 styles in the style panel, but the newly created or imported styles are deleted;

Large icon--the thumbnail of the style is displayed in large figures, as shown in Figure 4-17.

Figure 4-17