Updating DW from FW PNG problems

[mantislee]

Greetings,

I have created a PNG in FW, sliced it, and exported to DW as HTML. This export worked perfectly, I only had to make a few edits such as combining cells and adding some javascript.

Herein lies the issue. When I go back to DW and attempt to edit one of my graphical nav bars FW is correctly opened, but give me a message, to parapharase, "You need to save as this PNG, it you choose to update all changes will be overwritten."

If you visit

http://www.sjsproperties.com/demo/,

the scrolling headline and main body have been updated since the export (the main body exports as on big white block of a gif). I have also combined the cells for the whole left nav section and the header.

The min I would like to be able to do is to be able to change and add text to the nav bar and header without overwriting everything.

I'm sure this is something I'm missing or doing wrong, but I haven't been able to find it after searching the web and manuals for a few weeks now.

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give.

mantislee

 

[wiredwoman]

Which version of FW are you using? I'm asking which version as I used to use FW 3 & 4 and cannot recall if those early versions had this function (I think not!) ...

Have you tried using the HTML update function to update/make changes via FW? Are your changes such that you can make them (ie behaviours) in FW?

In Fireworks MX you can make your changes and then choose to udpate HTML. I LOVE this option, it works like charm and saves bundles of time. Yup, it updates both the html and the images. I LOVE this option, did I mention that?
I export to HMTL though, not DW. But it should work the same, right? I used to tweak by code, no more of that where not needed.

Open your PNG
Make required change
FILE > Update HTML
Find your original html file via browse window
You will be prompted if you want to update both code and images, so make your choice there.

I'd give it a try by backing up your directory somewhere.
IMO, this is one of the options that makes FW a powerful program that is often not used to its full potential.

This may not apply to you, but worth knowing and I'm sure posted elsewhere here.

WW

 

[mantislee]

wiredwoman,

I'm using FW & DW MX. It sounds like version 3 & 4's update HTML does the same thing that I am attempting to do. When I am in DW, there is a button in the properties window with a FW logo on it that will take me back to FW and allow me to update the original PNG and HTML. But the catch 22 is that my changes after exporting made it different enough that FW couldn't update it anymore.

But I've gotten a work around. Simply creating a file of just the objects that will change (NAV bar, header, etc). Now when I want to update a nav bar graphic, I just open this file and export the gif or jpg and drag and drop into my webpage. I also explored the DW behaviors dialog, which is just like FW's but harder to find if you don't know where to look. So the popup menus that I created in FW can be removed and added in DW. Less confusion, I think...

W



Mantislee, MCP
Systems Administrator
mantislee@yahoo.com