Fireworks CS4 Beta - Stronger PSD support

1. In CS4, when a psd file is opened/imported a dialog box will pop up from where the user can choose the way objects will be brought into Fireworks. The dialogs can be suppressed through this preference setting.
2. Image Layers refer to the bitmap objects of Photoshop. Either the bitmap objects can be brought into Fireworks with editable effects or the effects along with the object can be converted to a complete flat image using this preference setting.
3. The text preference setting can bring the text as editable or as a bitmap converted image.
4. Shape Layers refer to the vector objects in Photoshop.
• The “Editable path and effects” setting will bring the object as editable vectors. But this may changes the appearance.
• “Flattened bitmap images” preference setting will bring all the vector object and effects applied on them as a single bitmap image.
• The last preference option seem to bring the best of both, where the shape layers will converted to bitmap object but the effects applied on to it will be editable in Fireworks.
5. Fireworks has two sets of filters, one being its native set and the other one borrowed from Photoshop. Through this preference setting, when a psd file is imported/opened the user will have the option to map the effects contained in the psd file to either Fireworks native filters or to the Photoshop filters which are also present in Fireworks. Since the algorithm for same filter might differ, there may be slight difference in filter appearance also.
6. The appearance of clipping masks in psd files when brought into Fireworks as editable, changes quite a lot. This preference setting will solve this problem to a certain extent where the clipping masks and the base object will be converted to a single bitmap object maintaining the same appearance as seen in Photoshop.

Thus all the object types can now be controlled independently through this preference settings dialog. The tooltips for each of the preference is also quite self explanatory.

NOTE: The above preferences will be applied to the objects when user selects “Custom Settings From Preferences” option from the Import/Open dialog’s last drop down menu.

When a file is saved as a psd file from Fireworks, the user can control the individual object’s save type settings. Controlling the individual object type saving setting is possible after selecting “Custom” from the first drop down menu.

Other feature details

1. When a file is saved from Fireworks, the layers have the blend mode set to “Pass Through”. This will be helpful in some cases where the blend mode is set to Screen for layers in Fireworks.

2. When a mask has been created through Paste Inside option, it will be flattened when exported as a psd. This will maintain the appearance but the tradeoff is that the mask will be lost.

3. Content layer solid fills, all color spaces and bit depths and Color profiles in a PSD file will be converted to RGB 8 bit when opened/imported into Ignite.

4. When a psd file is opened, slices and guides are carried into Fireworks CS4.