Adobe's FireWork CS 4 (actual version 10) is the new "tool" of the trade for (web) developers and designers that want to create: websites, RIAs (Rich Internet Applications), UIs (User Interfaces) and any kind of design or layout that will interact with users. FireWorks is not very popular in the design market, since most of the users prefer Photoshop to create their layouts. In this short review/presentation I will focus on three things: a) what are the new features of the program, b) whether the FireWorks CS4 was really improved from the previous release and c) what new features Adobe should have included and they didn't. In (the rare) case you are not familiar with FireWorks, then you will have to see and use it ASAP, especially if you are a (graphic) design and you are using other products of Adobe's Family (Flash, DreamWeaver and Flex) in your business or creative workflow.

My history with this software is long...I've been using it for almost 8 years now. Since the days of Macromedia ownership, FireWorks was the tool of my choice in order to design and conceptualize websites and multimedia applications. When Adobe acquired Macromedia, I was really worried as of what will happen to FireWorks, but thank god (or Adobe...it's the same thing now days :P) FireWorks dominated over its "competitor" the ImageReady. Now that I mentioned it, do you remember ImageReady? I never understood that program, it was something like "PhotoshopZERO" but since there was Photoshop Elements, it had no real use! Anywayz it is quite impressive that twice Adobe preferred Macromedia's software than her own: once with DreamWeaver over GoLive (which was the right thing to do) and twice with FireWorks over ImageReady. Enough for the chit-chat onto the introduction.
What is FireWorks?
Before I proceed with the review/presentation of FireWorks CS4 I would like to stall a little bit longer and talk to you about the concept of this software and the misconceptions of most of the user regarding its usage. Unfortunately FireWorks is not a popular piece of software. Most user tend to prefer Photoshop over FireWorks for jobs concerning layout and design. My opinion regarding that matter is that Photoshop is for heavier duties, duties that Fireworks could never perform like retouching photos, sketching, coloring and now even some limited 3d.
But let's take it one step at a time, before I say what FireWorks is let's see what FireWorks isn't...FireWorks is not here to replace neither Photoshop (bitmap) nor Illustrator (vector). Although it perfectly combines both vector and bitmap features and capabilities it's not meant to compete neither Photoshop nor Illustrator (I repeat it a second time to emphasize it). So for all of you that are hardcore fans of the 2 big brothers of Adobe (Photoshop & Illustrator) have no fear, FireWorks is not an enemy.
As far as I know FireWorks is the only graphics design software that is focused on design, layouts and UIs. If you want to create a layout for your new website, visualize the user interface of your new RIA or create the concept for a multimedia CD/DVD presentation, then you have to use FireWorks. Yes, you can use PhotoShop too and most of the people nowadays use PhotoShop for this kind of work, but PhotoShop is a) bulky, b) slow in the design process, c) doesn't handle well vectors (buttons, menus etc) and d) most of the bitmap techniques used in the process are destructive for the graphics.
The truth is that FireWorks wasn't always like that, it had all the prerequisites but it wasn't so focused in design/UI and layouts...probably that's why most of the users dismiss the idea of FireWorks. The turn towards design, UIs and layouts started from the previous version (CS3) and it is now complete in version CS4. First of all FireWorks is closely related and cooperates excellent with 3 major software that created designs, layouts and UI envinroments: Flash, DreamWeaver and Flex. Secondly it enhances the creative workflow of layouts and UIs and finally is faster, better and more visual appealing than ever. Since we clarified all that let's see the new goodies that FireWorks CS4 is offering!
New Features

• The most notable change in FireWorks CS4, is the change in the working environment and the UI. I will not focus into that, since the changes are the same with Flash CS4 (you can read my review here). The only discord is that although in Flash CS4 all numeric fields have been upgraded and you can change them either by dragging left right or double clicking, if FireWorks CS there has been no change since the previous version. Number fields are still number fields and you must type the values by keyboard. Although I prefer it that way, I think that Adobe must have consistency across its software it should have included this nice feature in FireWorks CS4. At least in FireWorks CS4 Adobe fixed the "tab" issue that numeric fields had in previous versions. Now if you hit tab while in a numeric field, the self-explanatory will happen, the cursor will move to the next field (in previous versions you just lost focus)!
• The new vector manipulation panel called Path is greatly improved and enhanced. The available options and functions are so many that I think it competes Illustrator's famous "PathFinder" and in some parts it is even better! From the 6 methods that were available for combining paths in CS3 you now have 9: Join, Split, Union, Intersect, Punch, Divide, Exclude, Trim and Crop. Take a note though, those new methods are not available under Modify > Combine Paths, but it's under Window > Others > Path (which is rather strange place to hide such a useful tool). Additionally you have more than 10 tools to alter the path of a vector object, 20 tools for point editing and many many more options that new "powers" to FireWorks. For more information about the new vector tools visit: Adobe Dev Network
• Two new vector shapes are added on the list. The first one is the Arrow Line, which could be implemented better if doesn't had only two points and the other one is the Measure Tool which can come very handy later on, when CSS is applied, because it measures (only in pixels) the distance between two points.
• The Align Panel, one of the best around (along with Flash's) has been upgraded it, with a very nice and important little featured that enables you to fully control the distance (space) that you put between 2 or more objects, instead of spacing them evenly (which was the default option until now). The one thing that I don't understand is why Flash CS4 didn't got the little "trick", since they did once in FireWorks I don't understand why they skipped it in Flash. Anywayz...
• At last, the much need Text In Path (!) feature is added to the arsenal. Now you can place text inside ANY kind of vector.
• Styles are greatly improved, organized and have the ability to be dynamically linked with the items! In previous versions of FireWorks if you had applied one style in any number of objects and then you have decided to change that style, the changes would not be reflected back to those objects...not anymore. Now you have the ability to change the style one once object click the "Redefine Style" button and change the style in the library and all "linked" objects. If you want to cut the connection between the style and the object you can click on the "Break Link to Style" object and cut it loose!
• Following Illustrator's paths, FireWorks has SmartDrag enabled by default. That means that once you click & drag an object various purple dashed lines appear auto-aligning the object. This purple lines are the SmartDrag that has autosnapping abilities and can help you properly align the object in your canvas. Nice trick!
• Various new panels appear in FireWorks CS4 as in other members of creative suite family, like the Kuler which can help you with color management and consistency.
• The Common Library know contains many ready graphics and assets that allow you to instantly add useful UI elements and graphics to your design. Buttons, Flex Components, Icon Graphics, Menu Bars, Loading Animations, HTML Objects and many more graphics are at your disposal. This simple but very useful enhancement greatly reduces the development time, since each objects has its own customizable properties accessed via the Symbol Properties panel! Thus the web/Flex/UI designer can create complete forms, layouts and user interfaces, communicated them with the client and deliver them to the programmers/developers via exporting, since FireWorks CS4 can export to HTML/CSS and Flex.
• Improved Acrobat Reader 9 support. Actually this is an improvement on behalf of the new Acrobat, but since both Flash and FireWorks can benefit from that I think I can mention it here. By creating a design in FireWorks, you can export it to PDF file format, give it to a client and interact with it via Acrobat, with no need of FireWorks. Well done Adobe!

What they missed - Proposals for FireWorks CS5
I just can't help it...I always want mooore and I love to write wish lists, so here's what I would like to "see" in FireWorks CS4, I didn't "see" it so the following could be used as a wish-list for FireWorks CS5.

• More Filters & Effects! Filters are never enough, and FireWorks has the same "boring" filters for 2 versions now. Apart from the "smart" add-on of "Photoshop Live Effects" that we saw in version CS3, nothing new was added in CS4. Common people, (I mean Adobe) you don't have to be very inventive or intuitive, just replicate effects from other software. You could add some very cool 3d effects from Illustrator, or Photoshop, or even better After Effects (excellent piece of software). You want more ideas...mimic the "Alien Skins Plugins"! You don't have time to "mimic", buy them out...but for god's sake give us more Filters & Effects!
• More ready-made 2d Shapes. From all the vector packages out there FireWorks has the most useful and easily manageable 2d vector shapes. Until now I haven't find any other software package than can create faster than FireWorks a rounded rectangle with customizable corner radius and shapes! But as always, I want more...maybe some kind of charting & statistics 2d/3d shapes!
• 3d vector shapes. I haven't made it quite clear to myself yet, but I have been imagining 3d graphics in FireWorks for a long time. I am not sure (yet) if I like the approach of Flash CS4 on 3d graphics, but I believe that some moves must be done towards 3d vector shapes (not extruded). Probably a simple 3d camera or scene would suffice...
• FlowCharts. Since FireWorks is a tool used for interfaces, web sites, RIAs etc Adobe could "open up" to the visualization market with some kind of tools that will create dynamic SiteMaps, Flow Charts, object connection, diagrams and other similar goodies. If you don't know what I mean, check out ConceptDraw series, excellent piece of software!

...hmmm, that was quick! I cannot imagine anything else missing from FireWorks! Shit :). Is it perfect or am I lucking inspiration, I don't know...but I surely expect your comments on that!
Conclusion
While I was marching towards the end of this review, I was pushing myself to decide whether or not FireWorks CS4 has improved significantly in comparison to its predecessor. It's something very common in software-review in magazines and for the authors it seems to be a very significant factor of whether or not the reader should "buy" the software or not (I see it a lot in two of my favorite magazines: 3d World and Computer Arts).
I don't want to cross that road.
Surely FireWorks CS4 is an improved versions of CS 3, I don't know if it is enough for every kind or type of user to buy it, but for me it's enough to recommend it blindfolded. FireWorks is slowly establishing its position in the market and it is more stable and faster than ever, communicates better than ever with Photoshop, Flash, Illustrator and (the new kid of the block) Flex and most important it offer a robust, intuitive and fast environment to conceive and design!
Best regards,
Nikos “DuMmWiaM” Kontis