Probable Text woes and their resolution in Fireworks CS4
Below are some of the scenarios with respect to text shifting on the canvas. The user lands in a situation similar to one shown below from all the 4 scenarios.
- Scenario: Selecting/de-selecting the text object and trying to move it on the canvas using keyboard arrow keys.
Problem description: The text within a textbox in Fireworks CS4 on a Mac will move within the textbox and even move out of the textbox if you select and deselect the textbox multiple times while moving the textbox with the keyboard arrow keys each time.
Temporary workaround: When ever you see a text image going out of sync with its bounding box, just re-adjust the text or double click inside the bounding box. This will make the text object to correct itself.
The above scenario can be seen visually from the video. The video has been provided by www.designme.sk
- Scenario: Trying to align text elements using mouse either against other objects present on the canvas or a guide, using the cues from smart guides.
Problem description: When ever we have grids enabled and we try to align a text element against other objects on the canvas using the cue from smart guides, sometimes the text bounding box shifts away from the text image on releasing the mouse.
It seems this shift in the bounding box is happening when the bounding box tends to snap to the nearest grid pixel and we release the mouse at half pixel less.
Temporary workaround: Try to align text elements with the following settings turned off. (i)View->Grid->Snap to Grid and (ii)View->Smart Guides->Snap to Smart Guides - Scenario: Range Kerning/Kerning value in CS3 is not the same in CS4.
Problem description: Range Kerning value applied in CS3 does not give the same appearance when opened in CS4 and updated. The look of the text block totally changes and we need to manually enter the new value to get back the desired effect.
Temporary workaround: Range Kerning control present in the UI has now been changed to Tracking in FWCS4. Tracking control works the same way as that present in apps such as Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop. To apply tracking, a range of characters has to be selected first, unlike kerning control wherein, just keeping the cursor between 2 characters we could apply kerning.
For a value of Kerning applied in CS3, if we set approximately 10 times the value of Tracking in CS4, we can get similar looking text element. Ex: if the Kerning value which was set in CS3 for a text element was 10, then around 100 could be the Tracking value which we will have to set in CS4 so that we can get similar looking result. - Scenario: 2 pixel shift in text glyphs when we change area/frame text to point text and vice a versa.
Problem description: When we change the area text (drawn by click dragging on the canvas using the text tool such that we get an area bounding box) into a point text (drawn by just click once on the canvas using text tool) by double clicking the top right handle or vice-versa, we can see that there is a 2-px shift in glyphs on the canvas.
In ATE, bounding box of a point text is different than the area text. The area text has a small gap between the glyphs and the bounding box, thus currently when we do such a change; there is a slight shift of the glyphs either upwards or downwards depending upon the point or area text change done.
Temporary workaround: Create either an area text or point text depending upon your requirement and don’t shift or change from one type to the other. Note that when you convert area text to point text, the glyphs shift 2 px downwards and when we convert a point text into an area text, glyphs shift 2 px upwards.
- Scenario: Trying to 9-slice scale a custom symbol or common library element, sometimes the text jumps away.
Problem description: When we try to apply 9slice scaling on common library element such as a button etc, sometimes the text jumps away from its location. 9-slice scaling when applied to a text bounding box changes it to an area text if it’s a point text which makes the glyphs to shift 2 px from their original location. Moreover in situations where in 9-slice scaling is used to scale the button element, after some point the text tends to break away from its original location.
Temporary workaround: If a symbol or custom component has text contained inside, then make sure that the text object is placed well inside the 9-slice guides and they are not overlapping. More importantly, make sure that the text element is an area text box (if it’s not then convert it by dragging the lower right corner of the bounding box) and not a point text box.
Comments
hi, when we can expect update?
Posted by: dave | December 1, 2008 03:16 PM
Cannot say anything at the moment with the limited information I have.
Through the medium of this blog I am trying to help out all Fireworks users to have a smoother experience with CS4 version. It could be related to feature understandings, bugs or any other information related to Fireworks.
I am expecting that if people face any problem and would like to know about Fireworks, they should not hesitate to ask me on this blog.
Posted by: Sarthak Singhal | December 1, 2008 03:25 PM
Hi. I regularly scan this forum. This is the oldest period unqualified to ask a ridiculous. How numberless in this forum are references progressive behind, artful users?
Can I depute all the communication that there is?
Posted by: stizape | December 2, 2008 03:44 AM
Hi Sarthak,
I'm currently using and testing the new Fireworks 10.0.0.495. Let me ask, is it the final release (Version)?
I've been working with Fireworks since version 3, and in this version I'm figuring out some annoying bugs that I would like to share with you, as I will explain below. First of all, I really appreciate your help and space to us (designers) to improve more and more programs from Adobe family.
01. Exporting to Photoshop: I cant export to Photoshop migrating all vectors and keeping theirs Gradients. There are two ways: exporting vectors as bitmap or exporting vector without colors, but they turn white. Is there any solutions for it?
02. Sometimes, Fireworks freezes! And all the time I have to close it using Crtl+Alt+Del.
03. Burn, Dodge, Blur and Sharpen tools, the paint's borders are so big (highlightful), even though changing the Edge to 100. Wouldnt be nice if they could be smooth as the photoshop one? Sometimes, it become complicated manipulate some images on Fireworks.
04. Exporting Slices. Let see a scenario: I create a new slice and I export it clicking on the right button on it and save them into my computer (specified path). Right. But if I would like to like to do it again, the Fireworks doesnt save the previous folder (path) and I have to do everything again (go to the folder/path where I would like to save it). The only way to save it is: exporting the first time all the slices by using "File > Export..." and then using the right button on mouse to save my previous path.
05. Scale Tool. On the previous version of Fireworks, when we changed the Scale Tool to "Skew Tool" (example), automatically it back to "Scale" when we clicked on another Tool. Recently version this features seems unavailable. I think the old way is more practical.
06. Some vectors appear with border issues (distortion). Fireworks doenst have "half pixel" -- not absolute number as 10.5px, 8.4px, but in those vector seems like exists; like what happens with the Flash Program. On the borders, it shows 1px transparent and it doesnt make the appearance of the border completely bright. To fix this issue we have two options: Or we change Edge to Hard, or we have to increase +1px and then decrease it -1px, everything by Properties Panel. This happen when we scale a vector using Scale Tool. Sometimes it appears when we close and open the same PNG.
07. Finally, on this version sometimes when select any layer at the Layers Panel, the Fireworks freezes. It is rarely to happen, but it happens.
Well, these are my doubts Sarthak. I really thank you to become it possible, creating this space to make the communcation between users and developers.
Best Regards,
Raphael Simas
Posted by: Raphael Simas | December 2, 2008 05:19 AM
I am on Mac OS 10.5.5. I have noticed focus issues when switching between documents as tabs in Fireworks CS4. I often switch tabs and try to zoom in, cut or copy something, etc. But the action doesn't affect the current document. When I switch back to the previous document I notice that it was zoomed instead of the one I was looking at. I have to make sure I don't simply switch tabs, but instead I must click into the document to completely "focus" on it. Sometimes it requires a couple clicks to fully focus on a document and allow keystrokes to work properly.
I have also tried the new CSS export, but it has never worked right for me. It does not look like the layouts I have created in Fireworks. For instance a stroked box with top and bottom graphics translate into bordered layers with the graphics, but borders slightly peak out from under the graphics even though they should not. It might be interesting using this instead of the table based html export, but for now it seems too buggy for me to use it.
I love Fireworks (have used it for many versions). I really like some of the CS4 features, but I must say it's been a pretty buggy initial release. I look forward to some bug fixes in the future (before CS5).
Posted by: Dan Rodney | December 2, 2008 09:21 AM
Is this bug is still in final retail version of FW CS4 !!
Posted by: vivek | December 2, 2008 10:02 AM
Vivek:
Users might encounter this text jumping issues while working with the text objects in the retail version. Check the video attached for a scenario where it reproduces.
Raphael Simas:
Thank you being a regular Fireworks users. Please feel free to send in the comments and suggestions in future through the means of this forum. The 10.0.0.495 is the CS4 release version for Fireworks.
01. Gradient support to vector on export as .psd is a current limitation. Only way at the moment is a bitmap for the object(s).
02. Can you send in some file/workflows steps where Fireworks CS4 freezes?
03. Agree with your comment on the bitmap brushes limitations pointed by you.
04. I personally feel the request of folder remembering even on Right click is a nice one.
05. I did not follow it. I created a rectangle and skewed it. Then cropped it. The skew tool was still selected and did not revert back to scale tool. This was tried on Fw 8 on Win XP SP3. Let me know your inputs on it. I feel that remembering the tool is a better usability for further finer tweaks, but that is an engineer's thought. A designer like you need to shed more light on it.
06. Can you check my earlier post related to CS3 and CS4 vector rendering and let me know the results? Also are you working on more than 100% magnification values?
07. For this also I will need some more information related to files/workflows where you have seen the issue.
A Fireworks engineer is really thrilled to interact directly with the customers!
Dan Rodney:
Thank you for sharing your inputs on Fireworks and its issues.
01 Have you used any other Adobe CS4 product and are you seeing the same focus issue on them as well?
02 This release has taken the big step for Fireworks in generating CSS. With Fireworks and CSS evolving and maturing with time, I am sure you will love it. We are trying more than our best to provide you with as much efficiency as possible in your designing phases. I am assuming you have checked out the new CSS article at http://www.adobe.com/devnet/fireworks/articles/standards_compliant_design_04.html
As mentioned above to Raphael, the engineers always give in their 100% in ensuring that a good quality version is released each time. Keep sending the issues so that we can work on them.
stizape:
I have started this forum as a medium for users to interact with an engineer. An engineer gets maximum satisfaction when they get direct feedback from end users. For me I get to understand usage and workflows involved with Fireworks directly from the designers.
Posted by: Sarthak Singhal | December 2, 2008 01:40 PM
I have only noticed the focus issues with Tabbed documents in Fireworks. I use the rest of the Suite (DW, IND, ILL, PS, etc.) and they all work fine so far. It's just been a problem with Fireworks. I am using the Application Frame by the way.
Posted by: Dan Rodney | December 2, 2008 11:39 PM
Thanks for the information Dan. We will investigate and try to nail down the issue.
Keep em coming.
Posted by: Sarthak Singhal | December 3, 2008 09:33 AM
As a temporary solution we have a extension which will correct all text objects whose blue colored bounding box has been shifted in the document.
Important Note:
1. Running this script once on a document will correct all the text bounding boxes which were shifted, at one go. Please note that this correction is for that session only. You can again come across text shifting issue while working. Recommended usage would be to run this script once on a document where major work related to text is done.
2. Any CS3 text element if present inside a Group ONLY will get re-rendered on running this script. After installing this extension, you can access this script from Commands menu-->Re-sync Text
3. It will also not touch any text elements containing missing fonts.
Thus there is no need to worry about CS3 text and missing text getting re-rendered unnecessarily on using this Extension.
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm?event=extensionDetail&loc=en_us&extid=1706527
Re-sync Text Bounding Box is a simple Extension which will go through each and every text element present in a png document (be it inside a page or a layer or a state) and re-align its bounding box.
Posted by: Arun Kaza | December 16, 2008 02:46 PM