Okay, accept the sad news: ImageReady has been discontinued.

Hopefully most of its features have been included in Photoshop CS3. Of course it is not as convenient as before, but I already know guys who are happy with the changes.

So, we have lost (it is now in Adobe Fireworks CS3):

– Export to Macromedia Flash SWF

– Image map tool

– Group servings in the table (however you can export subgroups of servings as a table)

As you may have noticed, these features are very useful for those who are interested in web design.

If you expect the new and improved Fireworks-2-Photoshop integration to make you happy, you’re wrong. It really sucks. Fireworks just doesn’t understand clipping layers and styles. Hope Adobe fixes it one day.

Now I must say that everything is not so bad and we are not doomed yet …

So here are the features that were included:

– Cutter tool / cutter selection tool –

These tools are available on the toolbar.

– Tab Rectangle Tool / Pill Rectangle Tool –

It is available through the Rounded Rectangle Shape tool.

– Cuts palette –

In the Slice Options dialog box.

– Palette animation (I love this one) –

Window> Animation. It has two modes: frames and timeline. The frame mode corresponds to the Animation palette in ImageReady.

The timeline gives you a simplified version of the timeline in Adobe After Effects, which is really cool.

– Edit animated GIF files –

Photoshop CS3 can create animated GIF files.

File> Save for Web and Devices. Unfortunately, you can’t just open an existing animated GIF file like before.

OBJECTIVE! you can do this if you want to use the Import function.

File> Import> Layered Video Frames … you will not find GIF in the list of available formats. It does not matter, in the File name: type the name of the GIF file with the extension.

For example: animation.gif and press the Upload button.

That’s it, now you have your GIF animation and you can edit it as you got used to in ImageReady.

Import> Folder As Frames – Do the following:

File> Scripts> Load Files to Stack.

In the Load Layers dialog box, select Folder from the Use menu. Find the folder that contains the images you want to include and click OK.

Select Create Frames from Layers from the Animation palette menu.

Export> Layers as files –

File> Scripts> Export Layers to Files.

Variables –

Image> Variables.

Select File> Save for Web and Devices –

This is a very important menu. Here you can save your file as a GIF animation.

Just select your desired GIF preset and if you’re satisfied, you’re done. If not, there are plenty of settings to play with. In the color table you can choose loop options.

That’s it, I hope after this article you don’t blame Adobe for what they have done 🙂

It is better not to know what Autodesk has done to Maya. I guess that’s a good topic for the next article 8)