Need Advice On Dreamweaver Process

[mstockton]

I'm new to Web Design and know how create page design/layout in Fireworks/Illustrator. What I dont understand is how to transfer all this work into Dreamweaver.

An instructor told me that you can only slice images, logos, or buttons and export to Dreamweaver. After that you have to re-design everything else. Is this true? Or can you slice everything (borders, mast head box, navigation box & etc.) and insert into code? How does this process typically work?
So confused!

Thank you!
Miranda

 

[Phreaddee]

wow an instructor who actually is saying the right things!

you "can" slice it all, but then its not really a website, its just a mishmash of images, and well, it wont really work.

he is right tho. only slice out the assets you need, the rest "should" be done with solid markup and css.

I'd actually go one step further and leave the buttons out of that process.
images I wouldnt even drop into PS of FW to begin with, just resize straight from the source file.
and logos, i'd create in illustrator, and export as a png, or if it can be made live text, to make it live text.

what you do in PS/FW et al is essentially a pretty picture to base your coded design on...feels like a bit of a waste of time? thats because it is....

 

[mstockton]

Wow! Thanks for the feedback. I watched this youtube video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVfxe4pqvo8, where they show the slicing of the whole layout and export into Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver is able to create code from these sliced images. In your opinion why would this be a bad way to go? Just trying to understand it all.

 

[Phreaddee]

I'll let someone else answer that one!
I get too fired up about psd>html

 

[CaldwellYSR]

Wow! Thanks for the feedback. I watched this youtube video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVfxe4pqvo8, where they show the slicing of the whole layout and export into Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver is able to create code from these sliced images. In your opinion why would this be a bad way to go? Just trying to understand it all.

Basically that layout is only going to work at the exact size you make the psd, any smaller and the images start moving around, any bigger and the images get spaced out too much. Plus dreamweaver puts out really horrific code most of the time. When you learn to code you realize you can do all those same things that you do in your PSD with html and css and have ALOT more control and flexibility.

If you want your website to look good and be functional you have to code by hand, if you don't care if the site works or looks good then you can use psd sliced and exported to DW.