[9:00 AM] Mac Web Design Tool Receives Major Upgraded
by Staff
SoftPress Systems has announced the next major upgrade to their Mac based web design tool, Freeway 3, is shipping. Version 3 includes a host of new features as well as a specialized Japanese version. According to SoftPress:
The new features of Freeway 3 and Freeway 3-J include:
Productivity Improvements - up to 10 times faster: Freeway's integrated approach to Web design has always offered major productivity advantages over other Web programs. In Freeway 3, these advantages have been boosted through speed enhancements and basic scripting capabilities. The speed of opening and editing large Freeway files has been increased in some cases by a factor of ten. Freeway 3 also contains limited support for AppleScript, allowing common tasks to be automated.
Multilingual Site Production: Freeway 3 offers new capabilities in multilingual Web-site production. The new version supports Apple's WorldScript technology and users can select from a wide range of language encodings for individual pages in a site. Text can be rendered in HTML or as bitmapped graphics for languages as diverse as Japanese, Swedish and Russian. Japanese text can be displayed vertically as well as horizontally.
Freeway Actions Extended with Built-In JavaScript Interpreter: SoftPress introduced the powerful Actions technology in Freeway 2 to simplify the process of adding complex coding and scripting for such applications as production of dynamic content, connecting Freeway sites to databases and developing controls for content such as QuickTime, Flash and Shockwave. The popularity of this technology has resulted an ever-increasing range of Actions developed by Freeway users and these are freely available from the SoftPress Web site. In Freeway 3 the user interface for Actions has been improved, and Actions can additionally now be written in JavaScript to facilitate the development of complex and sophisticated scripts.
Graphics, QuickTime and Flash Content: Freeway 3 extends Freeway's powerful graphic and multimedia capabilities. Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop files can be imported directly into Freeway, where they are automatically converted into Web-ready formats. Freeway can also use Photoshop plug-ins to import (and export) a wide range of nonnative graphic formats, while Photoshop scanner plug-ins allow images to be scanned directly onto a page. A new multimedia preview feature combined with an extended set of behavior options for QuickTime and Flash content gives users greater flexibility and control in incorporating multimedia in Web pages.
Link Map and Link Checking: Freeway 3's new link map provides a complete overview of the hyperlinks which connect each page in a site, making it easy for web designers to develop good site navigation. Freeway 3 also has a link-checking feature which can be used to check the validity of external links.
Rollover Editing: Freeway 3 contains a rollover editor which allows JavaScript rollovers to be created easily and intuitively. Rollovers are created directly within a page, without the user having to prepare and import separate images for each rollover state. As is the case with other graphic elements within Freeway, rollovers can be created from text, graphics, or combinations of text and graphics. As with all graphic text made in Freeway, rollover text remains editable at all times.
Freeway 3.0 is available for US$299. A 50% discount will be offered for educational users, and those currently using Dreamweaver or GoLive. You can find more information at the SoftPress Systems web site.
