FreeHand 10.0 Competitive Upgrade

by Macromedia

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005BAVU
• Item model number: FHM100D300
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 2, 2001
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,812 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Macromedia is certainly one of the more technologically aggressive of the major software publishers, and now they are one of the first of the big boys (if not the first) to deliver a mainstream application fully compatible with Apple's new operating system, Mac OS X.

Freehand 10 includes numerous new features in three areas: new illustration tools, improved productivity, and multiple output options such as PDF, HTML, and Flash. Freehand 10 also supports the IPTC header file information for services that take advantage of such information, such as Knight Ridder and the Associated Press.

Illustrators will love "true contour gradients," a new feature that helps create the most realistic shading we've seen in a 2-D illustration program. Create gradients of irregular shapes, control the amount of shading at any point, and use multicolor gradients.

Freehand's improved pen tool now looks and behaves exactly the same as it does in Flash and Fireworks. In fact, the whole Freehand interface now looks, feels, and behaves just like other Macromedia products, while still managing to look like whatever platform it's running on. For example, Freehand under Mac OS 9 looks like a classic Mac app, but the same app takes on the Aqua interface when running under OS X.

Freehand 10 targets users who create material for print and the Web. Flash export, in the form of SWF files, has been improved, and conversely, a designer can now import Flash actions and assign them to objects in Freehand. Also, Freehand now has a Flash runtime engine complete with controller panel, so that Flash actions and files destined for SWF export can now be tested within Freehand.

For those who create multiple-page documents, Freehand's Master Pages can be used to manage a 32,000-page document, sharing templates and page attributes while retaining the ability to edit master pages at any time. Child pages update dynamically when a master page is changed.

For Mac OS X users, launching a major app like Freehand without first starting up the Classic environment is a real thrill. The native OS X interface is a nice complement to Freehand, and it makes us anxious to see other Macromedia products running under X. Freehand 10 is an important upgrade for existing users, and for new ones, numerous new features make it easier to learn than ever. --Mike Caputo--This review refers to the full version of Freehand 10.

Amazon.com Product Description

FreeHand 10 offers graphic designers powerful productivity features, including master pages, the new Macromedia user interface, and sophisticated vector-based illustration tools. You can enhance your project workflow by creating a document once, then publishing it across multiple media, including print, the Web, and beyond. Version 10 of FreeHand offers a rich collection of previewable presets that designers can use to achieve results right out of the box.

True Contour Gradients allows you to create multicolor gradients that follow the contour of an outlining path. It also enables you to create visual effects with stunning realism, and to illustrate with much less effort. You can also easily integrate multiple Macromedia Web publishing products into your existing workflow with the Macromedia user interface. Its immediate accessibility makes the authoring process more intuitive to current users and more approachable to new users.

IPTC Header File Support enables cross-media publishing. FreeHand 10 lets you preserve International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC) information in files that will be used by the news media. IPTC-aware third-party applications can access IPTC header information, such as copyrights, credits, captions, search words, and other data used to catalog image files.

FreeHand now offers Web-standard page sizes. Create or convert to standard Web page sizes easily for consistent multipublishing results. With the Macromedia Flash Navigation Panel you can test your Macromedia Flash movies within FreeHand before you export them to Macromedia Flash. The resizable, modeless navigation panel streamlines the functions of the URL Editor and Set Note Xtra extensions by letting you apply Internet links and Macromedia Flash actions to graphics and text from within FreeHand 10.