CS2 Workshops

[Scott Knowles]

Does anyone know of a good workshop or tutor for Photoshop and GoLive in CS2 in the Seattle-Tacoma, Washington area? I'm looking for someone to walk through the basic and intermediate stuff with user examples, especially GoLive. I'm gettiing the basics down to build my initial Web site, but there's a lot there and GoLive isn't all that intuitive for me anyway. My former Web site/page work (1995-2005) was all done in directories on-line on Unix servers, and I'm working on a Mac to an ISP. Old brain cells don't flex like they used to do when, but then Mac are easy on older brains.

[Marko]

Scott,

I wouldn't recommend GoLive. Its interface and workflow could best be described as clumsy and the code it produces is downright ugly. Not FrontPage ugly or clumsy, mind you, but still ugly enough to avoid.

If you really have to use a visual tool, I would recommend DreamWeaver, as it is now accepted as the best visual tool available. While the interface and workflow are ultimately the matter of personal choice, its code is much tidier and leaner.

Speaking for myself, I prefer BBEdit. It's lean, it's fast and it does not produce any code, it lets you do it. Its code management tools, especially Search and Replace, but Scripting too, are excellent. If you know your HTML (or any other language of choice) and don't mind typing your own code, that's THE tool to use.

Regards,

Marko

[robc]

Does anyone know of a good workshop or tutor for Photoshop and GoLive in CS2 in the Seattle-Tacoma, Washington area? I'm looking for someone to walk through the basic and intermediate stuff with user examples, especially GoLive. I'm gettiing the basics down to build my initial Web site, but there's a lot there and GoLive isn't all that intuitive for me anyway. My former Web site/page work (1995-2005) was all done in directories on-line on Unix servers, and I'm working on a Mac to an ISP. Old brain cells don't flex like they used to do when, but then Mac are easy on older brains.

If you are not into learning html and css and want to use a wysiwyg editor then have a look at http://www.softpress.com/products/freewayprointerf.php

you can just drag and drop PS images straight into your web page and it will do the necessary for you.
I have no personal experience with this software but a Mac web designer I know uses it and says it is really simple to use.

[Scott Knowles]

Thanks for the responses. I use GoLive to write the Web pages using the preview and source modes to get the immediate viewing of Web pages. My curiousity with GoLive are the features to automate the compilation and update of a Web site to the ISP. Mostly I need to see an example of the process and GoLive settings. Otherwise I can simply ftp the files manually to the ISP. Since I developed Web pages before the Web designer software packages, I had to learn html, and I still work in that mode.

The other real need is Photoshop. I'm learning by doing, but a workshop on the overview of it and the menus, options, etc. would really help. It's more a way I learn, hand-on than book reading. And part of the problem is that I'm partially blue-green color blind, so color adjustments are already biased to something I see as normal, but others may see the photos and say, "Huh, where did he learn color?"

[Keith S. Walklet]

Scott,

You might want to look into the Lynda.com tutorials. A full on-line library of very good tutorials for most of the major graphics apps. $25 per month, unlimited access 24/7. Excellent resource. Go to www.lynda.com and you can test drive a few to see whether they work for you before subscribing. Unless you plan on year-round access, simply sign-up for the one-month subscription and cancel the next day. You are good to go for thirty days. Want to go longer? Sign-up again.

[JohnnyV]

I really like Golive...could never wrap my head around Dreamweaver.

I too learn the best by visual / hands-on experience...books I have a difficult time getting through, but at times have no choice.

Might want to look into the Video tutorials by VTC...I learned Golive with their tutorials..it's top notch:

http://www.vtc.com/newtitles-cd.htm

Also for Photoshop, but pricier, is the Software Cinema series...DVDs by J. Kost is the one you want:

http://www.software-cinema.com/disc_...category_id=19

This link might work for a few sample Software Cinema tutorials:

http://www.photoworkshop.com/registe.../adobecs2.html

[paul stimac]

I second robc's recommendaton for Freeway.... a great way to make websites.

If you are not into learning html and css and want to use a wysiwyg editor then have a look at http://www.softpress.com/products/freewayprointerf.php

you can just drag and drop PS images straight into your web page and it will do the necessary for you.
I have no personal experience with this software but a Mac web designer I know uses it and says it is really simple to use.

[Marko]

Then again, since you're on a Mac, you can also use the iWeb. There was a discussion about it recently on this board, so you may want to take a look.

If you're running Tiger, you already have it.

[Scott Knowles]

Thanks for the responses and ideas. I found BBEdit and Freeway, and bought BBEdit for its simplicity which I'll work with along with iWeb. Freeway also looked good, but I work direct with html code for Web pages so GoLive and BBEdit will work. GoLive has a good compliance checker, which really doesn't matter very much as most browser are fairly robust for html code errors, but it's nice to be W3C compliant. Curious question, how many make their Web site/pages 508C complaint?

On another note, I also got LightZone for the gallery view and other features not readily apparent or available in PS2 (just beginning there but it's so complex at times). I would appreciate users comments on it.

[Marko]

GoLive has a good compliance checker, which really doesn't matter very much as most browser are fairly robust for html code errors, but it's nice to be W3C compliant. Curious question, how many make their Web site/pages 508C complaint?

Scott,

Designers who really make their pages compliant, both w3c and 508c, are still in the minority, but not as small as it used to be. It will only grow as mainstream html moves toward xhtml and, ultimately, xml and also as more countries enact legislation that demand accessibility. The two are connected because it is much easier to achieve 508c compliance if your pages already comply to the w3c recommendations.

In my experience, taking the trouble to be standards compliant means ending up with lighter, more efficient pages that work properly in all browsers and also rank well in search engines. It also makes maintenance and future updates/upgrades much easier and faster.

As for BBEdit, it comes with the best (and most exacting) syntax checker built in. With the document open, simply hit Control-Apple-Y and it will open the window with a list of all the errors it can find. Or a note saying none were found It also has a pretty good user manual that comes in the pdf form.

Good luck,

Marko