- Choose your design application
- Use a single artboard with multiple layers
- Group complex objects
- Flatten artwork with filters and effects
- Name everything
- Embed images in the design document
- Manage fonts when sharing files
- Set component properties in Flash catalyst
- Create sample artwork for a list of images or text
- Hide, show, and lock layers
- Exporting an FXg file from adobe Fireworks
From the book
Manage fonts when sharing files
When collaborating with teams, make sure that everyone has the necessary fonts installed. This is essential if you plan to keep your text editable, for example if the design includes body copy that needs to change over time. Even with the necessary fonts installed, editable text doesn’t always look the same when brought into Flash Catalyst. Things like kerning or leading may differ. For text objects that need to look exactly as you’ve designed them (a logo is a good example), you can:
- Convert text to a shape or bitmap (raster) image.
- Convert text to vector outlines in Illustrator.
Identify duplicate component assets
It’s often necessary to include repeated buttons, text input areas, and other visual elements to represent the overall visual design of the application. In Flash Catalyst, you want to define a single object for each unique piece of artwork, but avoid defining objects where the artwork is the same. To make your work easier in Flash Catalyst, you can identify any duplicate items in your design document.
There are several ways to do this. You can use a unique naming convention for duplicate components, such as inputText (for the master) and _inputText (for a duplicate). Another option is to identify them visually using color or opacity.
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Identify reusable objects, such as this text field. In Flash Catalyst, you can delete the duplicate objects and use copies (instances) of a single object.