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Guide to Using Dreamweaver
Shortcuts:

F12-View in Browser
F2-Object Palette
F3-Properties
F8-Site Map
AltF8-Site Navigation
Command J-Page ProperietsHTML: What’s in a URL?- http://peachpit.com or is an example of an url. Let’s take it apart.

The http: is the name of the protocol, which in the case of a Web site, is the Hypertext Transfer Protocol.
Everything between the slashes is called the domain name and is what you buy. The www is the name of the Web server. And the .com or .org or .ca is called the top-level domain. If the file ends with an html this is a document or specific page within a site that you are requesting.

Image Size & Titling- You’ve done your best to create interesting files (named simply without capitals or spacing etc.) retaining as much detail as possible. Now you will insert your image, audio, video files to Dream weaver to create your web art.
Gif-Use Gif for non-photographic images, graphics or b/w or gray photographs
Jpg- are called “lossy” format. They lose information and become unsharp when compressed. Use
wisely on photographic coloured imagery.

Learning to solve problems:
When you are stuck, search for solution first by checking on-line Dream weaver Help, then any reference books (Peachtree or Dream weaver Manual), then ask a neighbour, finally ask the teacher. This is important for your sense of self-reliance and developing coping abilities when you are problem-solving. I do not mind if you search for an answer. It is part of the course.

Saving-critical. Know what Save As does. Know what retitling does. Know that if you press Save (unless you do a Revert before) you have just rcorded the document and it can’t be undone. Please leave originals alone and make a copy with a Save As or a new title to restart the last day’s work. In this way, you will never lose all the work by accident or at least only a partial loss. Try to press Save as you go when you are happy with each step.
Please note: when you insert a flash animation it will only accept the swf or actual movie. The swf file is a recorded movie and there are no layers. Please do not erase any fla files because you may need them again. Keep fla files on your disc or key. You may wish to rework in the future or to be reminded of how you did the animation in order to do another. The amount of work you did in your fla file is extensive.

Linking- Dreamweaver demands that you have an index.html page. It needs this to locate the web art project and all linked pages. You will be dealing with html pages from now on. These must be simply titled (short title, no capitals and no spacing or any oddities). It is imperative that you be organized with your pages. Dream weaver will not work if the logic isn’t perfect. Organize folders well.

Edit image-using Edit in the expanded Properties inspector and link section of image to another html page.

Types of Links: Absolute pathnames (an URL is an absolute pathname), Domument-relative pathname
(within the same directory –2 documents are linked), Site-root-relative pathname (a document in a different directory but within the same root of site) and Named anchors (link a point to another point or page).

Colours:Each colour in Web pages has a hex code such as; #0033FF. This is part of a
Colour palette of 216 colours each with their own hex code. You are confined to this colour palette.

Image Size- All your files will eventually be viewed at 72 dpi resolution on-line. However,
There are tricks to making your files retain interesting detail and keep from being pixilated.
We will be covering the importance of resolution dpi, jpg, gif, psd and reasons to use various formats. We will also be covering Optimization for the Web which allows the artist
To decide on how much detail she/he is willing to forgo when thinking about downloading time.

File Menu: View in Browser F12 is useful.

Edit Menu: Cut, copy, paste –please use shortcuts from Photoshop when possible.

View Menu: grids, snap to, etc.

Insert Menu: Image, Interactive Image, Media you will be using to insert gifs & jpegs (images) and Flash animations and Video into Dreamweaver pages.

Modify Menu: Page Properties are useful. You can choose a background colour or create a pattern from an image.

Text Menu: Remember that computers use different systems and what you do on this computer may not translate the same to another computer. So try to use common fonts like Helvetica if you wish to control the design of the site in regards to commonly used text, Web colours, small files when possible.

Commands Menu:

Site Menu: New Site, Open Site, Command Site and Ftp are all necessary for
Final ftping of site onto the Internet. Note: Get and Put are here as well.

Window Menu: Objects Panel includes useful options such as; Insert Image, Insert Rollover Image, Insert Table, Insert Email Link, Insert Fireworks HTML, Insert Flash, Insert Flash Button, Insert Flash Text, Insert Shockwave. Also Properties Panel includes useful options such as; Linking and text.
Also Launcher is here which contains link to Site Map and HTML Inspector. Properties Inspector contains appearance properties (dimensions and borders, layout properties such as; alignment, V and Hspace, and page loading properties. Look for expander arrow.

Help Menu: Check it out!

Dreamweaver is a logical software programme. When in doubt, look for visible cues. Take time to investigate. Investigation is encouraged and part of class time.