Weeks 7 and 8 Labs
Week 8 final project
Weeks 7 and 8 Review Questions
1. Describe two ways to generate transparency using ImageReady.
When editing in image ready you should ensure the transparency checkbox is ticked in the Optimize palette. You can then either turn off the layer in the layer palette that holds the colour you want to make transparent or you can select the colour you want to make transparent in the colour table and hit the maps/unmaps icon which is on the bottom left of the colour table palette.
2. What is the purpose of assigning a matte color to a transparent image?
This fades the edges of the semi-transparent pixels into the specified colour.
3. Describe what is meant by the term "halo effect".
This is what you get when you do not specify a matte colour or you specify the incorrect matte colour. It is noticable if you have a semi transparent element such as drop shadow which gives a glow of the wrong colour round the image when it is put against a different background.
4. Describe a simple way to create an animation.
Animated GIFs can be used to create basic animations with the Amimation palette in imageready. You can select two frames and then tween the two frames. The Tween command adds a series of frames between the two existing frames to give the illusion of movement.
5. In what instances can you have IR automatically tween animation frames?
You can have IR automatically tween between two animation frames. For example, it can be used for fading or moving an element across a frame.
6. How would you optimize an animation (not standard optimization tasks applied to GIFs in general, but optimization of frames in the animation)?
You can optimise an animation by carefully coosing the number of frames you want between start and finish, higher number of frames = larger file size.
7. What is frame disposal? Which frame-disposal method should you generally use (Adobe's suggested setting)?
Adobe suggests using the automatic option. Frame disposal is the option which allows you to dispose the current frame before bringing up the next frame or keep the cuurent frame as the next one comes up. The automatic option will dispose the current frame as long as the next frame contains layer transparency.
8. How do you edit an existing animation frame?
To edit an existing frame you click it's thumnail in the animation palette. You can then make any changes to that frame.
9. Describe what is meant by the term "Unifying Frames"?
If you have used layers to create your frames and you want to apply updated position, opacity or layer styles you can make the change to one frame then hit the relevant unify command to add the change to the rest of the frames.
10. What are slices?
Slices are the pieces of your image that make up the whole.
11. What are the differences between user slices, layer-based slices and auto-slices?
Slices are split into two groups, user created and software created. User and Layer-based are created by the user while auto slices are - well automatically created using software. Both photoshop and IR will create auto-slices for any parts of an image which you have not manually created slices. User slices are created using the slice tool, layer based are created to include all visible pixels in a layer.
12. Describe 5 ways to generate slices.
You can use the slice tool and make a rectangular slice by dragging on the image where you want the slice to be. Anywhere you dont specify a slice in the image IR will automatically create the other slices in the image. If you have made a selection using the rectangular marquee you can then select>create slice from selection. You can also create different shaped slices using any of the other selection tools then select>create slice from selection. You can duplicate a slice by selecting either of the slice tools and click and drag from inside the existing slice to where you want the duplicate to go, you can then edit the slice if necessary.
13. How would you create a slice with boundaries that exactly encompass a small or unusually shaped object?
Use the selection tools to select the shape of the object then select>create slice fromm selection.
14. What is the advantage of linking slices/rollovers together?
This lets you set the same optimisation settings to all slices rather than having to do each one individually.
15. Describe two different types of rollovers.
You can have a rollover that changes the image - this can be created using one image (for example change the colour of the image when you rollover) or you can have a rollover that makes something happen elsewhere on the page - this uses two separate images.
16. How many states can a rollover have?
There are 8 predefined states but there is no limit to the number of states a slice can have.
17. Describe a simple way to create rollover states for an image.
Once you have sliced the areas you want (and allowed IR to create the rest automatically) click in the slice that you want to apply the rollover to then in the web content palette hit the creat rollover state icon at the bottom of the palette. Keep clicking the icon for each state that you want.
18.Where would you set options for table code and slice names when generating the code and images for rollovers?
In IR you can enter the options by File>option settings.
19. Summarize the procedure for creating an image map.
Once you are happy with your image jump to IR (you cant create image maps in PS). Select one of the image map tools (the rectangular, circular or polygon tool) and click and drag in your image where you want the image map to be. You can edit the image map by selecting it and dragging the outline. You can also creat a layer based image map by selecting the layer in the layer palette then Layer>new layer based image map. As this image map is then linked to the layer the only way you can edit it is to edit the layer. You can convert it to a regular image map by selecting promote layer based image map from the image map menu.