Export swatches

Export colour swatches from Freehand to Fireworks

[jetnovo]

Hi there

In my company, when creating a website the first step is for a designer to generate a concept design in Macromedia Freehand 10 (or MX).

Then when approved, as a web builder I construct the site using Dreamweaver MX (and Fireworks MX for graphics).

At this stage I have to manually note the RGB values for each colour (used in the Freehand file), and manually recreate the swatches in Fireworks. This is very time-consuming and very boring!

Does anyone know how to export the colour swatches from Freehand into Fireworks?

[limbo]

Try the drop down menu in the top right of the swatches panel in fireworks. there is a command called add swatches. Then I guess (I dont have freehand) you navigate to where the freehand swatch is saved (.act file) and import.

Ta, Limbo

[jetnovo]

Thanks limbo... a problem with that is that Fireworks swatches are .act files, and freehand swatches are .bcf

Bizarre that two programmes from the same company share this common incompatibility issue.

[limbo]

Macromedia made a compatibility oversight, Oh my gosh! :o

There is no import/export function in fireworks only 'add swatch', is there an export function in freehand? that would let you save as .act (long shot, I know)

Have you tried to open a FH swatch in FW ,to see what happens - or is the file type not recognised at all?

[jetnovo]

Hi Limbo

Thanks for your ideas. Here are more problems;

1. Freehand can only export swatches as .bcf files

2. Fireworks can only import swatches as .act or .gif files (go figure!)

So I had a sneaky idea and tried exporting my FH swatch, then manually changing the filename from TEST.BCF to TEST.act and then importing into FW.

Well a bunch of colours came through but none of the correct ones!

Grumble grumble...

[benihana]

a pretty slack work around :) :

take a screen grab of the swatch panel from FH, and paste into a layer on FW. the trim off the excess (so you just have the swatches) and use these with the eyedropper tool (whatever the FW equiv is - i use PhotoShop) to grab the color refs as you need them.

ok i said it was slack. its getting late :(

[lexipixel]

Maybe there is a Macromedia product that can take both and can act as the "common denominator".

You might get some clues at-

[visibone.com...]

[jetnovo]

Thanks guys - the colour picking idea seems a good (albeit sneaky) one!

Unfortunately I followed the link but only found items relevant to FW, not FH also.

I've posted a message on the Macromedia help forum, will let you know how I go :)