Websites often have hundreds of button graphics with JavaScript rollover behaviors attached to them. A rollover effect can sometimes require four different graphics depending on how complex the button behavior is. To create, optimize, and export each button’s individual states could take a very long time. You can save yourself a great deal of time if you hold off on optimizing each graphic individually and instead Batch Process them all at once. You can access the Batch Processing option by selecting "File/Batch Process…" from the Menu Bar.

(Figure 9.16)

You can select the files that you want to process by way of the "Files to Process" drop down menu. You can process the files that are currently open, selected files in your Project Log, all the files in your Project Log, or a custom selection that you determine through a generic "Open" dialog box.

You have two choices under the "Action" category, Find and Replace and Export. If you choose Find and Replace you will be presented with a Dialog Box that almost exactly replicates the Find and Replace Panel. The function of that Panel has already been described so refer to that section of the unit if any point needs to be clarified.

If you choose "Export" you are presented with the "Batch Export" dialog box.

(Figure 9.17)

This dialog box allows you to choose the optimization settings for the files that you want to export. If we use our example of rollover button states we would probably choose GIF Web Snap 128 because the graphics are usually very small and require a relatively simple color palette. If we were to process photographs we would probably choose JPEG from the list. 

If you want a preview of how your graphics will look you can {Click} on the button to the right of the drop down menu and get a look at it in the Export Preview Window. We will be looking at Graphic Optimization in-depth in a later unit so leave your settings at the default for the time being.

You can add a suffix or prefix to your graphic’s name under the "File Name" drop down menu. This is an organizational aid that allows you to group related graphics. 

The Batch Export dialog box makes it very easy to create thumbnails of your graphics. You can force the graphics to a particular Width and Height dimensions by choosing "Scale to Size", resize your graphics to fit a predetermined space by choosing "Scale to Fit Area", or resize them to a percentage of their original size by choosing "Scale to Percentage".

When you have the "Batch Export" settings set the way you want them {Click} the "OK" button. Fireworks will go through all the documents that you have selected for processing and apply your desired modifications to them.

Upon completion you will be presented with this dialog box indicating that the processing has been successfully completed.

(Figure 9.19)

You can save yourself more time if you create scripts for the Batch Processing that you do. At the bottom right hand corner of the Batch Process dialog box you will find a button labeled "Script". 

{Click} on this button after you have set up your Batch Process and a typical "Save" dialog box will appear. Name your script, {Click} on the OK button and your file will be saved as a .jsf file.  

You can run a saved script anytime you wish by selecting "File/Run Script…" from the Menu bar.  A dialog box will appear prompting you to select the files that you want to have processed by the script. The procedure for selecting files mirrors that of the regular Batch Process dialog box as described earlier.

(Figure 9.20)

After having selected your files {Click} OK and your script will process all of the files that you have designated.

It may take some time before you become comfortable with all of the time saving features incorporated into Fireworks. As you work with the program you may find that there are some features that you rarely use and others that you work with every day.  Make a point of discovering the simplest way to complete the tasks you perform often.   Something as simple as a keyboard shortcut can save you a great deal of time if you find yourself performing the same task hundreds of times a day.  If a keyboard shortcut can save you time imagine what a feature like the Library Panel can do for you?