Transparency

Examine the Layers Panel.  The "fuji" Layer sits on top of the "clouds" Layer in the stacking order and in the Image Window Mount Fuji sits on top of the clouds. You can see the mountain on top of the clouds because, by default, Layers are transparent. Recall when we created a new image we selected a transparent background. Transparency is represented by a gray and white checkerboard. {Click}the Visibility toggle for the cloud Layer. The clouds disappear. You see only Mount Fuji and the transparent background that surrounds it.

Make sure the "fuji" Layer is active. Layers are active when colored blue. {Click} the "Opacity" slider in the Object panel and drag it back and forth. You begin to see the clouds in the background through the mountain as you decrease its opacity. 

Create a new Layer and call it "circle".  Select the circular marquee tool and draw a small circular selection on your new Layer.  A dialog box will appear telling you that you have no content selected. We have yet to create the content so {Click} "OK". Select the Paint Bucket tool and fill your circular selection with the color of your choice. Deselect your selection by clicking on your canvas with the move tool or selecting Edit/Deselect. You should now have a bitmap circle on a separate Layer. You can now move the circle with the Pointer Tool.  You can also use the Eraser to remove pixel information without affecting the content of your Layers above and below the one your editing. As you create images you’ll find Transparency a powerful tool.

Select the Pointer Tool. Make sure the "fuji" Layer is active. {Click}and drag the mountain in the Document Window. You’ll notice that you can move the mountain or part of the mountain outside the edges of the Document Window. With Layers, you can think of the Image dimensions as the dimensions of a virtual window through which we see the image data. Fireworks permits you to move image data outside of the virtual window. As a result, we can do things like drag the mountain to the bottom of the screen so that only the summit appears. You’ll find this flexibility a great creative aid when composing images.

It is also possible to move an object from one Layer to another. If you {Click}on an object that resides within a selected Layer you should see a blue square appear on the right hand side of the Layer Panel beside the Layer name. This indicates that an object within a Layer is selected. You should also see a blue bounding box surrounding your selected object within the Document Window. If you would like to move this object to another Layer all you need do is {Click} on the blue square in the Layers Panel and drag it to the Layer that you want it moved to.

Move the mountain back to the center of the image.  {Click} the drop-down "Blending Mode" list in the Objects Panel and explore the different Blend Modes. Fireworks examines the color data of the Layer you are blending and the color data of the Layers below and uses the various Blend Modes to create particular visual effects. Keep in mind you can also move the Layer around and play with Opacity. Firework’s flexibility and complexity encourages combining effects and operations for increased creativity. Make sure you select "Normal" for the Blend Mode before proceeding.

By {Clicking} the small arrow at the top left corner of the Layers Panel you gain access to the Layers Panel Pop Out Menu.  It provides an alternative route for accessing many of the functions found at the bottom of the Layers Panel. It also allows you to hide or show and lock or unlock all of your layers. If you select Share Layer you distribute the content of the selected Layer to frames.  If you select Single Layer Editing you lock the content of every Layer other than the one you have selected.  This is useful because it allows you to isolate content without having to lock or unlock Layers every time you select a new one.