If you ’re a photographic print designer using QuarkXPress 7 ( ) and you need to design interactional Flash undertaking for Web sites deduce from your Quark layout , Quark Interactive Designer ( QuID ) , a plug - in or XTension to Quark 7.02 , is the tool for you . It is wanton to learn and use and give you the ability to win over and ramp up on your existing photographic print design .

This programme has a round-eyed and aboveboard interface and concept , and it works very well for produce presentations , interactional tours , on-line advertising and banners , or for converting your pages into a Web site all over with multimedia substance . you’re able to also apply QuID to create familiar component such as rollover navigation bars , disjointed rollovers , and animations without any coding , scheduling , or script knowledge .

While the vast majority of designer will be satisfied with the basic activity that QuID supply ( and you ’ll require to consult the manual of arms or video to understand how to use them — they are not ego - explanatory ) some designers will call for additional complex effects that are more technically hard to produce . Nonetheless , compare to Flash , QuID is still much easier to memorize and apply .

Quark ’s synchronize lineament lets you synchronize print , Web , and synergistic content — a groovy time saver , because change to contemporize elements are update automatically in all documents within a project .

Interactive history

Quark has long tried to make its layout software system more than just a tool for print interior designer . In interlingual rendition 5 ( ) , released in 2002 , it introduce the ability to create static hypertext mark-up language pages for the internet . The discharge of Quark QuID carry the construct further by adding Flash - author capabilities to Quark 7 .

With chew you could start a new project from scratch or convert an existing print layout . After opening the Interactive Palette dialog from the Window menu , five tabs – label Object , Event , Script , Page , and samara – are all that you involve to turn your static design into liven and interactive Flash motion-picture show . But unlike Flash , there ’s no complicated timeline or cardinal frames — with QuID you simply name a select aim and determine an event or action that will be associated with it . It can be a user case , like clicking the computer mouse on a particular area , or an automatic trigger such as enroll or exiting a page . You practice the Script tab to designate such actions . If you want to play an invigoration , for example , you must create a handwriting that includes a Play legal action in ordination to see it .

Working in Quark

QuID is well - integrate with QuarkXPress , include the raw features of version 7 such as line of work cap and makeup zones . For case , QuID have you create an interactive physical composition zone in a web document , which gives you a much more intuitive workflow . Quickly shift between the World Wide Web and the interactive page and make adjustments when design , or another designer can work on the Flash design simultaneously . By the fourth dimension you are ready to export , the staring page is quick to post with a exclusive click .

Flash alternative?

QuID works so well , that for certain types of Flash ( ) projects , it may be worth it even for Flash expert who also use Quark to consider it . Designing a tabular array , produce a multi - column layout , or cropping a picture can be a clip consuming challenge in Flash , but not in QuID . Best of all , you may place these elements in a QuarkXPress layout on the superior page to have them appear on each papers page .

Unfortunately , you ca n’t save a task in the aboriginal Flash ( FLA ) format , so you wo n’t be capable to set about a project in QuID and finish it in Adobe Flash . you could export only stand - alone projectors ( diminished apps that go when you double - click their icon ) and SWF format documents . sales booth - alone projectors are useful if you need to publish your demonstration on a CD , rather than a vane page , because they do n’t want a web internet browser or Flash plug - in .

Byte size

Whereas Adobe Flash does a superb caper of keep back the single file sizes small , QuID does not achieve the same results . That ’s because Flash uses instances ( aliases ) of symbols , single elements that are stored in a depository library , which can be reprocess over and over again without adding to the overall Indian file size . QuID does not use instance of symbol when duplicating elements like Flash does , but rather name transcript . Thus , file cabinet sizes are large .

For example , I create a two - frame animation that I saved as an Image Sequence in QuID and as a symbol in Flash . I placed this look-alike sequence in the written document 100 times and then exported the filing cabinet . The SWF file was less than 1 KB in Flash , compared to over 110 KB when export from QuID .

Another problem is that QuID mechanically saves all place images as JPEGs and allows you to set only a oecumenical compression note value for all the images in the preference . That is disappointing . An experienced World Wide Web Designer can optimize an ikon way better than any automatic algorithm . It is not too much to expect from a entanglement - excogitation authoring tool to lead antecedently optimized GIFs and JPEGs uninfluenced . Quark should implement a Do n’t Modify choice in the Modify dialog or ameliorate the image exportation capabilities if it wants to invoke to professional Web designers . There is a workaround that requires you to create a script that links to an external URL , but that is meter take .

As with many new exit , QuID 1.0 has its contribution of bugs and crotchet — nothing that would occlude using it , but things that could be quite galling if you are creating a magnanimous task . For exemplar , if you change a Script Step and want to undo it , you ca n’t ; The Undo Change Script Step statement in the Edit carte du jour has no upshot .

Macworld’s buying advice

Quark Interactive Designer 1.0 is a with child dick for any QuarkXPress 7 room decorator who wants to create interactive subject matter with Flash or who has existing substance to convert for connection use . Even if you own Adobe Flash , there is no easier and faster path to change over your existing figure into a SWF movie . For a very reasonable price , this wad - in will return its investment with the first job . If Quark can scale down the file size of the SWF files and permit better picture control , it would greatly enhance an already fine introduction .

[ Michael Baumgardt is the author of more than 20 Holy Writ on screen background publishing and Web design , includingQuark 6 for Print and Web(Peachpit Press , 2003 ) andWeb Design with Photoshop(Adobe Press , 2002 ) . ]