Using Adobe GoLive CS, Part 3

If you are a Photoshop aficionado, you'll already be familiar with Photoshop layers. If you're new to Photoshop, take a look at Chapter 5, "Using Adobe Photoshop CS," to understand this wonderful feature. When you're using a Smart Photoshop object in GoLive, the layers feature works in a special way. Any Photoshop file that includes a top layer containing text can be used as a variable in GoLive. In case you are not familiar with the term variable, it simply means "something that varies." In the case of a Photoshop text layer, it's the text that can vary. To illustrate this point, let's do a very quick exercise.

In Photoshop CS create a new document. Select the Text tool and click on the page, and then type the words Placeholder Text. Format the text any way you'd like using your favorite font, color, and effect. Then save the file as a native Photoshop document.

Next, open a GoLive page, and drag and drop the new Photoshop document onto the page. A dialog box called Variable Settings will appear. Click the check box next to Topmost Text layer to enable it and an input field will open. In the input field type Adobe GoLive CS, and then click OK (see Figure 9.69).

Figure 9.69 The Variable Settings dialog box.

The Save for Web dialog box will open, and you'll see the image you just created in Photoshop, except that the text you entered into the Variable Settings dialog box will have replaced the placeholder text in the source file. Choose the file format GIF and click the Save button to save the GIF file.

Now, select your newly made GIF on the page, and in the Inspector palette click the Variables button to reopen the Variable Settings window. This time type Very, very cool! and then click OK. GoLive re-renders the target object using the settings you specified originally.

By now you are probably getting the idea, but just in case you've missed the point, let me be specific. You can use one source file to create multiple variations of the target file for use on different pages. If you update the original source artwork, the target files can be updated as well. The update happens automatically when you open a page using a target file, or you can force the update by selecting the source file in the SmartObjects folder and then choosing Site, Update Files Dependent On, Selection.

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Tip - After having initially created a target file, you can place it on as many pages as you would like. However, if you want to be able to resize the image differently on various pages, then you need to create a unique target file with its own name for each instance in which it is used. You can manage this task by copying and pasting the target file to another page, and then, in the Inspector palette, click the folder icon at the right end of the target input field. You'll be able to re-optimize and/or resize the image, rename it, and save the new version of the target file into your site.

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