Review: Media Labs PhotoWebber 1.0.2

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by Don Herion

(4/5 Geeks)

Have you ever stared a deadline in the face like a deer looking down the headlights of a truck? You've created this dynamite web page in Photoshop but it has to be online yesterday if not sooner. You think, if only there was only a tool that could take my cool Photoshop layout, layers and all, and convert it into a fully functional Web page with rollover effects in five minutes. Well, I have one word for you, 'PhotoWebber.'

Medialabs, the developer of PhotoWebber, had one goal in mind, empower Web designers to convert native Photoshop files (.psd) into simple or complex Web pages with the click of a few buttons. They achieved their goal and then some. This program is fun, easy to use and very fast.

.PSD is the Way
The first step is to build your Web page in Photoshop or any other program that can output .psd files. This includes Adobe Illustrator for example. Create or import all graphics you need in your graphics program, including rollover images. Save your design in a .psd format.

HTML - 123
Now start PhotoWebber. You can create a new Web document using one of two formats. If your audience uses older browsers, you choose 'Table Alignment.' If you want to design for newer browsers you take 'Style Sheet Alignment.' Now import the .psd file and every layer in your design is preserved in the 'Layers' Palette. As you can see the palette is very similar to Photoshop's layer palette.

Rollover This
You can now quickly assign image rollover effects in the 'Properties' palette. You select the 'button' tab, choose the appropriate 'Layer' image from the drop down menu and click the 'Preload' checkbox. Click the 'IMG' tab and you can assign a hyperlink and target frame. Very easy and no hand coding necessary.

Build it and HTML will Come
You can still import individual graphic files (.psd, .gif and .jpg) to add to your design. At anytime you can preview your design in any browser, allowing you to make final adjustments. When you are ready to create your Web page you go - Build - All - and PhotoWebber builds your Web page, exporting your html and supporting graphic files into a 'root directory.' It's that simple. You don't have to create a table layout, import graphics or write any JavaScript.

Warning Will Robinson
A powerful support feature in PhotoWebber is their 'Warning' window. If PhotoWebber sees a potential problem when you preview or build your Web page a detailed alert message appears in the window.

PhotoWebber is not Dreamweaver
PhotoWebber is not a HTML editing program like Dreamweaver or Homesite. You can only access the code using a standard text editor after you have built the page(s). From what I have seen (I opened a Web page in Dreamweaver) the output code is clean.

Other Features:
Convert solid background layers to Web page background colors
Outputs text layers as either text or graphics
Allows drag and drop frame creation at anytime
Supports converting .psd layers into DHTML layers
Allows switching between tables and style sheet output
Produces clean DHTML code without conflicts in Netscape and IE
Incorporate existing HTML into a PhotoWebber using Placeholders
Supports relative alignment and sizing
Saves Photoshop layers as composited graphics
Work with existing site structure and organization

Last Word
Medialabs calls PhotoWebber, the shortest distance between Photoshop and the Web. It's an apt description of this fun, easy to learn program. But as I stated above, PhotoWebber will not replace your Web editing program. But it is an excellent conduit from Photoshop to your Web editor. Test it out for yourselves. Medialabs offers a free trial version that is fully functional other than it outputs graphics with Medialab watermarks.

Visit the MediaLab Web site to learn more

Estimated Pricing:

CD Version: $249.00
Internet: $199.00

System Requirements:

Windows 95/98, NT, and 2000
Pentium Processor
32 Mb Ram
30 Mb of hard disk space
CD-ROM or Internet Connection

Macintosh System 8.1 or Better
PowerPC Processor
32 Mb Ram
30 Mb of hard disk space
CD-ROM or Internet Connection