APOGEE PHOTO MAGAZINE: Software Review, GoLiveCS

Software Review: GoLive CS - Master Web Site Designing

By Paul W. Faust

In November of 2001, I did a review on the Adobe GoLive 5 web design program, using my own web site as an example of how well it worked. I’ve been using Adobe web design programs ever since the introduction of PageMill, their first one, and I’ve been impressed with each new version. GoLive CS is, by far, the best upgrade yet and the easiest to use to create web pages.

If you’ve used Adobe's web design programs before, you already know that once you have the basics down, creating a simple web page (a page with photo images, information text such as titles and descriptions, and page links) is easy. From there on, GoLive CS just gets better and better, offering all kinds of fancy features you can add on as you go.

My simple home page is clean and organized and tells the viewer what I
have and do. More information can be found on the other web pages.

GoLive CS is a WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) program. For the newer computer users, that means all you have to do is put items on a page, and the program writes the HTML code for it. HTML code is the computer language behind the magic. I don't have a clue as to how it works, which is the main reason I chose this program to create my web site. True, you would have more control over the ways things work in your site if you created it using only the code method. However, in the time it would take you to learn HTML code, a whole new software version will be out, and probably doing what you wanted to do, anyway.

What kinds of things can you create for your web site? Just about anything you can find on any other web site. Rollovers are a very popular feature to find on most sites these days. A rollover happens when you move the curser over an image or text, and it changes to another image or text. It’s a great feature when used in the right places, and it saves you from having to create a new page for the second item. Another great option a lot of designers use is split frame windows. In split frame windows, you can have one subject--such as an index--on the left, and whatever you click on appears on the right. Split frame windows are great for photographers, because they can have small thumbnails on one side and the enlargement of the same image on the other side.

The new GoLive CS has ten new features (see left), and if you use other Adobe programs like PhotoShop, you’ll find it easy to work between them. Create a file in PhotoShop, Illustrator, or any other Adobe program, call it "Smart Objects" and work on it in GoLive. Another great time-saver is the "component tool.” Create a component page for your main links, and everything on it will work the same way no matter where you put it. Use the component page for your navigation bar, add links to each piece of text (like the one that goes to your "Bio"), and all you have to do is "copy" that text to other pages. Your link goes right along with the text. It doesn't matter if you copy the whole navigation bar line of text or just one word from that line.

Whenever you create a new web site in GoLive, you create a two-part "site window” for it. That window holds all of your individual web pages, a folder for all the image gif files, and groups of folders for all of the other items GoLive uses for the site. It also shows the status of each part, including missing files like image gifs, orphan files that a web page can't find, and much more. In addition, you no longer have to create a site map by hand to lay out your site and organize how your pages link together. There is a diagram tool that does all that for you as you place pages in it. Then, as you "submit" it, all of those pages are created inside the "site" window for you to manipulate.

There is no way I can detail everything you can do and create with GoLive CS. However, if you plan on creating your own web site, and doing all of the work yourself, then GoLive is one of the easiest ways you’ll find to do the job. Here are a few tips from my experience to get you started:

First, start out with a design that is as simple as possible. Use a home page title, some sample images to show what you shoot, and as little text as you need to say what you do. (The second illustration from my home page will show what I mean.) Also, don't get fancy to start with. You can always add fancy stuff later on as you learn the program. Become proficient with the basics first, and then improve your pages as you go. You’ll be making a lot of changes as you create the design and the pages, so make a new page for those changes and compare it to your original page to see which you like best. Then you can trash the loser. You can also just move that page to an outside "hold" folder, in case you might want to use it later for something else. At this point, you’ll appreciate another neat feature of GoLive. As you make changes to your pages in the site window, all you have to do is "refresh" the site, and the site is updated. You won't believe how much time this little feature saves.

Adobe GoLive CS is a part of the Creative Suite Premium set. You can buy it separately or in combination with all of the programs. The set also includes Illustrator CS, InDesign CS, and Photoshop CS. The set sells for $899.99 U.S. street price. The GoLive CS street price is $399. For more information on GoLive and other Adobe programs go to www.adobe.com.

GoLive is fairly easy to learn, but if you want extra help catching on to it, there are two very good training aids on the market. The first is the well-known Classroom in a Book series from PeachPit Press. This text presents a full tutorial on everything GoLive does, and it teaches using hands-on techniques. The CD that accompanies the book has all of the materials you’ll need to complete a training web site. The book retails for $45-US. You can check it out at www.peachpit.com/.

Another great training item is a set of DVDs from Total Training. With these, you can either just watch how a web site is created as the instructor goes through it step-by-step, or you can use the materials included and create the site as you watch. The GoLive CS DVD is divided into nine sections, each of which last from 8 to 25 minutes. You can pause anywhere along the way, reverse, or skip around to do the lessons in any order you choose. The Total Training DVD set is only slightly more expensive ($49.99-US) than Classroom in a Book. Check it out at www.totaltraining.com/ .