NetObjects Fusion 8 Starting from Scratch Lee Underwood
Starting from Scratch
For those who are more experienced – or more daring – new websites can be created from scratch. Using the WYSIWYG editor simplifies the process. The user will have to create the design and layout, but there are templates and style packages to make it easier.
While the User's Guide is very comprehensive, for those of us that don't like to read manuals it's also possible to poke around the program in classic trial and error fashion and manage quite well. The menus are laid out in a clear and orderly manner, with tips and explanations helping to uncover what each one does. (And if too much damage has been done, there's always the "Undo" button.)
Additional helpful commands are available from a right-click menu. This is where the user can add those little touches that tighten-up the site and make
it distinctive.
After the initial site is created, all of the extras can now be added. Aside from the easy setup features, NetObjects Fusion offers some great advanced features that provide much of the real innovation in the software. Some of these are new and some have been tweaked to optimum power. The only way to really get a grasp of the magnitude of this software is to get in the driver's seat and go, full speed ahead!
Creating Tables
Many designers today are using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to create tables instead of HTML coding. There are many books written about the subject. However, there are still many designers who have trouble laying out tables in HTML code.
The new Table Properties interface in NetObjects Fusion helps to simplify this task. Just click on the Table Properties tool on the Standard Menu at the top and click on the web page where you want the box. A properties box will appear. Here, you can specify the number of columns and rows, the cell padding and spacing, and the size of the table. The width and height of the table can also be set to auto.
Dragging the edges of the table to the desired shape will also set the size. Selecting a cell and then right-clicking provides access to the cell properties. Here, all the details pertaining to the font (type, size, attribute, alignment, link) and the cell itself (alignment and background) can be set. Then, just enter the data in the table and it's done. It's almost foolproof!
Inserting Media
Many websites today are using media presentations to enhance their presence on the web. Media formats such as Flash, Shockwave, QuickTime, RealVideo/Audio, and others can be added to the web pages using NetObjects Fusion in a fairly simple process. The program won't actually create the multimedia files, but it can provide a direct link to many different types of media for use on your site.
