Work with layers and objects

Work with layers and objects

Layers divide a Fireworks document into discrete planes. A document can be made up of many layers, and each layer can contain many objects.

In Fireworks, the Layers panel lists layers and the objects contained in each layer. Using the Layers panel, you can name, hide, show, and change the stacking order of layers and objects, as well as merge bitmaps and apply bitmap masks. You can also add and delete layers using the Layers panel.

In this part of the tutorial, you’ll use the Layers panel to merge the two bitmap images. Then you’ll name the objects in your document. You’ll also use the Layers panel to change the stacking order of objects. Later in the tutorial you’ll use the Layers panel to apply a mask to the merged image.

Merge bitmaps 

  

Now that you’ve applied Live Effects to the background image, you will merge it with the grayscale car image to create a single bitmap.

1 If the Layers panel is minimized or isn’t visible, click its expander arrow or choose Window > Layers.

2 Click the thumbnail of the grayscale

car image in the Layers panel.

3 With the car image selected, click the Options pop-up menu icon at the upper right of the Layers panel.

4 Choose Merge Down. In the Layers panel, the two bitmap objects merge into one bitmap. In the Property inspector there are no longer any effects in the Live Effects list. This is because merging down combines the pixels of each bitmap and renders them uneditable as separate images. The Live Effects you apply to an object or bitmap are no longer editable after you perform a merge down with another bitmap.

Name objects

It’s always a good idea to name your objects so that you can easily identify them later. When a document gets large and contains many objects, it can be difficult to manage if your objects don’t have unique names. Here you’ll name the objects in your document using both the Layers panel and the Property inspector.

1 Double-click the word Bitmap beside the image thumbnail in the Layers panel. A text box appears.

2 Type Classic Car in the text box and press Enter. The new name is applied to the bitmap object.

3 In the Document window, select the gray rectangle that borders the document. If it’s too hard to see on the canvas, select it in the Layers panel. This time you’ll name an object using the Property inspector.

4 Type Border in the Object Name box of the Property inspector, and press Enter. The name you enter is also displayed beside the object thumbnail in the Layers panel. 

5 Enter a name for the remaining rectangle object using either the Layers panel or the Property inspector. Use any name you like, but be sure to choose a name that is meaningful so that you can easily identify and manage objects in the document later.

Change the object stacking order

The merged bitmap image overlaps the border object and the blue rectangle. The border and blue rectangle need to rest on top, so you’ll use the Layers panel to change the stacking order of objects in the document.

1 Click the thumbnail of the blue rectangle in the Layers panel to select it.

2 Drag it to the top of Layer 1, above the Classic Car thumbnail.

Note: The topmost layer in the Layers panel is always the Web Layer. You’ll learn more about the Web Layer in the “Web Design Basics Tutorial.”

As you drag, the pointer changes to reflect that you are dragging an object (Windows only). A dark line in the Layers panel indicates where the object will be dropped if you release the mouse button at that time.

3 Release the mouse button. The blue rectangle is dropped just above the bitmap object in the Layers panel. The stacking order of objects also changes on the canvas. The blue rectangle now overlaps the bitmap object and the border object.

4 You want the border object to be the topmost object, so select its thumbnail and drag it to the top of the Layers panel, above the blue rectangle.