Sometimes we do encounter unexpected errors or crashes in Fireworks.  One possible reason is due to damage preference files.  Here is an overview of steps what you can do to troubleshoot.

Follow the instructions below to restore preferences to the default settings.

Remove preferences on Mac OS

1. Quit Fireworks.
2. In the Finder, navigate to /Users/Your User Name/Library/Application Support/Adobe.
3. Rename the Fireworks application support folder: 

   Fireworks CS5.1: Rename the Fireworks CS5.1 folder to Old Fireworks CS5.1, for example. 

   Fireworks CS5: Rename the Fireworks CS5 folder to Old Fireworks CS5, for example. 

4. Navigate to /Users/Your User Name/Library/Preferences.
5. Rename the Fireworks preferences folder: 

   Fireworks CS5.1: Rename the Adobe Fireworks CS5.1 folder to Old Adobe Fireworks CS5.1, for example. 

   Fireworks CS5: Rename the Adobe Fireworks CS5 folder to Old Adobe Fireworks CS5, for example.

In Fireworks there are 3 types of slice mode - Foreground, Background and HTML.  HTML mode is use to add custom text or render html codes in a page.
You can also use this feature to build useful interactive components to enhance the experience for your prototypes.

Here is a quick snapsot of the steps you can do for yourself too. I use the javascript plugin from Chosen - http://harvesthq.github.com/chosen/

As we all know channels helps us to find the most contrast of an image to extract objects from the background.  We often go to Photoshop to perform this kind of tasks. Now with the Channels styles, you can do the same in Fireworks.  You will get exactly the same set of channels that you see in Photoshop.

Download the "Channel Styles" here
(The set contains of RGB channel each, Red & Blue channel, Green & Red channel and Blue and Green channel. Also includes the Alpha Channel and Desaturate)

Tutorial

Step 1:  Open an image you like to use

Step 2:  Duplicate the image

Step 3:  Apply Channel style on the duplicated image to get the best contrast

Step 5:  Flatten the duplicated image

Step 6:   Apply Level to futher enhance the contrast (more white in the background)

Step 7:   Lasso the area at the top to make a selection of the background area near her hair

Step 8:   Paint over with White Brush to remove the background completely

Step 9:   Magic Wand the white background to select the background

Step 11:  Choose "Convert Marquee to Path" to turn selection into a vector path shape. Since is a path object, you can modify the points using the awesome path panel with the subselection tool.

Step 12:  Now cut the path object

Step 13:  Add layer mask to the original photo

Hope you find the Channel Styles useful with photos.  Enjoy!

1. First, we draw a button on the four states: the "normal", "mouseOver", "mouseDown" and "unavailable".  These are also the object names which we will use later as button labels for the rich symbol.
   
   
   
   
2.  Next Align Vertical Center the 4 states so that they overlap each other. 
   
   
   
   
3. Then select all 4 states, and press the F8 key to open "Convert to Symbol" dialog window
   
4.  Enter name for the symbol, choose Graphic symbol and enable 9-slice scaling guides
   
   
5.  Enter symbol edit mode and add a text object and name it as "label"
   
6. Make sure the text object is within the safe area of 9-slice guide
7. Set the text object is align to Center in the Properties Inspector

8. Next go to Command menu and choose "Create Symbol Script"
9. In the "Create Symbol Script" dialog box, browse to the graphic symbol you just saved
   
10. Set the following properties as show
11. Done. Your Rich Button Symbol is created inside the Common Library, Custom folder.
12. Go and open the rich symbol jsf in a notepad
13. Paste the code given below and save the jsf.  This is to change the state properties into a dropdown
    
14. Now drag the button symbol to canvas and test the button

Open the jsf file and paste the code as shown

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switch (Widget.opCode){
case 1: setDefaultValues(); break;
case 2: applyCurrentValues(); break;
}

//Initialization function
function setDefaultValues(){
var values = new Array();

//Establish Label and State property, and to define the initial value;
values.push({ name:"Label", type:"text", value:"My Button" });
values.push({ name:"State", type:"ComboBox", value:"normal,normal,mouseOver,mouseDown,unavailable"});

//With built-in method to the current property gives the initial value;
Widget.elem.customData["currentValues"] = values;
}

function applyCurrentValues(){
//Get the current value
var vals = Widget.elem.customData["currentValues"];
//State the current status list entry to obtain the name
var state = vals[1].value.split(",")[0].toString();

//When an error is encountered can alert (); to Debug;
//alert(state);

//Based on user input to change the label value
Widget.GetObjectByName("label").textChars = vals[0].value;

//In the drop-down list, select the user to display or hide the corresponding button background image;
Widget.GetObjectByName("normal").visible = (state=="normal");
Widget.GetObjectByName("mouseOver").visible = (state=="mouseOver");
Widget.GetObjectByName("mouseDown").visible = (state=="mouseDown");
Widget.GetObjectByName("unavailable").visible = (state=="unavailable");
}

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