Web pages and such...

[0 Kilz:M:]

Sup guys/gals, Im just a bit curious as to what apps you use for making websites...Im uber noob to this but would like to design something small but powerful, any help or guidance will be appreciated. I have dreamweaver, flash, photoshop...is that enough? And where oh where do i start...

thanks for any help or suggestions...kilz

[Toxic::Joka]

The simplest trick (pretty much the only one i know)  

Do the layout in Photo Shop, arrange all the stuff how you want it...

Make the whole thing into a big jig-saw puzzle by dragging guides to the edges of all the elements..eg. buttons and various grafics.

Import the thing to Image Ready and make the guides to slices, then save them all optimized (takes less space).

Then just make a table in DreamWeaver (with as many rows and columns as there were in PhSh eg. 7x8)...then all you do is put them all in their own places and you have a somewhat ok site

I did this site pretty much like described:
www.freewebs.com/jokakutihuti

Theres still some fine tuning before/in the middle of/after/ that, but this is the too_lazy_to_write_more_cause_im_hung_over_version
 

Hope this helped alittle  

[|MP|Buccaneer]

You have everything you need for the most part Kilzo.  Dreamweaver to make the site, Flash if you want to go that way, and Photoshop for the graphics.  The only thing you are missing is mysql if you are going to make it a big, dynamic php based site.  

But since you seem to be just starting, I'd forget about that and just start with Dreamweaver.  Use the tables, insert some nice graphics, get a feel for it.  Then start adding things like rollover images and sounds (or whatever else you are into).  

Best advise I can give you is start with a paper and pencil.  Figure out what pages you want, what info on them, before hand, so you will have a "site map" going before building it.

On the other hand, if you want to go big out of the box, and have a web host that supports PHP or CGI and mysql, you can set up something quick and powerful with phpnuke or postnuke, etc.  Those are dynamic modules that you can customize to make your site quickly and they are nice and powerful.  You wont learn much, but you'll have a decent site.  Depending on your goal / needs.

[*DAMN Hazard]

Kilzo it is better not to use WYSIWYG website apps like dreamweaver and use Html instead. Here is a great site on beginning Html. It even has a sample space where you cant test stuff and really get a feel for html. http://computer.howstuffworks.com/web-page2.htm

[Snipes]

Well, my web aplications suck, I use Adobe Pagemill 3.0 , its good for making small home pages and such.. Then I use Canvas 5 for art. It's almost as good at Adobe Photoshop..

 

[Big Avatar and why again?]

I say if you  use an avatar image bigger than 64x64, you simply get banned  take off that big ass picture with the lame canvas artwork snipey that shit sucks and you suck at making pics and kilzo should take his big ass image off too it makes the page load slower and its not needed or wanted so take it off for everybodys sake

[Toxic::Joka]

I say if you  use an avatar image bigger than 64x64, you simply get banned  take off that big ass picture with the lame canvas artwork snipey that shit sucks and you suck at making pics and kilzo should take his big ass image off too it makes the page load slower and its not needed or wanted so take it off for everybodys sake

must say I agree...alittle common curtesy please

[Typhy]

I say if you  use an avatar image bigger than 64x64, you simply get banned  take off that big ass picture with the lame canvas artwork snipey that shit sucks and you suck at making pics and kilzo should take his big ass image off too it makes the page load slower and its not needed or wanted so take it off for everybodys sake

must say I agree...alittle common curtesy please

Agreed.

[kos.viper]

www.geeklog.net is also another site that allows you to build a quick site that can be dynamically updated.  You can also choose several different themes to use.

For Dreamweaver, I would suggest buying a tutorial book to learn the program.  It's really the best way to learn the whole program.

[|MP|Buccaneer]

I say if you  use an avatar image bigger than 64x64, you simply get banned

The point is valid, but not your size.  I think YABB is set up for 96 wide, not 64.  So 96x96 would be normal.

Note the size of Mauti or the other DAMN members icons.  something like 80x112.

But, the point is still valid, the icons need to be downsized to not throw off the tables.

[bronto]

i learned HTML off of www.webmonkey.com and they also have this sexy tag cheat sheet http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/reference/html_cheatsheet/

[Mr. Lothario]

     Probably the best way to go is to spend a couple of weeks studying and practicing HTML. Code your pages in a text editor. Once you've got a firm grip on the fundamentals, that's the time to start using the automated HTML generators like DreamWeaver. That way, if DW does something you don't want, or generates extraneous code, or etc., you will know what is wrong and how to fix it.

[Jeb]

mb i can provide  a bit of professional advice here...
I'm working an intern at a digital media company, and i mostly build sites (not design them). Photoshop is the main app used in the creative process, for things like making different designs and having them approved for production by a client. Once its approved then a bit of slicing is done in photoshop (not the full blown site export like joka is talking about). Then the site is recreated as much as possible using html, using dreamweaver. Once that is done you start building the site and sub pages from a map of the site, then gather content and assets from the client.
Aside from Photoshop and Dreamweaver... i use nothing else. Those two apps can easily handle everything you need to do, even from a professional standpoint.

Its important to get a good base in html, the best thing you can do is buy a programers reference for html (even though its not considered programing).

also, use never resort to flash, when you can do the same thing in javascript.

after html check out CSS (cascading style sheets)

[0 Kilz:M:]

Fine fine fine, I'll take the pic off...

Thanks for all your responses, I never wanted to put up a site unless it kicked ass...so i will be studying and practicing, hopefully when I make it public you will all enjoy it...oh, and how would i make animation in javascript, seems flash would just be more practical?

[jn.loudnotes]

how would i make animation in javascript, seems flash would just be more practical?

If you have ImageReady, you can create animated gifs there, with no need for javascript or flash.  And using JavaScript you can make basic animations like rollover buttons or an image that changes every once in a while.  But for a really long animation Flash would probably be best.  (unless you want to learn a programming language like the ones used in online games)

Also, I'd agree with loth.  You really need a strong knowledge of html to properly use any editor like Dreamweaver.  However, one more interesting way to learn HTML than tedious hand-coding is to go look at other people's sites.  Don't plagiarize, obviously, but take isolated elements and plug them into your WYSIWYG editor and see what they do.  It's a great way to learn how to use just about anything.  And when you come across something cool in a site, don't be afraid to see how it was done.

[Jeb]

There is a cloud of bullshit surrounding animated gifs, mostly because they helped start the "punch the monkey and win 100million$" banner ads, and other annoyances. Use flash if you need to make an animation.

Kilzo, you can't really animate things in javascript, you can make rollovers, and different imagestates. You'd need to know some actionscript to make anything in flash, but the good news is that once you learn one macromedia program like dreamweaver, its no problem to pick up any of their others.

also, a great website to shows what poor design is, and what not to do, would be the AK site (snipey relinquished his crown with the sgt site).

[*DAMN Hazard]

I suggest using Dreamweaver and having it so you can view what your doing and the code so you can see how things are done and set up in the html area. I use Dreamweaver but the html for some stuff just because its easier.

If you really need help you can msg me and I will try to help you with what your doing.