Image Optimization workflows deprecation in Dreamweaver

[Yalpi]

Hello All,

We are working on upgrading Dreamweaver core infrastructure to make use of the latest APIs & features introduced in latest MacOS & Windows versions.
This is to ensure Dreamweaver continues to remain compatible with latest MacOS & Windows versions and also to make use of the new improvements available for applications.

One of the Dreamweaver functionality which heavily depends on the older OS APIs is Image Optimization in Dreamweaver.
However on looking into the feature usage data, in-app image editing workflows usage in Dreamweaver has been quite low for the past few years. Number of users who had used the below listed workflows for more than once has been further low.
So after evaluating the effort involved in migrating these workflows to latest OS versions and the current low usage trend, we are deprecating Image Optimization workflows from our next release.

Impacted workflows
• PSD documents will not be supported in Insert Image workflow, instead you can externally generate an image in supported format like JPG, PNG and then insert into a document in Dreamweaver.
• Open original PSD file in Photoshop for an image used in web document
• Update/reset size of an image from original PSD file
• Crop/Resample an image
• Modify Brightness/Contrast/Sharpness of an image
• Edit image settings like format, quality, color palette, transparency, etc through Image Optimization window.
• Resample an image with different height & width and/or file format while downloading/inserting assets from CC Libraries panel

Please note, this will not impact the ability to select an image in Dreamweaver and jump to Photoshop or any external application for image editing from Properties Inspector as configured by you in Preferences for various file types.
This will also not impact in using assets from CC Libraries in their original file format & dimension.

Regards,
Yalpi Shiva Prasad

[Nancy OShea]

I never, ever used DW to optimize images. So this is fine with me.

[paulk7737514]

Didn't even know it existed.

[Paul-M]

Fireworks was the original and much more suitable companion app for Dreamweaver, might explain why PSD features are not used much.

[Ben M]

I never used this.  All image optimization is done outside in other editors.

[wbear]

"on looking into the feature usage data, in-app image editing workflows usage in Dreamweaver has been quite low for the past few years. Number of users who had used the below listed workflows for more than once has been further low."

So, just for my clarification, Dreamweaver (and presumably other Adobe titles) sends use information back to Adobe without our knowledge?

[Nancy OShea]

No.  User data is collected when you agree to it. 

You may opt in/out by logging-in to your Adobe Account portal.

https://account.adobe.com/privacy

[Gail5ECD]

Thanks for letting us know Yalpi,

It is a quick way of optimising images for smaller fixed sizes and has been very useful since the days of fireworks.

SVG and WebP images seem to be unavoidable. Is more support for these image types going to be improved?

[Liam Dilley]

For me this a conversation about managing content through Dreamweaver.

Having a whole site function through Dreamweaver with such features and updating etc is a concept thats well over 10 years old if not 20.

Today you should not really be running a website in this manner. Sure, if you want to use Dreamweaver to dev a website but content needs to be driven by a proper web solution.

You will either be using a CMS or headless CMS solution which have the content management platform in place. Take Umbraco for example. The content can support images which when uploaded can have customised optimised images as well as auto thumbnail generation and even for a client/content manager the means to mange the focal point of the image, cropping and more.

As a developer anything an icon should never be an image any more. Images that are kind of static like a logo should be scalable solutions - Any logo from me for example is always an SVG now and you often then can apply CSS/JS animation solutions for those graphic objects.

Just some thoughts to think about in regard to workflows. For me I am supprised people still use such an old workflow through Dreamweaver.

[Nancy OShea]

As a developer anything an icon should never be an image anymore. Images that are kind of static like a logo should be scalable solutions - Any logo from me for example is always an SVG now and you often then can apply CSS/JS animation solutions for those graphic objects.

=======

@Liam Dilley,

I totally agree with you.   Math-based SVGs are superior to pixel-based rasters in every way -- quality, flexibility, filesize, you name it. 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalable_Vector_Graphics

Font Awesome icons are another scalable option.  And the new pro version supports duotone icons.

https://fontawesome.com/

For those occasions when we must use rasters (product images, photography), if only DW had a modicum of support for the <picture> element and srcset attribute. For years we have asked for this but all we get is bupkis.

https://www.w3schools.com/tags/att_source_srcset.asp

Meanwhile, DW maintains support for end of life Flash & SWF  😞