Using the Fireworks Help Menu

You can use the help menu to search for answers to your Fireworks questions. To access the help menu, select Help > Fireworks Help from the menu bar; alternatively, you can press <F1>, which displays the help system for almost every application in Windows. When the help menu opens, click either the Index tab or the Search tab at the top.

The Index tab functions exactly like the index in the back of a book: it allows you to search for predefined topics alphabetically. From the Search tab, you can search the entire help database by entering a few keywords; if you're new to Fireworks, this may be the best way to start.

Note, for example, that there is no predefined Index entry for the Crop tool in the help system included with version 7.0.2.295! (Hopefully, this will change in a future program update.)

If you type Cr within the Index tab, two entries appear: Crop command and cropping. A little sleuthing shows that double-clicking cropping: documents displays a description of the Crop tool.

Alternatively, if you type Crop tool within the Search tab and then hit <Enter> or click List Topics, several entries appear. Cropping a document discusses the use of the Crop tool; in fact, it is the same discussion as documents above.

As a general rule, if you are new to a program, using the Search tab may produce more helpful results than using the Index tab.

Last updated July 15, 2004
Contact: rit@calvin.edu