Media Lab Announces a New Easier Route From Photoshop Designs to Completed Web Pages

Innovative PhotoWebber Software Frees Web Developers & Designers for More Creative Time, Less HTML Drudgery

Longmont, CO -- (May 1, 2000)-- The long, painful process of getting beautifully designed graphics into a web page just got easier and faster. New PhotoWebber software from Media Lab, Inc., automates the process of converting a layered Photoshop file into individual graphics files and HTML code. The result is a robust, interactive web page complete with links, buttons and rollovers.

Tasks that used to keep web developers up all night now take only seconds. If the client decides to change the background color or another core element, designers won't have to go back to square one with hours of re-programming. A few simple clicks translate the revised design into fresh HTML code. In the early stages of a project, the designer can see exactly how the web page will look on the Internet without handing off the layout to a programmer or investing hours coding the page himself. PhotoWebber makes it easy to try out ideas and explore options without running up huge costs.

"PhotoWebber lets web designers focus on creative work and avoid the drudgery of building web sites," said Chris Perkins, CEO of Media Lab. "Web developers will appreciate the way PhotoWebber keeps projects on time and in budget."

Resolves Many Web Design Problems

For most designers, Adobe Photoshop has become a "significant-other," an indispensable tool of the trade. But problems arise when the designer tries to transfer a Photoshop file to the Internet. A lot of information can be lost in the conversion process including layers, anti-aliasing, transparency and positioning of elements on the page. This forces the designer or Web programmer to spend valuable time rebuilding much of what they have already created.

PhotoWebber solves this dilemma by automatically converting layered Photoshop files into a folder of graphics files in .gif, .jpg or .png format along with the HTML code to display them. PhotoWebber maintains the integrity of the original Photoshop design with no loss of information.

"Preserving certain elements like positioning, compositing and anti-aliasing of the graphics is nearly impossible using traditional methods," said Tom Summerall, president of Media Lab. "While other applications can export individual graphics, they lose key information like the alpha-channel, or exactly where a graphic should be positioned on the screen. PhotoWebber is the first tool that eliminates these problems."

More Features to Make Web Page Design Easier

Automatically calculates layer compositing and anti-aliasing
Allows switching between table (HTML) and style sheet (DHTML) output at any time
Supports drag-and-drop frame creation at any time
Creates interactive buttons automatically
Automates JavaScript button rollovers and pop-ups
Converts solid background layers to web page background colors
Outputs text layers as either text or graphics on the web page
Works within existing site organization and content

The "Back-Seat Driver" Warns of Browser-Related Problems

PhotoWebber also features an innovative Interactive Warnings Window that spots and logs incompatibilities with different web browsers, then takes the added step of offering suggestions for the best fix. For instance, PhotoWebber may display an alert that Netscape 4 doesn't support a particular type of border. Instead of disallowing the use of the border and stopping work, the Interactive Warnings Window simply adds it to a list of errors and suggested fixes. PhotoWebber's Interactive Warnings Window acts like a well-mannered back-seat driver, offering helpful suggestions and advice without imposing unwanted restrictions.

Compatible with Many Popular Design Applications and HTML Editors

PhotoWebber works with any graphics program that can save files in layered Photoshop format. Many applications on the market support this format such as Photoshop 3 or later including LE; Corel Photo-Paint; Jasc Paint Shop Pro; and MetaCreations Painter.

Web pages produced by PhotoWebber can be edited with any HTML editor such as Macromedia Dreamweaver, Adobe GoLive, BBEdit, or Microsoft FrontPage.

Java Makes It Hip-Hop and Happening

The underlying technology behind PhotoWebber combines the Internet savvy of Java programming with the cheetah-like speed of C. Java technology brings interactivity to the user interface and enables PhotoWebber to run equally well on either the PC or Macintosh platform. C programming gives speed and power to the core engine. Java is included with the install package and must be running on the user's system in order to run PhotoWebber.

System Requirements

To run on a PC, PhotoWebber needs Windows 95/98 or NT/2000, a pentium or higher processor, 32 MB RAM, and 30 MB free hard disk space. On a Macintosh, PhotoWebber requires System 7.6.1 or higher, a Power PC or higher processor, 32 MB RAM, and 30 MB free hard disk space.

Price and Availability

PhotoWebber will be available in the second quarter of 2000. Advanced orders can be placed now on the company's web site at www.medialab.com or by phone at 800-282-5361. Price for the downloadable version is $199 US. The product can also be purchased on CD_ROM for $249 US plus shipping. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted. A downloadable, trial version will also be available on the web site when the product ships. For more sales information, contact pw-sales@medialab.com.

About Media Lab

Based in Longmont, Colorado, Media Lab, Inc., is a privately-held publisher of software used by graphics and web designers to develop multimedia and web sites. Media Lab's multimedia design tools have been used to create many pioneering special effects seen at the EPCOT Center at Disney World in Florida, in numerous music videos and in motion pictures such as Batman and Robin, Air Force One, and Armageddon. These tools, widely regarded as indispensable for the serious user of Macromedia Director, have established Media Lab as the leading developer of plug-ins for Director.

Recently, Media Lab has turned its attention to creating tools that make it easier and less expensive for businesses to build effective web sites. PhotoWebber is the first in this series. Media Lab can be reached via the web site at www.medialab.com, by email at pw-sales@medialab.com, by phone at 800-282-5361 or 303-774-0353, and by fax at 303-485-9069.

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