Microsoft ships Web, content design tool betas

30.01.2006
Microsoft Corp. last week began distributing beta versions of two of the three applications in its upcoming Expression suite of Web and content-design software.

The fourth Community Technical Preview (CTP) version of Expression Graphic Designer, a painting and illustration tool, and the first CTP version of Expression Interactive Designer, which can help designers and developers build 3-D animation and graphics, are available for download from Microsoft's Web site.

Jered Cuenco is a Portland, Ore.-based multimedia developer at Avenue A/Razorfish, an interactive marketing and technology services unit of Seattle-based aQuantive Inc. He said that although the beta releases of Expression are rough, the tools offer some promise.

"Interactive Designer is clearly still in its infancy," said Cuenco, noting kinks in its workflow and complexity that make it difficult to learn. "Do I think that Interactive Designer is the killer of Macromedia Flash? No. Do I think that it is a direct competitor? Only somewhat."

The suite, which also includes Expression Web Designer, can be used by developers to transform graphics into Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) code for creating dynamic applications, according to Microsoft.

That capability should speed up workflow between designers and developers and eliminate the need for designers to use separate applications such as Macromedia Inc. 's Fireworks or Adobe Systems Inc.'s Photoshop, said Scott Stanfield, CEO of Vertigo Software Inc., a software developer in Richmond, Calif. Product Features