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Fireworks CS5 "automatically" resizes images to minuscule dimensions

Jul 23, 2012 8:07 AM

Tags: #resampling

I am having an odd issue in working with Fireworks PNGs from one of my subject matter experts. We have been using Fireworks since around 2000 so it's nothing new to us and it's been used in tens of thousands of images (we deliver eLearning to 70,000 people per year in 130 countries). We have 10 users and have been using it over a series of Windows machines over the years.

 

We use CS5 with Flash, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks and typically it all runs very smoothly. But a few months ago I would open one of her PNGs (layered, etc) and whether I made any changes or not when I re-open it it has been resampled to very small dimensions. For example, a 600 by 400 pixel image will display as 16 by 15 pixels.

 

This would happen with any of her images on several machines at work (*** CS5) and my home machine (CS5.5).

 

We had IT remove and then reinstall Fireworks CS5 on her machine and all was fine for two months. Now this weird thing is happening again. It must be some local configuration file that is getting altered. I am at my wit's end trying to solve this and the only workaround I have is to open her files in Photoshop which works fine (but is not ideal since only two MMDs have PS and we need to edit callouts done in Fireworks).

 

To recap - I open one of her images, close it, and reopen it and it resamples to very small and unsuable dimensions.

 

Has anyone ever seen this odd behavior?

 

Is there a config file I can delete and let the system rebuild? (I remember some flash issue, years ago, that was fixed like that).

 

Thanks!

846 Views   4 Replies   Latest reply: Joyce Evans Erb, Aug 5, 2012 6:25 AM
 
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  • groove25
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    1. groove25,
    Jul 23, 2012 10:46 PM   in reply to thorsweb
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    Here's a left-field idea: Is it somehow possible that you're opening a thumbnail image associated with the file rather than the file itself? (I suppose probably not, as a thumbnail wouldn't be layered...).

     

    If Fireworks is "automatically" resizing and resampling the image, when does it happen: when you close the file, or when you reopen it? (And have you verified the pixel dimensions within the Windows operating system before and after?) It's really hard to imagine such a process happening automatically within the application.

     

    Are the dimensional proportions of the file being retained? (From your example, it appears not: 600 by 400 does not reduce proportionally to 16 by 15.) Or do the files always reduce to a single size?

     

    What if you save the files to a new location and/or use Save As? Does the same problem occur?

     
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  • subQuark
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    2. subQuark,
    Aug 1, 2012 8:11 AM   in reply to groove25
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    Excellent questions! Thanks for your left-field ideas - this is a left-field issue!

     

    They seem to resize when closed but even if they are simply opened and closed without any changes and thus without actually saving. They do seem to always go down to the same size (not in proportion) and would be too small even as thumbnails (that was a good thought though).

     

    It may be indirectly due to Fireworks and be some combination of the operating system and/or other applications she may have installed such as Snag-It because a full uninstallation and installation of Fireworks takes care of the issue. It has happened twice and here's hoping it does not happen again.

     

    Saving the files as new files does not seem to help - she'll take her screenshots, paste them into Fireworks and then save the file to a remote server. I can open them from the server or take a copy locally, both result in the miniscule image after closing them. But only with her files. We have images from four other SMEs that don't do this "thing".

     

    If it happens again, I will more carefully observe the particulars you asked about.

     

    Thank you for your time and food for thought - I like left-field ideas - that's how we create new things in this world! =)

     
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  • subQuark
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    3. subQuark,
    Aug 1, 2012 8:12 AM   in reply to subQuark
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    Oops, I clearly have two Adobe IDSs!  I am also thorsweb and that is from way back in 1999! =D

     
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  • Joyce Evans Erb
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    4. Joyce Evans Erb,
    Aug 5, 2012 6:25 AM   in reply to subQuark
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    Boy, this is very odd. Is it happening only on screenshots? Is she taking them at 72 dpi and are you viewing at the same resolution? But if a reinstall takes care of it, that wouldn't be it....hmmm, thinking here:-) I have never seen such a thing (another old timer here)

     
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