Mortensen | We Like It Simple

Fireworks has an API wich makes it highly extensible via new panels and, most importantly, commands. We find this extremely useful, it's possible to create custom actions using a particular extension of the JavaScript language, or emulate functions available in other applications of the Creative Suite.

Mortensen brings you Isolate, a series of commands made for previous Illustrator users, althought it's also useful for the ones that never touched it. We used to work with it and there were a pair of really useful functions: Lock/Hide objects and Unlock/Unhide objects (accesible via keyboard shortcuts). Based on some of the commands available in the Object 1.0 extension by Aaron Beall, Isolate provides advanced functions to work comfortably with a particular set of selected (or unselected) layers. This are the functions you'll find in the package:

• Hide Unselected Objects and Lock Unselected Objects: This is the untouched versions of the commands included in the Aaron's set. This are pretty self-explanatory, select an object, run the command, and all unselected objects will hide or lock.
• Hide Selected Objects and Lock Selected Objects: We added this for the those nostalgic Illustrator users (like me), also quite self-explanatory, hides or locks selected layers when called.
• Unhide Previously Hidden Objects and Unlock Previously Hidden Objects: This is a modified version of the commands included in the Objects set. We loved how Illustrator handles unlock/unhide objects just because it inmediatelly selects them after running the commands, and that's how this works now.

How to install

First of all download the Isolate package, unzip it and place the unpacked folder in Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Fireworks/Configuration/Commands if you are a Windows user, or in Applications/Adobe Fireworks CS4/Configuration/Commands if you are on a Mac.

Now you just have to open Fireworks, and you'll find Isolate under the Commands menu.

Download Isolate