Hello, I'm very new at this. I'm confused by the very large number of software packages you offer. I will probably go with VSD to start, since I have no HTML programming experience. I can see that I will also have a need for Shopping Cart, Form Builder, Direct FTP, Website Access Manager, Site Mapper, Flash Menu builder, Website Font, Color Schemer, Style Sheet maker, Pix converter and Flash Website Search.

Do all of the above programs work with VSD? Or do some of them only work with HTML Editor? Can I use a VSD template and then go back and edit colors with Color Schemer? Maybe the better question is what programs are not compatible with each other?

Welcome, Newbie!
All of the CC programs are designed to be easily added into VSD. When you create something with another program - form, gallery..., it will generate all the code necessary for that item. In VSD there are tools in the menu bar to insert html and Flash. Depending on the program, you'll click on one of those to insert the item in your VSD page/site. You can also use those tools to insert scripts and code snippets from other sources. You'll find you have a lot of creative freedom with VSD.

Why don't you download the free trial version of VSD and try it out. There are some default themes/templates included in VSD, so you could try editing one and see what you think.

Hi,

In principle all the CC apps work together. But some work better than some others.

If you start with VSD, you may not need Direct FTP as VSD has a built-in FTP client. When it comes to the Style Sheet maker, it is a bit outdated now, and a much better and more updated style sheet editor is to be found in the HTML Editor. It also has a very nice CSS menu builder incorporated. So I would suggest that you take a good look at the HTML Editor because of those features, and also, as you get by, you might want to add something which actually needs a bit of code.
As for Color Scheemer, you don't 'edit' the colours with it, but the prog can come up with a good colour combination that you may want to use in VSD. You get a hexadecimal number that you have to insert in whatever page element you want to use it for.
Regarding Website font, you may not need it in VSD. It is meant to be used just for headings anyway, but in VSD you can turn headings into images, which means you can use any fornt you like.

Since all the CC apps can be downloaded and taken for a spin on trial basis, you really should do that and see which ones work for you and your purposes.

Slow typing again, Paintbrush?

Or this time I'm probably the slow typer...

Eating chocolate peanut butter cups Have to stop and wipe fingers off

I would also recommend getting the HTML Editor. I never thought I would bother with html/css, but once you get into building your site (and the addiction sets in ), there may be more you want to do with your site and the Editor makes working with html/css pretty painless - and it has that CSS menu maker!
....going into sugar overload now, can't think....

Newbie,

Just some words about VSD and HTML Editor again, to alert you to what you cannot do:

You can open any webpage created in VSD in the Editor, but not the other way around. If you use the Editor to modify something on a VSD created page, those changes will be gone once you open that page in VSD again.

Having said that, there is a workaround for most things, and you can insert various code bits from the Editor into VSD by using the 'HTML tool'. My point is, that any changes or imported bits and pieces have to be done within VSD, not outside.

Newbie, I would get both VSD and the Editor. I don't do much of my own coding but have found the HTML editor to be a very valuable tool. Once you get comfortable with VSD and you find your self in need of some code the editor makes it easy to tweak it to fit your needs.

Ok, so if I get VSD and HTML Editor, and use the Editor to create sections of code to insert back into VSD, does the Editor make it clear what code it has generated for the site, as in the CSS Menu Builder that is in the Editor?

Or should I just stop with the questions and download a trial version of the Editor and try it out

JeffH, When you generate your CSS menu in the HTML editor the code is very easy to distinguish if you use the quick start function. It will load the minimum amount of code to support the page. Once you make the basic page you can use the CSS menu maker to generate the code then you copy and paste it into VSD. Grab the trial versions and sit down and give them a try. I would use the trial VSD first for a few days to get comfy with the tools then download the editor. You'll have fun!