Macromedia has announced the second generation of its MX product family. New releases of Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks and the newly introduced Flash MX Professional 2004 are set to ship in September. Significant enhancements include building blocks, dubbed "MX Elements," and a new user interface for Internet applications called "Halo."

Dreamweaver MX 2004 includes new and updated support for standards and server technologies such as secure FTP, ASP.NET and Cascading Style Sheets. Dreamweaver is a popular program among Web professionals for building sites and applications.

Macromedia Fireworks, a tool for designing and editing graphics, delivers modest improvements due to expanded integration into other MX products. The new release also incorporates additional design tools and effects for Web graphics.

"We built MX 2004 based on the incredible things our customers did and the feedback they provided along the way," said Rob Burgess, Chairman and CEO of Macromedia. "These new products and building blocks will give them the power to run with their creativity and take digital experiences to whole new levels."

A new addition to the MX suite, Flash MX Professional 2004 offers a development environment targeted toward experienced programmers. Flash MX Professional utilizes forms-based development, a method akin to application development in a language such as Microsoft Visual Basic.

"We also expect many users from our Flash community to utilize the new video and team workflow features of Flash MX Professional 2004. We can't wait to see what both existing and new Macromedia customers will accomplish when they run with the power of this exciting new tool," said Macromedia senior vice president, David Mendels.

Each Macromedia MX 2004 product shares consistent interface, design and development elements, in addition to product integration that enables developers to work more efficiently across multiple products.

MX Elements are a series of building blocks with interactive design patterns and behaviors that simplify interface development. The MX Elements for HTML and the MX Elements for Flash bring together a range of technologies such as components, templates, style sheets and behaviors. The MX Elements feature a distinctive look and feel called Halo.

Macromedia believes that Halo, inspired by the properties of light, "will make the digital world a brighter, friendlier place."