Creating Animated GIFs

**Moden** · #1 (**permalink**) 07-10-03, 09:06 AM

This question seems to come up a lot, so I'll stick this for now. Basically, you have three kinds of images on the internet - GIFs, JPEGs, and PNGs. JPEGs are good for pictures because they can store a lot of colors with minimal file size but, depending on their compression, can look crappy. PNGs are typically used only for posting final copies of work that is to be printed or something, they are very large but have no limits. GIFs are limited to 256 colors and get pretty large in file size if the image is too big. However, they're prefect for small icons. GIFs also have the unique ability to be animated.
Photoshop, as wonderful as it is, can not animate GIFs. You'll need a separate program for that. If you have a Mac, try GIFBuilder; if you use Windows try Babarosa GIF Animator. Both are pretty simple to use and have some neat extra features, but I'll just go through the basics here. (Edit: A lot of you probably have Adobe ImageReady, as it comes with later versions of PhotoShop. I don't have much experience with it, but it can also animate GIFs, as noted further down in the thread.

)
The four main things you'll need to know are the Frame Disposal Meathod, Frame Delay, Frame Transparency, and Loop. The FDM is what each particular frame does when the next one comes up. There are four choices - Unspecified, Do Not Dispose, Revert To Background and Revert To Previous. If you feel like tinkering around with these settings to get files size down you can, but for the most part just choose Do Not Dispose and you'll be fine. If you notice extra crap showing up behind frames in the final GIF, go back and chose Revert To Background. (You need to do this for each frame.)
Frame Delay is quite simple. If tells the computer how long to keep each frame on the screen. This value is typically measured in 1/100ths of a second, so if you want a frame to show up for one second, you would type in 100. For a nice smooth looking animation, you'll probably want to set it to somewhere from 4 to 10. Once again, this needs to be done for each frame - that way, you can have some frames show longer than others. If you leave this value blank, the computer will simply try to play the frame as fast as it can, which typically looks bad.
Frame Transparency determines if the frame has any transparency. (Rocket science!) Basically, if you want a frame to have a backgound that "shows through" to the page, you make the background a color not used in the picture (say, bright pink). You then set the transparency to that color. This feature is also independant to each frame.
Finally, you have the Loop setting. This one is self-explanitory - you can either have the GIF play once and stop (no loop), loop forever, or loop a set number of times.
That's it!

-david-

**AdamantiumKnot** · #2 (**permalink**) 07-21-03, 01:15 PM

**ryanrule** · #3 (**permalink**) 08-03-03, 06:58 PM

ok, can someone help me with this, gifs dont animate on my comp, the used to , but not any mopre, cant think of anything i did that would cause this. i have xp pro

**AdamantiumKnot** · #4 (**permalink**) 08-04-03, 02:10 AM

what program and file formats are you working with?

**ryanrule** · #5 (**permalink**) 08-06-03, 06:02 PM

i mean anywhere, like here in internet explorer. i assume those pictures u posted are animated gifs, but they dont animate, all i see is the first frame

**ryanrule** · #6 (**permalink**) 08-13-03, 11:06 AM

**AdamantiumKnot** · #7 (**permalink**) 08-13-03, 11:47 AM

i dunno why they're not working for you, they've been working for everyone else i showed them to.

**ryanrule** · #8 (**permalink**) 08-13-03, 05:22 PM

i know, that was my question, no gif animations anywhere work for me, i was wonderin of anyone knew a setting that i may hve touched or sumthin

**AdamantiumKnot** · #9 (**permalink**) 08-14-03, 01:14 AM

not a clue, sorry.

**AdamantiumKnot** · #10 (**permalink**) 08-19-03, 06:03 PM

just made a new one

**ryanrule** · #11 (**permalink**) 08-21-03, 12:32 AM

this sucks

Cammed90Notch · #12 (**permalink**) 08-21-03, 11:28 PM

Can't I use Adobo Image Ready?

**AdamantiumKnot** · #13 (**permalink**) 08-22-03, 12:52 PM

care to clarify that statement?

Cammed90Notch · #14 (**permalink**) 08-22-03, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamantiumKnot

care to clarify that statement?

I was asking if I could use ImageReady to create animated gifs?

**AdamantiumKnot** · #15 (**permalink**) 08-22-03, 10:27 PM

yes you can. it's my program of preference

Cammed90Notch · #16 (**permalink**) 08-23-03, 12:00 AM

so how do you do it w/ ImageReady?

Thanks

**AdamantiumKnot** · #17 (**permalink**) 08-23-03, 09:56 AM

import a .avi file or go and make an image with layers then create animation from layers.

EvilPopTarts · #18 (**permalink**) 08-24-03, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanrule

i know, that was my question, no gif animations anywhere work for me, i was wonderin of anyone knew a setting that i may hve touched or sumthin

With your browser open go to tools, then internet options.. Click on the advanced tab. Go down under multimedia and make sure the box is checked that says show animations.