GIF Animation Construction Kit

[dthomsen8]

As part of a college class I am taking, the instructor wants us to make an animated GIF using an unspecified GIF Animation Construction Kit. Anybody here know of such a kit, particularly one that is free or has a free trial period?

By the way, I do not intend to use any animated GIF images in any web site I create for real.

[Andrew B.]

I created a couple of animated GIFs using ImageReady, which comes with Photoshop. Do you have ImageReady?

[Kelvyn]

Animation Studio has been included with Paint Shop Pro for a number of years, so surely you have that? Otherwise there is a list of gif animator software here. (http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/gifanimationsoftware/)

[dthomsen8]

I created a couple of animated GIFs using ImageReady, which comes with Photoshop. Do you have ImageReady?

I don't have Photoshop, but I do have Paint Shop Pro. I will look in the help for a possible tool there.

[iamback]

Animation Studio has been included with Paint Shop Pro for a number of years, so surely you have that?Animation Shop? It's no longer part of the package though... Not sure when they stopped bundling it, probably after Corel took over. Animation Shop 3 was still included with PSP 8 though.

[annc]

I think your instructor is referring to GIF Construction Set (http://www.mindworkshop.com/alchemy/gifcon.html), a very capable application for Windows machines that does animated GIFS. It also does a neat job of creating .ico files, so if you're serious about web design it's worth having even if you never intend to create another animated GIF.

GIF Construction Set Pro costs only $24.99.


Oh, and while I still hate animated GIFs with a passion, one of my web sites is accessed largely by Gen Y users, and they have no objections whatever to animated GIFs – in fact, they love them! So I have had to allow them in ads, because the ad providers also know that they will sell to that group.

[iamback]

Oh, and while I still hate animated GIFs with a passion, one of my web sites is accessed largely by Gen Y users, and they have no objections whatever to animated GIFs – in fact, they love them!What is "Gen Y"?

[annc]

What is "Gen Y"?Generation Y – people aged between about 11 and 26. Younger than Gen X, who are younger than the baby boomers.

[iamback]

Generation Y – people aged between about 11 and 26. Younger than Gen X, who are younger than the baby boomers.Oh. Gosh. So "Generation Z" must already be growing up then?

[annc]

Oh. Gosh. So "Generation Z" must already be growing up then?I don't think the marketers have started targeting them yet. Or naming them if they have. What happens next, of course, will be interesting. Maybe the behavioural scientists will come up with a totally new term.

[Kelvyn]

Animation Shop? It's no longer part of the package though... Not sure when they stopped bundling it, probably after Corel took over. Animation Shop 3 was still included with PSP 8 though.Yes, it is no longer part of the package, but I seem to recall David having an older version of PSP.

Corel sell Animiation Shop as a separate program (http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Corel3/Products/Display) but I see you can also download a trial version.

[dthomsen8]

Yes, it is no longer part of the package, but I seem to recall David having an older version of PSP.

Corel sell Animiation Shop as a separate program (http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Corel3/Products/Display) but I see you can also download a trial version.

Kelvyn,

Your reply puts me on the right track. Thanks.

It turns out that Animation Shop 3.1 is installed along with PSP 8.1 on my WinXP computer, and Animation Shop 2.02 is installed along with PSP 6.02 with my Win98SE computer. The help in PSP 6.02 explains how to start Animation Shop from PSP. This technique also works in PSP 8.1, but that help doesn't mention how.

For the class assignment, I now need to create a WordArt text in three or more colors in MS Word, capture the images, and make them flow together in a GIF using PSP and Animation Shop. I like the PSP 6 much better than PSP 8, so I think I will start over there.

I have the thought that maybe I should create the WordArt image once, and change the colors in PSP. That will ensure that the images are aligned when they are in the animation.

[dthomsen8]

I don't think the marketers have started targeting them yet. Or naming them if they have. What happens next, of course, will be interesting. Maybe the behavioural scientists will come up with a totally new term.

Maybe after generation Z we will leap into Hebrew or Greek letters?

I still don't quite know what the present decade is called. The 70's are still remembered, but the 00's? Hmmm.

[dthomsen8]

I think your instructor is referring to GIF Construction Set (http://www.mindworkshop.com/alchemy/gifcon.html), a very capable application for Windows machines that does animated GIFS. It also does a neat job of creating .ico files, so if you're serious about web design it's worth having even if you never intend to create another animated GIF.

GIF Construction Set Pro costs only $24.99.

$24.99 is a lot more than I am willing to spend for one class assignment. As you can see above, it turns out that Paint Shop Pro has what I need, somewhat concealed, but there. See my posting above.

IRFANVIEW does .ico files, which I have done with success. See:
http://www.philadelphiacurves.com
for the little "C" as a favicon.