Facts about rotating in GA5 when you are making an animation

Gif Animator Facts

Rotating

Author: Edna Munn

Software: PhotoImpact-all Version and Gif Animator (GA 5)

Title: Rotating/Grow/Shrink an Object in GA5

Skill Level: Beginner

FACT: If you want to rotate or Grow/Shrink an object in GA 5, you first have to right-click/duplicate object so that you can rotate/grow/shrink the object without it affecting the position of the Object in the previous frame.

Description: The rule for Rotating or Grow/Shrink in GA5 is............ if you want to rotate to a different position or Grow/shrink your object, then you must duplicate the object in the "Object Manager". If you don't then the object in your previous frame will also rotate or Grow/Shrink.

For the purpose of demonstrating this FACT we will make a turning gear shape with a 3 frame animation. We will also insert a 3 frame smiley to make it more fun.

Supplies Needed: PhotoImpact (any version) and a copy of Gif Animator ( up to PhotoImpact Version 12, GA was a free package, sadly it is no more) Free Trial Crazy Crow font HERE

Parts needed: 2 gear shapes drawn in PI and saved as a UFO or a PSD

Gears

Open your PhotoImpact Program.

File/New/New Image (I used 263 x 274) size up to you.

Click on your path drawing tool, select the Gear icon and draw out a Gear 112 x 112 or there about, Whatever colour you like with a black border of 1. I have 12 selected in the "set number of sides or convex points" drop down list.

Right-Click and Duplicate your 112 x 112 Gear shape.

Move your Gear Shape up (or down) and make sure that one of the spokes is into the corner of the other gear shape, as in the screenshot below.

R/Click/Select all Objects then R/Click again and this time select Convert Object Type/From Text/Path to Image. This will make the black border around the circles and ovals permanent.

File/Save As/UFO or PSD (for those that can't open UFO's in GA 5).

Animate The Gears

Open your GA 5 and navigate to the folder that has your saved UFO or PSD click on your file, then click on OK.

Click on the Duplicate Frame(s) icon.

Highlight both your gear shapes in the "Object Manager", Right-click/Duplicate Objects.

Close the eye on the bottom 2 gear shapes.

Select the Transform tool in the Toolbar and click on the rotate icon.

Highlight the top gear shape

Type 10 in the "Rotate by Degree" box.

With the top gear shape layer highlighted click on the rotate Clockwise icon (on the right) Once!

Highlight the next layer down and click on the Rotate Counter Clockwise icon (on the left) Once!

Click on the Duplicate Frame(s) icon.

Highlight the top 2 layers again and then Right-Click/Duplicate Objects

Now close the eyes of the 3rd and 4th layer and leave the top 2 layers with eyes open.

Highlight the top layer and click on the rotate Clockwise icon (on the right) Once!

Highlight the next layer down and click on the Rotate Counter Clockwise icon (on the left) Once!

that is basically it, click on your preview tab and see how the gears turn, not bad for a 3 frame animation!!

We are now going to add this smiley to the animation so Right-click on it and Save to your computer.

Click on your first Frame in the Storyboard (This is important) and then go to File/Add Image or click on the Add Image icon.

Navigate to were you have saved your smiley grab it and then click OK.

The smiley will appear usually in the top right corner.

If you look at your Working Space window you will see dotted lines around all parts of the smiley, this means that all layers (3) are highlighted.

Very gently click on the smiley and move it to near the top of your top gear shape.

Now go to Frame/Synchronise Objects Across Frames, make sure that Active Objects and All Frames are selected in the pop out, Click OK.

Click on your preview tab and see what you think...............need to move the smiley a tad??

While the 3 layer smiley is still highlighted, move its position and once again Frame/Synchronise Objects Across Frames, make sure that Active Objects and All Frames are selected in the pop out, Click OK.

We are now going to crop the wasted space around the animation so

Select the Rectangular Selection tool

Draw out a selection quite close to your image go to Edit/Crop Canvas.

Highlight the 3 frames, Right Click/Frame Properties and in type 12

Click on the Preview Tab and run your animation, if you like it Click on the Optimize Tab and then on save

File/Optimization Wizard.

Grow/Shrink Fact

The Grow/Shrink Fact is demonstrated by this Crazy Crow Signature tag.

Crazy Crow font HERE

File/New image 150 x 100

View/Zoom to 500%

Type your name.

Click on your text tool, Size 58, use the crow picture that is letters E and F from the KR Crazy Crow font, for the letter C make it size 48 colour the crows however you wish in PI.

Right-Click/Select all objects

Right-Click/Align/Centre Both.

Save as a UFO or a psd if you have trouble opening UFO's in GA 5.

Animating

Open your Crazy Crow file in GA 5

Highlight your 3 crow layers in the "Object Manager".

Object/Distribute to Fames. This will give you 3 frames.

Highlight Frame 3 Right-Click/Change Frame Order/Assign as first frame.

Right-Click/Frame Properties and type 45 in the Delay box.

Highlight Frame 3 Right-Click and Duplicate Frame This will give you 4 frames.

Highlight the middle layer and Right-Click/Duplicate Object

Leave the eye open on the duplicate and close the eye on the original.

Select your Transform Tool/Resize to about 3/4 of the crows original size.

Highlight Frame 4 Right-Click and Duplicate Frame This will give you 5 frames.

While the Crow you just shrunk to 3/4 is still highlighted in the "Object Manager" Right-Click/Duplicate Object

Leave the eye open on the duplicate and close the eye on the first 3/4 duplicate.

With your Transform Tool/Resize Grab the corner again and shrink by another 1/2.

Highlight Frames 3-5 on your storyboard and Right-Click/Reverse Frame order.

Right-Click/Frame Properties and type 12 in the Delay box.

Now highlight Frame 2 Right-Click/Change Frame Order/Assign as last Frame.

Right-Click/Frame Properties and type 200 in the Delay box.

Your final storyboard should look like this

and your layers in the "Object Manager" like this

Click on the Preview tab and run your animation, happy, then click on the Optimize tab and click on save or use the Optimization Wizard to save as a gif.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and have learnt a little about the joy of animating in GA 5.

Please feel free to print this tutorial out for your own personal use, but do not copy it in any way pass out through email groups, or re-write and claim as your own!

Any resemblance to any other tutorial like this is purely coincidental.

This tutorial was written on the 10th May 2011 and is therefore the property of Edna Munn.

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