Gif Animator Facts

Author: Edna Munn

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

Title:  Frame Movement in GA 5

Skill Level: Beginner

FACT: In GA 5 you can move the same object in each frame without the movement of that object affecting the same object in the previous frame.

Description: I have discovered that there is a lot of uncertainty around how to make an animation in GA 5 with just a few objects that are made in PI, saved as a UFO or a PSD (if you have trouble opening UFO's in GA 5) so I thought that I would write a tutorial with 7 objects so that you can see for yourself how easy it is!!

For the purpose of demonstrating this FACT we will make a smiley face with a 4 frame animation of eye, mouth movement with a bounce. 

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 

Parts needed: 1 yellow circle, 2 white circles, 2 black circles and 2 ovals

Smiley Face

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

Click on your path drawing tool, select the and draw out circle 163 x 163 or there about, yellow in colour with a black border of 1. This is the face. Click on your background to de-select the yellow face.

Change your colour to white in the Colour Box and draw out a circle 30 x 30 this also has a black border of 1, Duplicate.

Click on your background to de-select the white circle. Change the colour to black and draw out a circle 17 x 17, duplicate.

Click on your background to de-select the black circle.

Select the oval and draw an oval of 100 x 36 with a black border of 1, rotate the oval slightly on an angle and duplicate.

With the duplicate select click on edit path and pull the middle node at the top down some.

Click on Path Edit.

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 Smiley

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

In Frame 1  Close the eye on the wide mouth layer

and highlight the 2 black parts of the eyes in your Object Manager.

In the working space area gently touch one of the eyes, hold your mouse button down and drag the eyes until they are half on and half off the white part of the eyes.

When you have them positioned where you would like them, click on the "Duplicate Frames" icon underneath the storyboard.

With the black part of the eyes still highlighted gently touch one of the eyes, hold down your mouse button and drag the black part of the eyes to the middle of the white part of the eye so that the smiley is looking directly at you.

Click on the "Duplicate Frames" icon underneath the storyboard.

Close the thin mouth and open the eye on the wide mouth.

Highlight all the layers in the Object Manager and then click on the "Pick Tool".

If you look at your Working Space window you will see dotted lines around all parts.

Very gently touched one of the parts and you can either tap the up arrow on your keyboard or.....................

move the face up a 3-6 squares while holding down your mouse. Be careful if you use the latter method that you don't make it move too dramatically, if you do Ctrl+Z will undo the move.

Select the Rectangular Selection tool

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

Highlight each frame then Right Click/Frame Properties and in

Frame 1: 25

Frame 2: 55

Frame 3: 35

Frame 4: 55

 in the Delay box of Frame Properties. 

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

or

File/Optimization Wizard.

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 to post on-line, pass out, 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 15th April 2011 and is therefore the property of Edna Munn.

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