Twinkle Star that is created entirely in Gif Animator 5

GA 5 Twinkle Star

Author: Edna Munn

Software: Ulead Gif Animator 5

Title: Twinkle Star

Skill Level: Beginner

Description: In this tutorial the "Twinkle Star" is made entirely in GA 5 with the paintbrush. There will also be some use of the Object Properties Drop Down Mode list as well.

Sadly GA5 is not being supported anymore by Ulead or Corel, so the life of this tutorial and other tutorials that I have written for Gif Animator 5 will I think be limited.

A copy of Gif Animator 5 30 day Free Trail

OK lets get started!!

Open your GA 5 program

File/New and enter 50 in the Width box and 50 Height box.

50 x 50 pixels

Check Solid Colour

Click on the Colour box and choose black.

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The reason for choosing a black background is so that you can see what you are making.

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Double click (or Right-Click) on your black layer, the object properties box will pop out.

In the General tab area you will see a box called "Name", this is where you can give your layer a name, so type "Background" for this layer.

Click OK

Goto Object/New Blank Object or click on the insert a blank object icon.

Double click on this layer and in the Name box type Star1

In the Tool box area click on your Paintbrush and choose

Shape: Round

Size: 1

Transparency: 33

Soft Edge: 27

Line: Choose the "Straight Line" Option

Check in the Allow Painting on Transparent areas.

At this stage it is useful to zoom in so that you can see what you are doing more clearly.

View/Zoom In/5x

Highlight the "stars1" layer and click your paintbrush in the top middle and draw a line from the top to the bottom.

If the line looks kinked then it is not straight, just move it slightly until you see a straight line. When it looks good and straight, click on the middle bottom.

Now Draw a line from the middle Left to the middle Right side.

The above instructions about the line being straight also applies to the Left to Right line as well.

The next 2 lines are a bit trickier and this is where the undo button becomes your friend.

The line on the diagonal will look like a series of dots. So draw a line on the diagonal making sure that it goes through the centre of your Horizontal and Vertical lines you draw earlier.

These 2 lines should only be about half to three quarters the length of the Horizontal and Vertical lines.

Let the above screenshot be a guide.

When you have finished drawing your star, right-click on it and "Duplicate Object".

Double click on the star that you have just duplicated and in "Object Properties" in the "Name" box give this duplicated object the name of star2.

Highlight your Frame 1 (if it is not already highlighted) and right click and give it a speed of 12.

Now click on the "Duplicate Frame(s)" icon or "Frame/duplicate Frame(s)"

While star2 is highlighted click on Frame 2 in the "Storyboard".

Close the eye of star2.

You should now have

Frame 1: The eyes of star1and star2 should be open.

Frame 2: The eye of star1 open and the eye of star2 closed.

View/Actual view

This has to be done before you click on the optimize tab to save as a .gif. If you are saving it as a gif, then delete the black background layer now.

Click on the preview tab to see the twinkle. If you are happy with your twinkle animation

File/Save As/UGA (I will be writing some instruction on how to insert your twinkle star in an image in GA5)

The Green coloured star has 2frames and 2 green star layers.

Highlight "Frame 1" on the storyboard and at the same time highlight star2green (or whatever you have named it) double click on the star2green layer and in the "Object Properties" box that pops out change the "Merge Mode" to "Hard Light".

Highlight "Frame 1",(if it isn't already highlighted) right click and in the "Frame Properties" box gave this star a speed of 15.

Now click on the "Duplicate Frame(s)" icon or "Frame/duplicate Frame(s)"

While star2 is highlighted click on Frame 2 in the "Storyboard".

Close the eye of star2.

If you need help or there is some part that you don't understand (my writing is terrible sometimes) just leave a message at the "Animation Workshop" and I will get to you there.

Save your twinkle stars as .uga as we will be inserting them into a graphic.

Have fun

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Written on the 4th August 2010