Creating a GIF Animation in ImageReady


Another attractive aspect of ImageReady is that you can create layer-based animations. In Photoshop, you created the Beating Heart document; now, in ImageReady, you ll give it life. Follow these steps:

  1. With Photoshop running and the layered Beating Heart document open , launch ImageReady by clicking the Edit In icon. If the Layers palette is not visible, choose Window Layers to display it. The Layers palette shows five layers and the Background.

  2. If the Animation palette is not visible, choose Window Animation to display it. The frame in the Animation palette displays the visible portions of the image (see Figure 26.5).

    click to expand
    Figure 26.5: The image, the Layers, and the Animation palette displaying the visible portion of the image

  3. Repeat the process, adding new frames for Layers 3, 4, and 5. Your Animation palette should look like Figure 26.6.

    click to expand
    Figure 26.6: The Animation palette with the first half of the animation

  4. At this point, you might want to see the result. Click Play to see the first half of the beating heart animation: the heart expands and suddenly contracts. So for the second part of the animation, you ll create a smooth contraction. You will create the second half of the animation by using the same layers, but in reverse order.

  5. Click the Duplicate Current Frame icon and make the contents of Layer 4 and the Background visible.

  6. In the Layers palette, make sure the visibility indicator is turned off on all the layers except for the Background and Layer 1.

    Note  

    Each frame in ImageReady s Animation palette displays the current visible layers. You create an animated sequence by making a new frame and then making visible only those layers that you want to appear in that frame.

  7. In the Animation palette, click the Duplicate Current Frame icon to insert a new frame, or choose New Frame from the palette menu. Click off the visibility indicator for Layer 1, and click it on for Layer 2. Leave on the visibility indicator for the Background.

  8. Repeat step 7 for Layers 3 and 2; the Animation palette should look like Figure 26.7.

    click to expand
    Figure 26.7: The Animation palette with the completed animation

  9. To create a smoothly animated sequence, you want each frame to appear for the same amount of time. To set the speed between each frame, select all the frames by choosing Select All Frames from the Animation palette menu. Click the arrow on the lower-right of each frame, and set a uniform delay time for all frames (or choose a duration for each frame individually).

  10. Next, you ll want to set up the iterations of the animation, or the number of times it loops . The Forever option is appropriate only when the animation keeps looping in a constant motion, which is best for slower, subtler animations. Setting the animation to Once might be appropriate if the animation is particularly large and detailed. You can also set the animation to loop a custom number of turns. Choose Forever.

  11. To add a smooth transition between points on an animation, use the Tween option from the Animation palette menu. Tweening, or in betweening, will automatically add a blur so that a smooth transition occurs between frames.

  12. To view your animation, click the Play button at the bottom of the Animation palette. The animation then cycles in the originating file. At this point, you can stop the animation by clicking the play button again and make any adjustments that you feel are necessary.

  13. After you re happy with your animation, save it as a GIF by choosing File Save Optimized; then name the file and click Save.




Photoshop CS Savvy
Photoshop CS Savvy
ISBN: 078214280X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 355

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