Animated avatars Options

[Team Black]

What's the best way to make my own animated avatar/sig (or any animated picture for that matter)?

Not using an exsisting one, but making mine %100 of myself

[Robo fish]

i don't know, but they must be in .gif format to move

[Team Black]

i don't know, but they must be in .gif format to move

yeah, the animations I've seen are pretty much all .gif's

[Bittah Commander]

Either make separate images for all frames and then convert them to one animated gif file, or start a new project in ImageReady, then transver it to Photoshop and create and edit the frames however you like.

[Team Black]

ImageReady and Photoshop make anims...I'll check it out

Now in your own sig for example you have a clip from a TS FMV, how would someone go about that?

[Bittah Commander]

First I converted the FMV to an AVI file and loaded it in Camtasia Studio (which can be downloaded from www.techsmith.com). Then cut out the part I wanted to use and saved it as an animated gif file, which I then opened in ImageReady. In imageReady I made some final adjustments; I added my name in ImageReady too, though I added my name in Camtasia Studio in an older version of my sig, ImageReady just allows you to work a little more precise.
Anyway, then I just saved the optimized version of my signature and it's done...

I only needed to use ImageReady for my sig and not Photoshop because it's actually a pretty simple sig. If you also want to edit the images themselves (other than just their brightness, their position, their optimatisy, etc.), you'll need to transver the animated gif to photoshop (you can't just open the animated gif in photoshop directly, or it'll only show the first frame of the animation). I used photoshop alot for my Avatar for instance.

Also, Photoshop can also be used to reduce images (including animated gifs) in filesize. Just transver the animated gif to photoshop (if you're not already working in it that is) and go to 'Save for web'.

[ShDwBoRn]

usually what i do is use macromedia fireworks mx to create a .png animation and convert it to a animated GIF this here below is a sig i made (i also have it in .swf format)

[AluminumPancake]

If you want something like Bittah's, I'd take his advice, but what I've seen and have done is create whatever in Flash, then Save As > .gif or Export > .gif; I'm not sure which one. I haven't done it in a while.

[DeathRay2K]

Flash is fantastic for vector art, but with raster data, it simply sucks.

Because I don't like ImageReady very much (like most Adobe apps, its quite bloated and slow), I would make all the frames in Photoshop, and then simply put them together in another program (ImageReady is alright for this, but other programs are much quicker). Animation Shop works well for me.

[Roani52]

Use the SHP builder
Choose File>export.

This post has been edited by Roani52: Oct 31 2006, 01:19 PM

[=NX=Firefx]

I don't think SHP builder is very proffesional in terms of image editing...

[Yoshi]

I used Photoshop and ImageReady for mine. Other than that I use Flash a majority of the time.

[Creagor]

Hmm, I just use old-school microsoft GIF animaitor (and use photoshop for the frames)

[Team Black]

In Image Ready you'll need to select 'Save optimized as...' and in Photoshop you'll need 'Save for web'

Yeah I did that now, and then uploaded it as my avatar...as you can see, still no animation.

Under "Save As Optimized", the only gif option is "Images Only (.gif),"
which is only one frame. Is there a specific setting that I have to use?
I have it under "default settings" right now..

EDIT: I just posted it on myspace, and the animation works there...
What could be the problem with it here then?

EDIT2: Crap, I just maxed my avatar-upload-frequency limit. It would be AWESOME if an admin could reset it for me. Yeah, I know

This post has been edited by Team Black: Nov 20 2006, 10:01 PM

[Bittah Commander]

Never knew there was a limit on that and I don't think I can reset it for you.

And the reason why your avatar didn't work... Was it smaller than 140x140 pixels? Also, was it's file size smaller than 100 KB? If it wasn't, you can't upload it and have to upload it at an image host and then enter the URL to it.

If you really don't manage to change it yourself, give me the URL to the image you uploaded at an image host and want to use as your avatar and I'll make it your avatar for you

[snow93]

http://catb.org/~esr/html-hell.html

You might find something useful about animations on that page too.
Seriously though, programs such as Pivot Stickfigure Animator for simple things might be good.

[Team Black]

YESSSS, I got it working!!!!

it was over 100 kb, that was my problem

@snow93 pivot stickfigure rocks, thanks for the link

[gufu]

Any FREE way?

[ShDwBoRn]

usually i use macromedia fireworks to make a .PNG format animation, then i use the same program to convert to a animated
.GIF