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Player => General => Topic started by: nachobeard on July 21, 2012, 12:21:18 PM



Title: convert to GIF?
Post by: nachobeard on July 21, 2012, 12:21:18 PM
hi all

so I've seen these wonderful GIFs that people throw around the forums, and seeing as I'm now working with a graphics guy I'd also like to get some of that action too.

so I was wondering, once you've captured the game (using fraps or whatever), what tool do people here use to transform the avi movie into a GIF? I've searched around google but I'm not getting a good vibe from what I've seen.
for example, this http://www.gamani.com/

so yeah, thanks in advance!


Title: Re: convert to GIF?
Post by: noah! on July 21, 2012, 12:34:43 PM
I use Photoshop's "Import Video Frames to Layers" feature, which works well and is pretty flexible.

Unfortunately, I don't know of any free solutions, though, sorry...

(though i think a lot of people here do it by just making their game engine export screenshots every frame, and then make a .gif out of the resulting pile of images)


Title: Re: convert to GIF?
Post by: Sam on July 21, 2012, 12:35:26 PM
I use GIMP together with GAP (GIMP Animation Package).

That allows you to split a video file into its constituent frames, with each frame as an image layer (Video menu, Split Video into Frames, Extract Videorange). Do whatever editing you like, then use the "Optimise (for GIF)" animation filter to make each frame just store the difference from the previous frame. Finally save as a GIF and choose to export as an animation.

Honestly it's not the most user friendly experience, but it works and is free.

(http://i.imgur.com/KUDKZ.gif)
Should really get around to releasing that game.


Title: Re: convert to GIF?
Post by: nachobeard on July 21, 2012, 12:56:41 PM
thanks for the pointers!
IŽll have a poke around and see how it goes, then post my findings in here.

thanks!


Title: Re: convert to GIF?
Post by: nachobeard on July 21, 2012, 05:14:11 PM
used GIF movie gear (there's a 30-day demo (http://www.gamani.com/gmgdown.htm)).
filesize is 3 meg which I thought seemed excessive for such small and short clip but I can't seem to reduce it any more.

(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/22814947/proto5/caps/2/back0.gif)

thanks noah and sam!


Title: Re: convert to GIF?
Post by: Ant on July 22, 2012, 12:05:16 AM
Having loads of colours bloats the gif size so you can try reducing them. Also that gif has 225 frames which is way too much for a simple animation, try reducing the frames per second when you first imported the vid.

I use Free Video to Gif Converter (http://video-gif-converter.com/) to make a rough gif from a vid then open it up in photoshop to clean it up.