Copyright: ©2001 Ulead Systems, Inc.


This screen only appears if you are missing the Contents file (agif.cnt). Please contact Ulead Systems to procure a replacement.

Ulead GIF Animator is © 2001 Ulead Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.


About GIF

GIF is an acronym for Graphics Interchange Format; an image file format created by CompuServe for conveniently storing and displaying image libraries online. Because of its near-photographic quality and relatively small file size, GIF has become one of the most widely used image file formats on the Internet today. GIF has undergone two major revisions since its inception in 1987, the most recent being the GIF89a specification.

GIF uses the Lempel-Ziv-Welch (LZW) compression method to store and reduce single or multiple images within the file by up to 40% of their original size. These images can contain up to 256 colors, and do not lose its original quality during compression. Although GIF is a “lossless” format, the conversion of imported images to GIF format may lose some of their quality in the transition from True Color to 256-color. This allows users to create clear backdrops for their images, letting a Web page’s background colors show through. GIF also supports image interlacing, allowing users to watch the image “fade-in” as it downloads.

If multiple images are stored within a GIF file, they can be viewed sequentially much like a slide show or a small animated movie. The way they appear is defined by control extensions built into the file. With the appropriate tools, such as Ulead GIF Animator, you can set these controls yourself.

  Related Topics


Animation basics

Displaying a series of overlapping frames in rapid succession creates animation. Each frame’s image only differs slightly from the ones preceding and following it. When enough of these frames are grouped together, the differences between them create the illusion of motion when played. In traditional animation, frames (also known as 'cels') are drawn and painted by hand. In recent years, the animation industry has been moving away from traditional animation and towards computer-assisted animation. While the concepts used to create the animation are essentially the same, the methods used differ greatly.

The key defining element of all animation, and of movies in general, is the number of frames used to create the animation. The more frames a single animation contains, there is a smoother appearance in motion. Otherwise, the more herky-jerky their movements will appear. In traditional animation, the number of frames becomes the length of the animation in seconds. In computer animation, however, the number of frames contributes to the ultimate size of the animation file.

When creating animation on the computer, a balance must be found between animation quality and file size, both of which are affected by the frame count of the animation. Defining the best trade-off point is never easy, but with careful planning and foresight, you can create captivating animations through careful planning and foresight to reduce the amounts of disk space requirement.

  Related Topics


How GIF animation works

GIF animation takes advantage of the GIF format’s built-in capabilities to store and display more than one image file. Unlike conventional film its speed is defined by the speed of the film, each image has an associated set of controls that dictate how, when, and for how long the image is displayed on the screen.

The animation produced by the GIF file is produced in exactly the same manner as the method used in film: motion is created by rapidly displaying a sequence of similar images. While the production methods in both filmmaking and GIF animation differ greatly in effects, the result is the same - still images are brought to life before your eyes.

  Related Topics


About GIF color palettes

Every GIF image file contains within it an index table that defines the number of colors an image contains and the colors each index represents. Every color in the 256-color ‘spectrum’ has its own unique identification which is stored in the image’s color index (the color palette). In GIF files, every color in the index requires 3 or 4 bytes of data to define it (depending on how it was originally stored). An image with a 256-color palette, may have a color index up to 1024 bytes long.

There are two kinds of palettes for animated GIFs: a Global Palette, which defines the use of colors in every image of the animation; and a Local Palette, which is unique to each frame in the file. The Global Palette is useful in decreasing the overall file size when the colors used by each frame are all virtually the same. When the colors vary greatly from frame to frame the Local Palette can be used to retain the overall image quality. However, it does increase the file size.

Both the Global and the Local Palettes can be controlled by defining its settings; e.g., the number of colors to use in the index; how these colors should be selected; or whether or not colors should be blended in order to make different color shades.

In GIF Animator, all of these settings are available in Optimize mode, and can often be controlled by selecting from a number of presets. By default, your color palettes will be built using a Global Palette that automatically adds the predominant colors from objects inserted in your animations up to a maximum of 128 colors. You can change the default preset in File: Preferences - Optimize tab.

  Related Topics


Defining your palette

Ulead GIF Animator is designed to build a Global Palette automatically, freeing you from making decisions as to how the palette should be created. This does not mean that you have no control over the way that the palette is built. On the contrary, there are tools for novice, intermediate, and expert GIF animation creators to use in order to design high-quality animations while maintaining a respectable file size.

For those new to GIF animation, you will find all the tools you will need to define your palette on the Attribute Toolbar in Optimize mode. There are Presets from which you can choose the number of colors that you would like to include in the Global Palette. These Presets are broken into two types, Line Art and Photo which range from 16 - 256 colors. Line Art is particularly useful when your animations consist mainly of solid objects and colors, while the Photo settings are more suited towards images that contain a large number of varying shades. By default, the GIF Animator uses the Photo 256 preset, which can be changed from the Optimize tab in the Preferences dialog box [F6].

For those that feel comfortable working with animated GIFs, or if you find that the colors indexed in the Global Palette do not give you the quality you desire), then you'll probably want to use the Optimize Panel in conjunction with the Color Palette, which can be opened either by clicking the respective icons on the toolbar, or by selecting the appropriate commands from the View menu. The Optimize Panel gives you more control over the settings defined in the Attribute Toolbar, such as giving you the option of using an Optimized palette or a palette that you have previously saved. From the Optimize Panel: Local Palette tab you can select to use localized palettes for each of the frames in your animation, or just the frames that you select. Local Palettes can help you retain the quality that you want for your animation. The Color Palette can be used to make changes to the colors indexed in the Global Palette.

Finally, for those that have a lot of time to spare and want to create high-quality animations with the lowest possible size, you can use the Index Editor to tweak your palette. The Index Editor, only available by selecting Open in GIF Index Editor from the Save As GIF dialog box, gives you complete control over the palette used for each frame of your animation.

  Related Topics


Creating compact GIF animation files

There are three ways you can significantly reduce the size of your animated GIF files: reducing the color palettes; reducing the number of frames; and optimizing the individual frames. There are pros and cons to using the first two methods and they should be implemented judiciously. Keep in mind that the goal of creating animated GIF files is NOT to make them as compact as possible - creating compelling animations for the Web is. However, until the time that data transmission speeds increase and everyone on the net has faster access, file size should still be a significant consideration when composing your animation.

The first method to reduce the file size of your animation is to delete any unnecessary frames. In some cases, this may not be desirable due to the adverse effects it may have on the quality of your animation. But if you can get away with cutting out a few frames here and there, such as the ones that don’t alter the animation quality significantly, then you should do it.

Ulead GIF Animator allows you to greatly reduce the file sizes of the individual frames through the second method: Optimization. You can do this easily in Optimize mode. From here you can let the Optimization Wizard walk you through the optimization process, or you can make your own optimization settings by using the tools available on the Attribute Toolbar. In some cases, this method can reduce your overall file size by as much as 200%.

The third method is to use the Global Palette. Fortunately, this is done automatically in GIF Animator. The predominant colors from the objects inserted in your animation will be 'absorbed' into the Global Palette. This way you need not create a Local Palette for a frame that varies only slightly from the rest. If a frame has radically different colors from the others in the animation, your best bet is to give it a Local Palette and then reduce it by removing the colors it has in common with the Global Palette. Otherwise, the image may not display properly. Using the local palette is a more advanced setting and is only available from the Optimize Panel in Optimize mode.

Finally, you should consider the canvas size. If the motion of the animation occurs within a smaller field than the size of the canvas then you should consider cropping the canvas to fit the area occupied by the objects only.

  Related Topics


Preferences dialog box
  General	  Optimize
  Plug-in Filters	  Add Image/Video
  Open/Save	  Edit
  Preview

Default frame attributes These options establish the default properties for each frames as it's imported into GIF Animator.

  Delay Defines how long the frame is displayed during animation. This is the default delay time applied to imported images; to change it, select the frame and then change the Delay setting on the Attribute Toolbar.

  Removal method Defines how each frame is removed from the screen during animation. For more on the removal methods available in GIF animations, click [image].

Levels of undo Specifies the number of levels of undo available to you during editing. The maximum number of undo levels you can have is 50.

Check Ulead's Web site every Enter the number of days that you want GIF Animator to periodically check Ulead's Web site for product updates.

Enable Startup Wizard dialog box Check this to display the Startup Wizard each time GIF Animator opens.

Color line around object Click on the color box to define the color of the border of the selected object in the workspace.

Transparency

  Grid size Select the grid size to display the transparent background; small=4x4px, medium=8x8px, large=16x16px.

  Grid color Select Custom to change the color for the grid.


Exporting image frames

You can export image frames in PNG or JPEG file formats. When saving files as PNG, all objects will be merged into a single object and the transparency will be preserved. Saving as JPEG, on the other hand, will merge objects with the background image and will not retain the transparency.

To export a single image frame:

1	Select the frame you want to export.

2	Select File: Save As - Image Frames.

3	In the dialog box that opens, select Export currently selected frame.

4	From the Save as type drop-down menu select either PNG or JPEG.

5	Name your new file and click Save.

To export multiple frames as a sequence of files:

1	Select File: Save As - Image Frames.

2	Select Export all frames.

3	From the Save as type drop-down menu select either PNG or JPEG.

4	Specify the name for a series of save images.

  Related Topics


Changing object attributes globally

After changing object attributes in one frame, you can change the attributes for these objects across all frames or just those selected.

To change an attribute globally using the Synchronize Objects Across Frames feature:

1	In the Frame Panel, select the frames where you would like the objects synchronized.

2	In the Object Manager Panel, select the objects that you want to synchronize.

3	In the Object Manager Panel toolbar, click Object Manager Commands, and then select Synchronize Objects Across Frames from the pop-up menu.

4	From the Select source image drop-down menu, select the frame that contains the object attributes that you would like to use for other frames.

5	Select the attributes you want to copy from the source frame to the others.

6	Select to synchronize all objects or only those selected.

7	Choose whether you want to apply the changes to all frames or only to those selected.

8	Click OK.

Related Info:

  Preferences dialog box

  Synchronize Objects Across Frames dialog box


Workspace

The Workspace contains the edit window with the current frame, and it is divided by three mode tabs that let you easily switch from task to task.

Edit mode is the default operating mode for GIF Animator. In this mode, you can compose and edit your animation by manipulating and moving objects around the canvas. You can also create selection areas to apply an effect to a specific portion of the animation.

Optimize mode is where you can work on compressing and compacting your animations, optimizing them for transmission on the Web. In this mode, you can use one of three ways to optimize your file:

use the Presets available on the Attribute toolbar,

use the Optimization Wizard by clicking the Optimization Wizard button,

or make your own custom settings by adjusting the settings on the Attribute Toolbar, Color Palette, and Optimize Panel.

Preview mode lets you preview your animation within GIF Animator as it will appear on the Web.

Note: Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 (or above) must be installed in order to preview your images in GIF Animator.


Tool Panel

Displays the available editing tools in GIF Animator. In using the Paintbrush or Fill Tool, set the color in the Foreground color box in the Tool Panel. There is no shape tool in GIF Animator so you have to use another editing program like PhotoImpact to create shape objects. To change the position of the Tool Panel, double-click it and drag it to a new position.

Related Info:

  Editing objects


Frame Panel

Displays each frame in your animation as a thumbnail. Each thumbnail frame also displays the time delay of the frame. There are also shortcut buttons on the Frame Panel for quick access to commands like Play Animation. Double-click a frame thumbnail to open the Frame Properties dialog box. To change the position of the Frame Panel, double-click it and drag it to a new position.


Using the Color Palette

The Color Palette, only available while in Optimize mode, displays the colors used by the currently selected frame, whether the selected frame is using a Global or Local Palette. If the frame is using the Global Palette, then the palette may be edited, otherwise the palette is read-only.

To open the Color Palette:

1	Select the Optimize tab to switch to Optimize mode.

2	Select View: Color Palette.

To edit existing colors:

1	Select the colors you want to edit.

2	Click Edit Current Cell, then select one of the Color Pickers from the pop-up menu, from which you can select a replacement color.
Or,
Click Snap to Web Safe Color, to automatically replace the currently selected cell with the closest matching Web safe color.

To create a gradient between two colors:

1	Select three or more colors. The more colors you select, the more noticeable the gradient.

Note: Choosing two colors gives no result since they already represent the start and end colors of the fill.

2	Click the Create Gradient Palette button on the Color Palette to open the Gradient dialog box.

3	Confirm your start and end colors. If you want to change these, click the color cells displayed to open the Color Picker.

4	Click OK. The gradient colors will replace the previously selected colors.

To add new colors:

1	Click Add Color to Palette, then select one of the Color Pickers from the pop-up menu, from which you can select a color.

Note: When using a Palette consisting of 256 colors, using Add Color only replaces the palette color which is most closely matched by the added color.

To remove colors:

1	Select the color cells that you want to remove.

2	Click the Delete Color button.

  Related Topics


Adding banner text

This allows you to create text banners anywhere within your animation. These banners can be added to your animation as a single banner object, which can be edited later, or as separate objects, which will be treated as text objects. Also, the banner can be distributed to pre-existing frames or added to new frames using the starting frame as its background.

To add banner text to your animation:

1	Select the frame where you would like the banner text to commence.

2	Select Frame: Add Banner Text.

3	On the Text tab, define text attributes (i.e., font, size, etc.), as well as any of the other attributes and Shadow dialog boxes.

4	Enter the contents of your banner text in the space provided.

5	On the Effect tab, select the effect that you would like this banner moving into and out of the animation.

6	Select the number of frames to use for both the moving effects.

7	On the Frame Control tab, define the Delay time (or the amount of time each frame is displayed) and Key frame delay (or the amount of time the key frames - first and last frames for each effect - are displayed).

8	Select Distribute to frames if you want to add the banner to the pre-existing frames, otherwise new frames will be created.

9	Select Neon tab to set the neon effect for your banner.

10	Reposition the text object in the preview window by dragging it to another position. The position that the text object occupies is the final position for the Enter scene effect, and the starting position for the Exit scene effect.

11	Adjust the banner area by dragging the blue control points on the banner bounding box.

12	When you are satisfied with the effect, click OK and two options will appear:

Create as Individual Objects, inserts your banner as individual text objects, which can be edited as such. However, the banner itself can no longer be edited.

Create as Banner Text, inserts your banner as a unique banner object, which can only be saved in the UGA file format. However, the banner itself remains intact and can be edited as such by selecting, Frame: Edit Banner Text.

Related Info:

  Add/Edit Banner Text dialog box


Merging images

Merging objects into a single object:

Combine as Single Object allows you to merge two or more images into a single object. The original objects are replaced with the merged object.

1	Select the objects that you want to combine.

2	Select Object: Combine as Single Object.

Merging all visible objects:

Flatten Frames as Single Object allows you to merge all objects visible in a particular frame. The selected frame is replaced with a new frame containing the newly merged object, however, the original objects are not replaced, their visibility is set to hidden.

1	Select the frames where you want the objects merged.

2	Select Frame: Flatten Frames as Single Object.

  Related Topics


Duplicating objects and frames

To duplicate objects

1	In the Object Manager Panel, select the objects that you want to copy.

2	Click Duplicate Object(s) on the Object Manager Panel toolbar.

To duplicate frames:

1	In the Frame Panel, select the frames that you want to copy.

2	Click Duplicate Frame(s) on the Frame Panel toolbar.

  Related Topics


Status Bar

The Status Bar shows you information about menu commands, pixel coordinates, color indices and values of areas under the mouse pointer.


Colors

Enter a value to set the maximum number of colors that your file contains.


Interlace

Allows the image to gradually fade in when loaded in the Web browser. This is useful giving users a preview of the image while waiting for it to complete downloading.


Removal method

Defines how a frame is removed during the animation sequence. The options are:

Smart Automatically choose one of the two methods (Do Not Remove or To Background) depending on the frames.

Do Not Remove The frame is not removed and any subsequent images are displayed over it.

To Background Removes the frame and replaces it with the Web page background. If frames overlap evenly, then a smooth transition effect occurs.

To Previous State Removes the frame and replaces it with the frame preceding it. If all the frames in the sequence are set to this, then a smooth transition from one frame to the next happens regardless of how they are overlapped.

Web Browser Decides The Web browser playing the animation removes the frame. How this is done varies from browser to browser and is not recommended.

Note: The To Previous State option may not be supported by some Web browsers.


New

Opens the New dialog box where you can specify the size and color of the new canvas. If you have a project open in the workspace that has not been saved, GIF Animator will prompt you first before opening the new canvas.

[Ctrl+N]

Related Info:

  New dialog box


Open Image

Allows you to open a recognized image file in the workspace. The canvas size will be the same as the image dimensions of the file. If you have a project open in the workspace that has not been saved, GIF Animator will prompt you first before opening the image in the workspace. If the file being opened is a GIF file with multiple frames, the frames are automatically generated.

[Ctrl+O]


Save

Saves the animation currently open in GIF Animator in the UGA file format allowing you to retain all the object information contained in your animation.

[Ctrl+S]


Save As

Opens a submenu listing the various saving methods and formats, including:

GIF File [Ctrl+Shift+S] Saves the file in the standard GIF file format.

UGA File [Ctrl+S] Saves the file in the UGA file format allowing you to retain all the object information contained in your animation.

UFO File Saves the file in the UFO file format, retaining the object information, and can be edited in Ulead PhotoImpact.

PSD File Saves the file in the PSD file format, retaining the object information, and can be edited in Adobe PhotoShop.

Image Frames [Ctrl+E] Saves the animation's frames as JPEG or PNG files.

Video File Creates a Windows video file of the current GIF animation. Output file formats include AVI, MOV, QT, MPEG, and FLC.

Macromedia Flash (SWF) Saves the file in the SWF file format.

with BMP The file is able to retain the transparency settings.

with JPEG The file is able to undergo compression to reduce the file size.

Related Info:

  Exporting image frames

  Exporting videos


Restore

Restores a modified animation back to the last saved version.


History List

A list of the most recently saved files. You can open any file in the history list by selecting it.


Exit

Closes GIF Animator, prompting you to save any changes to the current animation if you have not done so already.


Cut

Removes the active object and places it in the clipboard.

[Ctrl+X]


Copy

Makes a duplicate of the active object and places it in the clipboard.

[Ctrl+C]


Paste

Pastes the currently cut/copied object from the clipboard.

[Ctrl+V]


Actual View

Displays the current frame at a 1:1 magnification.

[Ctrl+1]

Related Info:

  Tool Panel


Zoom In/Out

Submenus for zooming in or out of the current frame. The submenus offer magnification range from 1/8x to 8x.

[+/-]


Browser/Stop Preview

Starts or stops a preview of the current animation project.


Add Image

In the Add Image dialog box, you can select the desired images and insert them to the Object Manager Panel.

[Ins]

Related Info:

  Adding image objects


Help

Starts the online help.

You can also access help topics by:

Clicking the Help button on the Standard Toolbar and then clicking on the item of interest

Pressing the F1 key when a menu command is under your mouse pointer.

[F1]


About

Shows the copyright and other information Ulead GIF Animator version.


Crop Canvas

Resizes the canvas size by cutting away the unused area.

[Ctrl+R]


Standard Toolbar

The Standard Toolbar contains the most common menu commands and shortcut buttons.


Attribute Toolbar
Attribute Toolbar (Optimize mode)

The Attribute Toolbar contains options for modifying tool or object properties.

This is only available when working in the Optimize mode. This is where you can determine several settings to optimize the animation project before saving. Click on the various elements below to know more about the functions available on the Attribute Toolbar.


Adding image objects

You can add images by:

Dragging an image file from any Windows Explorer (or similar program) window, and dropping it into GIF Animator.

Selecting File: Add Image to open the Add Image dialog box where you can browse for the desired image.

Clicking Add image on the Standard Toolbar to open the Add Image dialog box where you can browse for the desired image.

Related Info:

  Adding banner text


Removing objects and frames

To remove selected objects you can:

Press the Delete key on your keyboard,

Select Object: Delete Object(s).

On the Object Manager Panel toolbar, click Delete Object(s).

Right-click an object in the workspace or in the Object Manager Panel and select Delete Object(s) from the pop-up menu.

To remove selected frames you can:

Press the Delete key on your keyboard,

Select Frame: Delete Frame(s).

On the Frame Panel toolbar, click Delete Frame(s).

Right-click a selected frame in the Frame Panel and select Delete Frame(s) from the pop-up menu.

  Related Topics


Positioning objects

The different ways to position objects within the animation are:

Single or multiple objects for a single frame:

Use your mouse to drag the objects into the desired position in the workspace.

Use the arrow keys on your keyboard. The Up/Down arrows move the objects along the X-axis while the Right/Left arrows move them along the Y-axis.

A single object only for a single frame:

Double-click an object in the workspace or the Object Manager Panel to open the Object Properties dialog box. Switch to the Position and Size tab and change the Position settings for a more exact position in the workspace.

Single or multiple objects across multiple frames:

This method can be used after you have already repositioned one or more objects on one frame and now want to reposition these objects to the same position on all frames.

1	In the Frame Panel, click a frame then right-click and select Synchronize Objects Across Frames from the pop-up menu.

2	From the Select source image drop-down menu, select the frame that contains the object attributes that you would like to use for other frames.

3	Select to copy the X- and Y-offsets from the source frame to the others.

4	Select to synchronize all objects or only those selected.

5	Choose whether you want to apply the changes to all frames or only to those selected.

6	Click OK.

  Related Topics


Using the Windows Clipboard with GIF Animator

Using the Windows Clipboard, you can copy image objects or text blocks from within other applications and pastes them into GIF Animator.

For image objects:

1	To copy image objects from other image-editing applications, select the object and Edit: Copy command or the copy button on the Standard Toolbar.

2	Open GIF Animator.

3	Select Edit: Paste or click the Paste button on the Standard Toolbar.

You can also copy objects already existing within the animation and paste them back as new objects.

For text blocks:

1	To copy text block from other applications, select the text block and Copy button on the Standard Toolbar.

2	Open GIF Animator.

3	From the Tool Panel select the Text tool, then click the canvas to open the Text Entry Box.

4	In the Text Entry Box, click in the space provided for entering text, then press [Ctrl+V] to paste the text.

Note: Text attributes such as font, size, style, etc. will not be retained from the other application.

  Related Topics


Preferences

Opens the Preferences dialog box, allowing you to define general settings for GIF Animator.

[F6]

Related Info:

  Preferences dialog box


Getting started

When you first open Ulead GIF Animator, you’ll notice immediately that there are four major components to the program window: the Toolbars, the central workspace, the Frame Panel below it, and the Object Manager Panel on the right. Beneath the Standard Windows Toolbar is the Attribute Toolbar. The attributes available vary depending on the tool selected. Each frame in the animation is listed in the Frame Panel below the big work area that occupies the majority of the program window. When you select a frame, the objects visible in it are displayed in the workspace while its attributes and settings are displayed in the Object Manager Panel.

Any of these attributes can be redefined or reconfigured, giving you a lot of flexibility in how the object in that frame is displayed. When GIF Animator brings in images from outside the program, if the images don’t already contain settings for some of the attributes listed, then default attributes are assigned to them. You can change the default settings GIF Animator uses in the Preferences dialog box, which can be opened with the File: Preferences menu command.

Tip: If you right-click any frame in the Frame Panel or object in the Object Manager Panel a pop-up menu will appear listing all the commands that can be used to manipulate or edit that frame or object.

  Related Topics


GIF Optimization

One of the more powerful features in Ulead GIF Animator is its built-in ability to super-compress animation files using custom techniques that result in picture perfect images with the fastest possible download times. The main concern in creating images for the Web is the quality of the image without prejudice to its file size. People don’t want to spend the bulk of their time on the Web waiting for your cool pictures to download - patience on the Internet can be measured in milliseconds, so if your graphics aren’t optimized for speed then you’re going to lose out.

Ulead GIF Animator gives you the ultimate solution to fat file sizes: the Optimize mode. This gives you the ability to trim the fat away from your animated GIF files, letting you specify the technique used to perform this. It also gives you complete control over the Global Color Palette, allowing you to merge similar colors that, to the human eye, contain no discernible differences but actually contribute to bulky file sizes.

In addition to putting these controls at your fingertips, GIF Animator lets you work with amazing speed. By creating and saving your own optimization presets, you can use them later with a click of the mouse. You can also choose to use the Optimization Wizard, which conveniently takes you through the process of optimization.

There are three steps in GIF optimization:

1	Creating the Color Palette GIF file uses a color palette for the colors in a file. The first thing to do is to create a color palette based on the colors used in different frames. You can either create a Global Palette (recommended), the colors of which are shared by all of the frames, or create a Local Palette for each frame of the animation. Creating a Local Palette for each frame will result in more colors being stored (higher quality) but a larger file size. Deciding on whether to use a Global or Local Palette will depend on what your needs are.

2	Mapping the Palette Once the palette is created, all the pixels in each frame will be mapped to the color palette created. The pixels will find the color nearest to its properties in the palette.

3	Removing image redundancy Multiple frames may share the same static image elements or pixels. Because these elements or pixels don’t change from frame to frame, they are unnecessary for the animation. GIF Animator removes these static redundancies from each frame in the animation, and minimizes the file size.

  Related Topics


Optimization Wizard

Opens the Optimization Wizard, which analyzes the frames of your animation and removes all the redundant pixels, thereby reducing your file size considerably. Access this through either File: Optimization Wizard or by clicking the Optimization Wizard button in Optimize mode.

[F11]

Related Info:

  Optimization Wizard


Add Video

Opens the Add Video dialog box allowing you to browse for the desired video file to add into the Object Manager Panel. Each frame from the video will be treated as a single object in the animation project.

Related Info:

  Open Video File/Add Video dialog box

  Adding video


Adding video

You can add video files by:

Dragging a video file from any Windows Explorer (or similar program) window, and dropping it into GIF Animator.

Selecting File: Add Video to open the Add Video dialog box where you can browse for the desired file.

Clicking Add Video on the Standard Toolbar to open the Add Video dialog box where you can browse for the desired file.

Related Info:

  Open Video File/Add Video dialog box


Glossary

The following are terms used throughout the Ulead GIF Animator help:

Animation	Interlace
Banner Text	Local Palette
Color Cell	Looping
Contrast	Matte
Dither	Palette
Frame	Tween
GIF	Optimized Palette
Global Information	Safe Palette
Global Palette


Animation

A series of images arranged in a predetermined sequence that when viewed rapidly generate the appearance of motion or movement.


Banner Text

Text that adds extra impact to your animation with special animated effects. Banner text in GIF Animator can scroll across the animation screen, glow with neon light, and perform complex action sequences among other things.


Banner Text

Text that adds extra impact to your animation with special animated effects. Banner text in GIF Animator can scroll across the animation screen, glow with neon light, and perform complex action sequences among other things.


Color Cell

A single color unit within the palette. Each cell is given its own index number (starting with 0) which establishes where it falls in the color hierarchy.


Contrast

Contrast is the distinction between light and dark portions of an image. An image with low or poor contrast consists of many closely related shades. A high contrast image has clearly distinguishable transitions between light and dark areas.


Dither

A method of creating new shades or colors from a pattern of preexisting shades or colors. Setting the dither value at 100 gets the best color gradient result for photo realistic images. Setting it at 0 works best for line art images. When working with file size constraints, it's best to set dither at a low value.


Dither

A method of creating new shades or colors from a pattern of preexisting shades or colors. Setting the dither value at 100 gets the best color gradient result for photo realistic images. Setting it at 0 works best for line art images. When working with file size constraints, it's best to set dither at a low value.


Frame

One image layer in a series. When frames are played sequentially, the objects within them appear to be in motion, or animated.


GIF

A platform independent file format popular for its capability to create compact and high quality images.


Global Information

Global Information contains data that is relevant to multiple frames in an animation file.

Related Info:

  Global Information dialog box


Global Information

Global Information contains data that is relevant to multiple frames in an animation file.


Global Palette

The palette universally available to every image within an animation clip. This palette is superseded by the Local Palette, but becomes the default palette if a frame doesn’t have a Local Palette. The Global Palette can be edited on the Color Palette in Optimize mode.


Interlace2
Interlace

Interlacing is the attribute that, when set, makes the GIF animation come into focus instead of displaying it a line at a time. This is helpful when the user has a slow Internet connection. It allows the user to get a glimpse of what the animation is even when the download is not fully complete.


Local Palette

The palette contained within a single frame. If used, the colors on this palette take precedence over the Global Palette.


Looping2
Looping

The number of times the animation repeats when played. If the Infinite option is unchecked, then the animation will loop as many times as is defined in the box provided. The default value, 0 or only plays through the animation once.


Matte

A matte is used to define an area that you want to make transparent. Choose a background color or select an image for your mask area.


Matte

A matte is used to define an area that you want to make transparent. Choose a background color or select an image for your mask area.

White Fills transparent areas with white.

Black Fills transparent areas with black.

Foreground Color Fills transparent areas with foreground color.

Background Color Fills transparent areas with background color.

Custom Color Fills transparent areas with a color of your choice. Click the color square to open the Ulead Color Picker.

Image File Fills transparent areas with an image of your choice. Enter the name of the file or click Browse to search for the file.

None Fills transparent areas with white.


Palette

A color palette is the lookup table that defines the colors available within an image or group of images. In GIF Animator there are 2 kinds of palettes: Global and Local.


Optimized Palette

A method for adding colors to the Global Palette. It is created by most commonly used colors of the image.


Safe Palette

A method for adding colors to the Global Palette by matching colors from an image’s original palette with a predefined set of 216 "Web-safe" colors.


Animation Wizard

Guides you through a step-by-step process of making GIF animation.

Related Info:

  Animation Wizard


Animation Wizard

Helps you to easily create animated GIF with four simple animation steps:

Selecting a canvas size.

Selecting and arranging your images.

Choosing their display type.

Setting the default duration each frame is displayed.

When you are finished, you have a simple animation that you can immediately optimize and save or build upon. You can run the Animation Wizard by selecting File: Animation Wizard.

  Related Topics


Thumbnail Size

Allows you to define the size of the Frame Panel thumbnails (80x80 to 160x160) or the Object Manager Panel thumbnails (32x32 to 128x128).


Startup Wizard

The Startup Wizard appears every time you open Ulead GIF Animator and is designed to facilitate the building of your animation projects. It offers four different methods for getting started:

Open the Animation Wizard and have GIF Animator assist you in making a new animation.

Open a blank animation.

Open an existing image file.

Open an existing video file.

Open one of the many sample files included with the GIF Animator program.

Open an online tutorial.

You can disable this Startup Wizard by checking the disabling option when the Wizard appears. If you want to enable it again, select File: Preferences and select the Enable Startup Wizard option on the General tab.

  Related Topics


Optimization Wizard

The Optimization Wizard is designed to guide you through the process of streamlining your GIF animations while at the same time maintaining the highest image quality possible. When the process is complete, a summary dialog box appears telling you how large the total GIF animation was before optimization and its new file size after optimization. In most cases, there will be significant differences in file size between the pre- and post- optimization animations. However, in some animations the optimization ratio may be less dramatic due to pixel-level color shifts from frame to frame.

Some things to consider when optimizing your animation:

Color Palette Use a Global Palette (recommended) for smaller file sizes especially when it will be used for the Web. Local Palette is another alternative when you are not satisfied with the quality when using a Global Palette. A higher quality may be achieved but will also result in a larger file size.

Dithering Dithers the colors of each frame as they are mapped to the palette. This compensates for missing colors by blending together existing ones from the palette. Dithering is only recommended for photo realistic and non-text-oriented image.

Quick optimization If you have a list of previously saved optimization presets, you can select one of them in the initial panel of the Optimization Wizard for quick and convenient optimization.

  Related Topics


Open Video

Opens a digital video file into GIF Animator. Supported file formats include: AVI, MOV, FLC, FLI, FLX, and MPG.

Related Info:

  Open Video File/Add Video dialog box


Undo

Undoes the previous action or actions. The maximum number of undo levels available is 50, which can be set in File: Preferences - General.

[Ctrl+Z]


About Filters

Filter Effects plug-ins are an ultra-cool component of GIF Animator that allow you to take simple, rather uneventful images and turn them into something else entirely wild and new. They offer extensive design flexibility and expandability.

Filters listed on this menu are the Adobe PhotoShop-compatible 32-bit plug-ins that you can define in the Preferences. Filters work on a single frame at a time.

Related Info:

  Adding video transition effects

  Add Effects dialog box


About Video F/X

Video Effects plug-ins are an ultra-cool component of GIF Animator that allow you to take simple, rather uneventful images and turn them into something else entirely wild and new. They offer extensive design flexibility and expandability.

Video F/X Lets you create impressive transitions from one frame to another, and video filters let you add impact to your animations.

Ulead F/X for GIF Animator

F/X for GIF Animator contains additional 130 custom video transition and filter effects. These transitions include Accordion, Blowout-F/X, Slide-3D, Barn Door-3D, Checker-Build, Dissolve-F/X, Stagger-Build, Split-Clock, Turn-Clock, Fly-F/X, Burn-F/X, Zipper-Film, Twist-Film, Barn Door-Peel, Bar-Push, Split Half-Roll, Spin-Rotate, Diagonal-Slide, Shatter-F/X, Arrows-Wipe, Puddle-Wipe, Whirlpool-3D, Side-Stretch, and many more. New filters include Throw Stone, Whirlpool, Kaleidoscope, Charcoal, Colored Pen, Punch, Monochrome, Diffuse, Emboss, Blur, and Animation Gradient, Ripple, Water Flow, Pinch, Diffraction, Motion & Blur, Star, Mosaic, Highlight, Emphasize Edges, Vignette, Scratch, Solarization, Animation Texture.

F/X for GIF Animator is available for purchase at the Ulead Mall homepage.

Related Info:

  Adding video filter effects


Editing objects

GIF Animator gives you the power to edit your objects directly from within the program while in Edit mode. The various selection tools let you select specific areas within a frame or even within an object, so that you can make more detailed adjustments or add new dimensions to your objects with the Paintbrush, Text, and Fill Tools, among others.

There may be occasions, however, that you may wish to edit your objects in external image-editing applications, such as Ulead PhotoImpact, or Adobe PhotoShop. To do this, it is not necessary to save the file and then open it with the other application. Instead, you can define image-editing programs that you would like to associate with GIF Animator by selecting Edit: Favorite Image Editor - Organize Favorite Image Editor. Then, invoke the program from the Standard Toolbar; edit the file in the other application, then save the file to return to GIF Animator.

Related Info:

  Organize Favorite Image Editor dialog box


Previewing animations

To preview your animation, click the Preview tab. The animation is played in the Workspace with Internet Explorer 4.0 (or above). To end a preview, simply switch to another mode.

Because each different browser type displays a GIF animation slightly differently and at varying speeds, GIF Animator also gives you the option to preview your animation directly in the browser of your choice. The two defaults are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator, as these are the two most common browsers available, but you can also assign a custom browser to the Preview in Custom Browser button in File: Preferences - Preview. To view your animation in any of the browsers, simply click their respective icons on the Standard Toolbar.

  Related Topics


Add Effects dialog box

GIF Animator supports many different kinds of video-based effects, each one containing its own unique settings. This includes the transition effects (those effects in the top-half of the Video F/X menu). However, some settings are shared between them all. These are:

Effect type Select the type of effect you wish to apply from this drop-down menu. Listed here are all the available transition effects in GIF Animator.

Frames Enter the number of frames you want the transition to be applied over. For smaller, more compact Web-oriented animations, set a lower number of frames.

Delay time Enter the duration that each frame is displayed on the screen, in increments of 1/100th of a second.

Set frame transition order Allows you to choose the two images between which the transition occurs. In the Source frame drop-down menu, specify either the selected frame or a blank, color-filled matte. In the Target frame, specify either the final frame in the transition (usually the frame immediately following the Source frame), or a blank, color-filled matte.

Related Info:

  Adding video transition effects


Adding video transition effects

Transition effects allow you to create fade-ins from one image to another by inserting new frames into the animation to simulate the effect.

To add a transition effect:

1	Select Video F/X: Transition Effect to open the Add Effects dialog box, where Effect type is the name of the transition effect you want (in GIF Animator all Transition Effects are in the top half of the menu while Filters are below the menu divider).

2	Enter the number of Frames you want the transition to occur over in the Frames entry box.

3	Enter the duration for each frame in the Delay time entry box. This defines the length of time each frame is displayed during the animation.

4	Define the custom settings. These vary for each type of Transition Effect, but usually consist of settings for direction, X & Y coordinates, Soft Edge and Border color.

5	Choose your start frame. To have a frame fade in from 'nothing', select Matte from the Source frame drop-down box. To have it fade in from the active frame, choose the frame title from the Source frame drop-down box.

6	Choose the frame for the end of the transition. (The specified frame can be the currently active frame or the background frame.) If you choose Matte from the Target frame drop-down box, this creates the effect of the active frame fading into the selected color.

7	Click OK.

Related Info:

  Add Effects dialog box


Adding video filter effects

Video Filter effects allow you to enhance a frame by adding specialized filters to it, and in the process adding new frames to give the filter effect animation.

To add a filter effect:

1	Select Video F/X: Filter Effect to open the Apply Filter dialog box (in GIF Animator all Filter Effects are in the bottom half of the menu while Transition Effects are above the menu divider).

2	Enter the number of frames to use for the filter in the Apply this effect to how many frame entry box.

3	Select a Background color, which will be used as a matte, by clicking on the color square to open the Ulead Color Picker dialog box from which you can select a color.

4	Click OK. The filter's dialog box opens.

5	Using the key frame controls, define the custom settings for the filter. Key frame controls allow you to define the filter's parameters at any given point during the sequence. When the filter is applied, the settings are implemented in a gradual manner, creating a smooth transition from key frame to key frame.

6	Click OK.


Ulead on the Web

Select Help: Ulead on the Web to open a submenu and visit Ulead's Web site, take a look at the GIF Animator homepage, or get technical support.


Ulead Homepage

Select Help: Ulead on the Web - Ulead Homepage to open your default Web browser and go to Ulead's homepage.


GIF Animator Homepage

Select Help: Ulead on the Web - GIF Animator Homepage to open your default Web browser and go directly to the GIF Animator homepage at Ulead's Web site.


Technical Support

Select to open your default Web browser and go to Ulead's technical support services.


Startup Wizard

Runs the Startup Wizard.

Related Info:

  Startup Wizard


Order Now!

Select Help: Order Now! to purchase the full version of Ulead GIF Animator.


Online Registration

Select Help: Online Registration to open your default browser and register your copy of GIF Animator.


Credits
Credits:

Online Help: Joy Hsieh, Bennet Sy, Sean Bobb, and Flor Ching

Program: Steve Chen, Rubing Chiu, Evan, Debby Chiang, and Jeff Wang


Internet Explorer

Previews the saved animation in Microsoft Internet Explorer (4.0 and above).


Netscape Navigator

Previews the saved animation in Netscape Navigator.


Export

Allows you to export your animated GIF in a variety of ways for different purposes.

As HTML File [Ctrl+Alt+S] This generates the appropriate code for embedding your animated GIF into an HTML document. It creates a stand-alone HTML file with the <IMG SRC> tag, which you can cut and paste into your own HTML document, as well as creating the GIF file associated with the tag.

As an Active Desktop Item Makes the GIF animation a part of the Microsoft Windows 98/ME/2000 Active Desktop.

As Animation Package (EXE) Opens the Export Animation Package dialog box which allows you to create stand-alone animated GIFs that can be viewed on your desktop simply by double-clicking them.

Related Info:

  Exporting an animation


Changing object properties

Using the Object Manager Panel

The Object Manager Panel can be used to quickly change an object's transparency, visibility and position lock.

1	Select the objects you want to change.

2	To set the visibility or position lock, click the respective icons next to one of the selected objects.

3	Set the transparency by entering a value in the Transparency box, or click and hold the slider button while you drag the slider to the desired value.

Using the Object Properties dialog box

The Object Properties dialog box can be used for setting an object's name, transparency, visibility, shadow, size, position, and its position lock. When multiple objects are selected, the Object Properties dialog box can be used to change the transparency, visibility and position lock for all the selected objects.

1	Select the objects you want to change.

2	Double-click one of the selected objects in the Object Manager Panel or in the workspace to open the Object Properties dialog box.

3	On the General tab, you can define the object's name, visibility (Show), transparency, and shadow (Select Shadow then click Options to open the Shadow dialog box, where you can set the shadow attributes).

4	On the Position and Size tab, you can change the object's size and set its exact position in pixels. There is also an option for locking the object in its current position, so you cannot accidentally move it.

5	Click OK.

Related Info:

  Object Properties dialog box


Tweening frames

Tweening is a method for creating or updating intermediate frames between two frames containing the same objects but with different attributes - either different positions or transparency. By doing this, the objects appear to be moving or fading when the animation is played.

Preparing for tweening:

The following procedure outlines how to prepare for position tweening; however, a similar procedure can be used for transparency tweening.

1	In order to prepare your objects for position tweening, you should first decide which frames you will use for the start and end frames.

2	Position the objects in the start frame the way you would like them to appear before the movement begins.

3	Position the objects in the end frame the way you would like them to appear when the movement ceases.

Creating newly tweened frames:

This following procedure outlines how to insert tweened frames into your animation; however, a similar procedure can be used for updating intermediate frames.

Note: While the Tween dialog box is open, you can select frames and/or objects in the workspace, Frame Panel or Object Manager Panel. This is so you can adjust what you would like to tween or select intermediate frames that you would like to update.

1	Select Frame: Tween.

2	On the Frame tab, select the Start and End Key Frames by entering the frame numbers in the respective boxes.

3	In the How to generate frames section, select Insert frames and then define the number of frames you would like to use to complete the tweening. A larger number of frames will create a smoother animation, but will also increase the file size.

4	Enter a value in the Frame delay box, which will define the duration each frame will be displayed in 1/100th of a second.

5	On the Objects tab, select to tween all visible objects or only those selected.

6	 Select to tween the objects' position and/or transparency.

7	Click Start Preview to preview the animation in the workspace and the Frame Panel. Click Stop Preview when done.

8	Click OK when you are satisfied.

Related Info:

  Tween dialog box


Other methods that can be used to open the Object Properties dialog box include:

Right-click a selected object in the Object Manager Panel or in the workspace, then select Object Properties… from the pop-up menu.

Select Object: Object Properties….

Select an object with the pick tool, then select Properties on the Attribute toolbar.

With objects selected, click Object Manager Commands on the Object Manager Panel toolbar, and select Object Properties… from the pop-up menu.


The Color Palette for the Local Palette is read-only in order to prevent inexperienced users from inadvertently re-indexing it; an act which is unrecoverable. For experienced users that would like to be able to edit the Local Palette, you may use the Index Editor, which is available when saving the animation file.


Other methods that can be used to open the Synchronize Objects Across Frames dialog box include:

Select Frame: Synchronize Objects Across Frames.

Select the Synchronize Objects Across Frames icon from the Standard toolbar.


Making multiple selections:

Press [Ctrl] while clicking an object, file, frame etc. to make or clear multiple selections individually. Ex. You only want to select file2 and file4 from a folder containing 10 files named file1-file10.

Press [Shift] while clicking an object, file, frame etc. to make or clear a selection range. Ex. You want to select file2-file6, from a folder containing 10 files named file1-file10. Select file2 then press [Shift] and click file6.


When selecting to save the frames as JPEG, you also have the option of setting the compression value. The lower the compression, the smaller the file, however, you should note that lower compression values also decrease the image quality. The default value of 90 is probably sufficient for most images.


Frames exported as part of a sequence will all have the same name but be numbered according to their order in the original GIF animation. For example, if you were to choose ‘Sunset’ as the shared name, and chose to save the files as PNG then the new files would be named ‘sunset001.png’, sunset002.png, and so on.


When the number of frames defined for the banner text exceeds the number of frames available in the current animation, new frames will be created with the final frame used by the banner as the background.


The text object must be located within the bounding box that is visible in the Preview window, otherwise it will not be displayed. The bounding box is useful when you want to use more than one banner object on the same frames. By resizing the bounding box, it is possible to create another banner object in the remaining space.


Tween

Tweening is a method for automatically creating or updating intermediate frames between two frames containing the same objects but with different attributes - either different positions or transparency. By doing this, the objects appear to be moving or fading when the animation is played.


Resize Image

Opens the Resize Image dialog box where you can resize the canvas size and objects simultaneously. This is especially useful when you want to resize the objects proportionately with the canvas size.

Related Info:

  Resize Image dialog box


All

Creates a selection area, selecting the entire image.


Invert

Selects all unselected areas while deselecting all selected areas in the image.


Preferences dialog box
  General	  Optimize
  Plug-in Filters	  Add Image/Video
  Open/Save	  Edit
  Preview

Enter the location of any Adobe PhotoShop-compatible 32-bit plug-in you would like to use in Ulead GIF Animator. You can enter up to four separate folders.

Note: Subfolders located within a parent folder are included with the selected parent folder.

All changes made to this tab will take effect after GIF Animator is restarted.

Related Info:

  Adding additional plug-in filters


Save Video File dialog box

The Save Video File dialog box allows you to define the parameters used when creating a video file from an animation.

Save in The folder in which you want to save your file.

File name The name of the file you are saving.

Save as type The file format the file will be saved as. Available formats include AVI, MPEG, and MOV, among others.

Subject Information saved with file, describing the content. This information is only visible when you view it from within a video editing program, or in dialog boxes for importing videos.

Description Type a description of the file contents to describe in more detail the file’s purpose. This is not compulsory but is very useful for search purposes.

Recently opened files list Displays all the folders that you have accessed to open video files. You have to open a file from the folder for it to be shown in the list.

Options Click to open the Video Save Options dialog box for available compression schemes and choose settings for creating the video file.

Browse Opens the Browse dialog box where you can search for video files in the folders in your computer. Use this if you want to overwrite an existing file in your computer.

  Related Topics


Exporting videos

You can export any animation as a video file in GIF Animator in order to save your animations in a file format more conducive to higher quality and higher frame-rates.

To export an animation as a video:

1	Select File: Save As - Video File on the Menu Command bar.

2	When the Save Video File dialog box opens, enter the file name, subject line, and a short description.

3	To set up the parameters of your video, click the Options button.

4	When you're done, click OK to close the Video Save Options dialog box.

5	Click Save and GIF Animator creates a video file of your GIF animation.

Note: When exporting animations as video files, the video frame rate is calculated by dividing 100 by the average delay time from all of the frames. The maximum frame rate allowed is 30 frames per second. (For example, if an animation's average delay time is 45, then its frame rate per second when output as video will be 2.2.) Videos are also outputted as 24-bit files (True Color) with the frame size determined by the dimensions of the canvas.

  Related Topics


Creating HTML

Use Export As HTML File function in GIF Animator to produce an HTML file with the GIF file embedded in it. If you want to use the GIF file in your Web page, just copy the <IMG SRC> tag then paste it in an existing HTML file. Also, make sure that your GIF file is in the same directory as the Web page. To output the HTML code for GIF animation, select File: Export - As HTML File.


Adding additional plug-in filters

To expand GIF Animator's range, you can load 32-bit Adobe PhotoShop compatible plug-ins and use them on individual image layers. If an image contains a transparent region, this portion of the image is treated as a mask and the filter is applied only to the non-transparent portion.

To add additional plug-ins:

1	Select File: Preferences from the Menu Command bar. The Preferences dialog box opens.

2	Click the Plug-in Filters tab.

3	Enter the path and folder information for the plug-ins that you wish to use.

4	Click OK.

Note: You will need to restart GIF Animator before these changes take effect.

Related Info:

  Preferences dialog box


What's New in GIF Animator 5
What's New in Ulead GIF Animator 5

Ulead GIF Animator just got better. The most recent version of GIF Animator now allows you to work in True Color, giving you more enhancement tools and flexibility to work with when creating your animated masterpieces. Now, you can also work with objects within your frames allowing more editing options and creativity. There are a number of new features and improvements in GIF Animator 5. Below is a list of some of the key features that GIF Animator 5 has added or improved on to better meet the needs of the most demanding animators. Click on the topics below to learn more.

New and Improved User Interface	Edit Outside of GIF Animator
Enhanced Editing Tools	Text Object Versatility
Object Tweening	Synchronize Objects Across Frames
Improved Banner Text	New Video Special Effects
More Output Options	Greater Optimization Control
Object Manager Panel	Index Editor
Related Info:

  Getting Started


GIF Animator 5 has added two new video special effects to the already numerous effects available. Try out the Color Replace and Color Shift effects and be amazed on what effects you can achieve.


GIF Animator 5's user interface is redesigned to make creating animations much easier and convenient. The three mode tabs in the workspace tell you all you need to do to create animations in GIF Animator. Also, you can now work in a True Color environment and view a true color preview right in the workspace in Edit mode. The different panels in this version of GIF Animator can also be repositioned to where you want them and are fully dockable, giving you the flexibility on how you want to work in GIF Animator.

Related Info:

  Workspace


The Object Manager Panel controls a common pool of objects used in the animation project with each object being displayed as a thumbnail with its vital attributes. The Object Manager Panel also provides you with various useful options that you can use to better manage and edit the objects in the animation.

Related Info:

  Object Manager


This version of Ulead GIF Animator comes with more and enhanced editing tools that you can use to spruce up your animation images. The Text, Eyedropper, and Pick tools are just a few of the tools that are added in. The Transform tool is now enhanced allowing you to resize and rotate an object to any angle. Also, the Selection tools became more powerful with the addition of options such as Soft edge and Anti-aliasing. You can now load selections from file.

Related Info:

  Tool Panel


You can now edit and enhance the frames in GIF Animator using an outside image-editing application. GIF Animator allows you to use an outside image-editing program (while still in GIF Animator) for those more complicated editing and enhancements then just update the revisions made to the frames inside GIF Animator.

Related Info:

  Favorite Image Editor

  Organize Favorite Image Editor dialog box


Let GIF Animator create the animation sequence for you. Object Tweening generates intermediate positions and transparency settings for the selected objects in your animation. Just determine the desired initial and end attributes of the object and then let Object Tweening do the rest.

Related Info:

  Tween dialog box


The Text tool gives you the ability to create text captions for your project. Text objects created in GIF Animator can still be edited after being placed in the workspace giving you room to make mistakes. Also, there is an option that allows you to break apart the text object into individual characters allowing you to edit each character on its own.

Related Info:

  Tool Panel

  Text Entry dialog box


Create stunning banner text objects in GIF Animator. In this version, there are more options and enhancements that you can do for your banner text objects such as combining effects and control over text character attributes. Banner text objects can also now be re-edited after being placed in the workspace.

Related Info:

  Banner Text

  Add/Edit Banner Text dialog box


The new feature Synchronize Objects Across Frames in this version of GIF Animator allows you to make the selected object's attributes correspond for the selected or all the frames in your project. This gives you an easier alternative when you insert or edit an object in your animation and want its attributes to be synchronized throughout the whole project.


This version of GIF Animator lets you display side-by-side before and after previews and display real-time optimized results and file sizes. There are also more options to choose from regarding how you want to compress the image. Options such as Lossy GIF Compression and Dither Control are available for you to be able to fine-tune the compression scheme. There is now also an option where you can compress the image based on file size or compression ratio.

Related Info:

  Optimize mode


GIF Animator 5 gives you more export options. You can now export your animation in the PhotoImpact UFO and PhotoShop PSD file format. You can now also export your animation in True Color by using the Macromedia Flash file format (*.SWF) and save your animations as movie files using the MPEG, Microsoft AVI or Apple QuickTime Movie (*.MOV) file formats.


The Index Editor allows you to further optimize the GIF animation file. There is usually a compromise between the file size and quality of GIF animations, with the Index Editor you can manipulate the colors used and therefore achieve better results. With the file size and quality of animated files being of utmost importance, the Index Editor comes in very handy.


Modes tabs: an overview
Mode tabs: an overview

There are three distinct operating modes in GIF Animator 5: Edit, Optimize, and Preview. In Edit mode, you can more or less do any kind of editing imaginable. You can use the different tools in the Tool Panel, use the different functions available like tweening and adding animated banner text or even edit the frame in an outside image-editing program. The Optimize mode allows you to experiment with different optimization settings for your animation. This allows you to fine-tune the animation file to get better results with the file size and quality. Use the different functions available on the Attribute Toolbar to get the optimization setting you need. Finally, the Preview mode gives you an HTML-based preview of your animation, displaying how it will play when transmitted on the web.

  Related Topics


Preferences dialog box
  General	  Optimize
  Plug-in Filters	  Add Image/Video
  Open/Save	  Edit
  Preview

The Preview preferences dialog box lets you customize which browsers are assigned to the Preview buttons on the Standard toolbar.

Available browser(s)

Microsoft Internet Explorer - GIF Animator automatically detects the location of the latest version of MS IE, if it is installed. However, you can override this by deselecting the Auto-detect option and then by clicking the browse button in order to locate a previous version.

Netscape Navigator - GIF Animator also automatically detects the location of the latest version of Netscape Navigator, if it is installed. However, you can override this by deselecting the Auto-detect option and then by clicking the browse button in order to locate a previous version.

Other browsers

Custom browser - Lets you assign the browser of your choice, along with its icon, to this button on the Standard toolbar. This is especially useful for assigning a non-"Big-Two" browser, such as Opera or Lynx, for cross-browser compatibility testing.

Related Info:

  Preview in Custom Browser

  Previewing animations


Preferences dialog box
  General	  Optimize
  Plug-in Filters	  Add Image/Video
  Open/Save	  Edit
  Preview

Optimize preset manager This group of controls lets you organize the presets that you've customized and saved in the Optimize tab. All previously saved presets are listed in the window. You can rearrange the order of presets by selecting one, and then moving it with the arrows below the list.

Set selection as default Select a preset from the list, and then click this button to set it as the default optimization preset. The name of the selected preset appears in the gray window below this button.

Default preset Choose this option if you want to use current settings in the Optimize tab the next time you run GIF Animator. This is convenient if you have files that you want to optimize consecutively on the fly, and you don't want to save the optimization settings to your list of presets.

  Related Topics


Redo

Redoes the previous action or actions. To redo a previous step, simply click the Redo button on the Standard Toolbar. To redo to a specific action, click the arrow next to the button. A drop-down menu will appear with a list of steps that you applied to your project. Simply select one from this list, and the program will redo the actions to that step.

[Ctrl+Y]


Color Palette

The Color Palette is where you can view and edit the Global Palette of your animation or view the local palette of each animation frame. As with the other toolbars, it can be displayed or hidden according to your preference. In addition to the color palette itself, a plethora of tools give you greater flexibility and control over the colors that you want to use for your animation.

Related Info:

  Local Palette

  Defining your palette

  Using the Color Palette


Batch Process

The Batch Process feature lets you optimize a quantity of GIF files at a time without having to open and optimize each one individually. This is useful if you have animations that are similar in character and/or require the same optimization settings. You can use settings that you've created and saved in the Optimize tab. Select File: Batch Process to open the Batch Process dialog box.

[Ctrl+B]

Related Info:

  Batch Process dialog box


Add Banner Text

Opens the Add Banner Text dialog box where you can create your banner text. Banner text effects let you create vivid and exciting banner animations to use in conjunction with a short animation sequence, or use them simply on their own. To add a Banner text effect, select Frame: Add Banner Text.

[Ctrl+Alt+B]

Related Info:

  Add/Edit Banner Text dialog box

  Adding banner text


Adding a neon banner

Let your text radiate with an eye-catching neon banner. In addition to setting the size and color of the neon glow, you can also control the speed at which the neon glow radiates.

To add a neon banner to your animation:

1	Select Frame: Add Banner Text to open the Add Banner Text dialog box.

2	Click the Neon tab and select Neon.

3	Specify the Direction of the neon effect for the selected text object.

4	In the Width box, enter the thickness value for the neon effect.

5	To change the neon color effect, click the Color square to open the Ulead Color Picker dialog box and select the color you want.

6	Select Glow to make the neon effect fade-in and out in the course of the animation or select Transparency to make the text transparent so that only the neon effect is visible.

7	Click OK.

Related Info:

  Add/Edit Banner Text dialog box


Paintbrush Tool

In Edit mode, this tool lets you draw on your image by painting on it using the foreground color. To use this tool, simply select it from the Tool panel then draw directly on your image (you have to select an object layer or add a blank object first before you can start drawing).

Related Info:

  Tool Panel


Selection Tool - Rectangle

Use this tool to make a rectangular selection on your image. When you click on this tool, the cursor changes to a cross. Drag on the image until you have created the desired selection area.

Related Info:

  Tool Panel


Selection Tool - Magic Wand

This tool lets you select an area based on color. Select this tool from the Tool Panel, and then click on a specific color in the image. On the Attribute Toolbar, select Connected pixels only if you only want to search the adjacent pixels where the mouse was clicked.

Related Info:

  Tool Panel


Selection Tool - Lasso

Use this tool to create irregularly shaped selection areas on your image. To use it, select this tool from the Tool Panel and then click on the image to create connecting points. Double-click at the end of your selection to connect the end point with the starting point.

Related Info:

  Tool Panel


Fill Tool

This tool fills an area of similarly colored pixels with the foreground color. After selecting an object layer, you can either first create a selection area to be filled, or you can directly fill a portion of the object. To use the Fill Tool, select it from the Tool Panel, then click on the portion of the image that you want to fill. On the Attribute Toolbar, select Fill connected pixels only if you only want to fill the adjacent pixels where the mouse was clicked. Also, select Allow painting in transparent areas if you want to be able to fill the transparent areas in your animation.

Related Info:

  Tool Panel


Eraser Tool

The Eraser Tool lets you remove colors from your image. Select the Eraser Tool from the Tool Panel, and then paint on those colors in the image that you want to erase. Hold down the left mouse button while erasing to reveal the layer underneath. Use the Transparency and Soft edge options on the Attribute Toolbar, if you want to adjust the erasing pressure of the Eraser Tool.

Related Info:

  Tool Panel


Zoom In

Click on this icon on the Tool Panel to zoom in on the image. You can also press the + key on the keyboard to achieve the same results. Click the Actual View icon to return to a view of the image at actual size.

Related Info:

  Tool Panel


Zoom Out

Click on this icon on the Tool Panel to zoom out of the image. You can also press the - key on the keyboard to achieve the same results. Click the Actual View icon to return to a view of the image at actual size.

Related Info:

  Tool Panel


Foreground Color

Displays the current foreground color being used. This is the color used when using the Paintbrush and Fill Tools. To change the color, click on the color square. This opens the Ulead Color Picker dialog box where you can set the Foreground color.

Related Info:

  Tool Panel


Background Color

Displays the current background color being used. To change the color, click on the color square. This opens the Ulead Color Picker dialog box where you can set the Background color. The background color also serves as the matte for a transparent frame. The matte (background color) will be used when using filters and video special effects.

Related Info:

  Tool Panel


Preview in Custom Browser

This button lets you preview your animation within the browser of your choice.

To assign a browser to the Preview in Custom Browser button:

1	Select File: Preferences from the Menu Command bar. The Preferences dialog box opens.

2	Select the Preview tab.

3	Under Other browsers, click the browse button. The Browse dialog box opens.

4	Locate the primary executable file of the browser that you want to use and then click Open to close the browse dialog box.

5	Click OK to close the Preferences dialog box.

Related Info:

  Preferences dialog box

  Previewing animations


Edit mode

 Edit mode can be engaged by selecting the Edit tab above the workspace. In Edit mode, you can edit the content of each frame. You can paint on them, add new images, or even edit the frame using an outside image-editing program. Set the color of the Paintbrush or Fill tools with the foreground color. Clicking the icon engages the Ulead Color Picker where you can select the color you want for your foreground color. The Tool Panel contains all the editing tools available in GIF Animator. This Tool Panel can be repositioned in the workspace according to how you want to work in GIF Animator.


Optimize mode

The Optimize mode is where you can work on compressing and optimizing files for transmission on the Web. In this mode, you can use one of three ways to optimize your file:

1.	Access the Optimization Wizard by clicking the Optimization Wizard button on the Attribute Toolbar or selecting File: Optimization Wizard.

2.	Make your own custom settings by adjusting the options you want on the Attribute Toolbar and Optimize Panel.

3.	Compress by size by clicking Compress by Size on the Attribute Toolbar.

Click Here to find out more settings on the Attribute Toolbar.

After you've optimized your animation, you can preview it in Preview mode.

Optimize Now After you've selected a preset or made your custom settings, click here to optimize your file. This button is only enabled when the Auto Optimize When Settings Changed in the Attribute Toolbar is deselected.

Save Click to save the animation as an animated GIF file after the optimization process is completed.

File size/Download time Displays the comparison between the pre-optimized file size and download time with the optimized file size and download time. It gives real time comparisons when there is a change in the modem speed or optimize settings.

Modem Speed Menu Click to open a list of modem speeds. Select from the different modem speeds to view the probable time it will take for the optimized image to be downloaded.

Note: In Optimize mode, all image editing tools are disabled. To edit image objects, simply switch to Edit mode.

  Related Topics


Preview mode

This mode lets you preview your animation as it will appear on the Web. For this "Web preview" to work, you must have Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher, or Windows 98 or higher. If you don't have Internet Explorer 4.0 or above then the Preview tab might not appear.

Note: You can also preview your animations by clicking a browser button on the Standard toolbar and having GIF Animator invoke external browsers. Customize these buttons in the Preview tab of the File: Preferences Menu Command bar.

Related Info:

  Preferences dialog box

  Preview in Custom Browser


Color Palette - Local Palette

The Local Palette shows all the colors used in the current frame. You can access this in the Optimize mode by clicking Show/Hide Optimize Panel on the Attribute Toolbar and on the Local Palette tab select Preserve Local Palette then select one of the options. The Color Palette should also be opened, you can do this by clicking the Show/Hide Color Palette on the Attribute Toolbar.

The Local Palette is Read-only. If you want to edit the colors in the Local Palette, you have to use the Index Editor.

Related Info:

  Color Palette


Batch Process dialog box

The Import source options let you select the source files that you want to include in the batch optimization, while the Optimization preset option lets you specify the color settings.

By folder Selects all the GIF files in a folder. Select the Include subfolders option to select all the files in the subfolders.

By files Lets you select individual files from a single or multiple locations. In the Select Files dialog box, you can gather all the files you want, and then save them as a set that you can load for later use (file sets are marked with the *.UAF file extension).

Create new files Select this option to save optimized GIFs as separate files. If left unchecked, the original files will be replaced with the new optimized files. If you want to save the optimized GIFs as new files and remove the original files, select the Delete original files option.

Optimization preset Select from a list of color presets that you want to use for the selected files.


Adding an animated file into the current animation

You can place one animation file on top of another one to create a single animation, effectively putting an animation within an animation. This works well when you are using an animated object with a transparent background to merge with the existing animation.

To add an animated file:

1	In Edit mode, select the frame where you want the first frame of the inserted animation file to start.

2	Select File: Add Image.

3	In the Add Image dialog box, select the animated GIF file that you want to insert.

4	At the bottom of the dialog box, select Insert in the current frame then select Distribute to individual frames if input consists of multiple frames.

5	Click Open.


Advanced Options dialog box

Lossy GIF optimization Removes pixels from the image, based on the value that you enter. The higher the value, the more pixels will be removed, and the smaller the resulting file size.

Palette attributes

Palette Select the palette that you would like to use to optimize the file.

Load Palette Click to use a previously saved palette to replace the current palette or selected indices.

Method In the Choose GIF optimization engine category, select the method with which you want to optimize your GIF.

Weight Specify the color channel that you want to emphasize. This prompts the program to favor colors from a certain color channel (Red, Green, or Blue) when building the color palette.

Web snap Converts the selected color to the nearest Web-safe color.

Interlaced frames Select if you want the image to load gradually into the Web browser.

Related info:

  Optimization Wizard

  Creating compact GIF animation files


Optimized Creates a Global Palette by calculating the most predominant colors in the image and adding them to the Global Palette.

Browser safe Creates a Global Palette matching colors from an image's original palette with a predefined set of 216 "Web-safe" colors.

User defined Creates a Global Palette based on colors from a palette that you have previously saved (*.PAL).


Median Cut Results in file sizes that are smaller than Minimum Variance, but generally creates images of lesser quality. If small file sizes are important, choose this method.

Minimum Variance Results in a larger file size than Median Cut, but generally, the quality is better. However, if your image has a small area with colors that are distinctly different from the rest of the image, you might get better results by using the Median Cut method.


Export Animation Package dialog box

This dialog box is used to create an executable file (EXE) that automatically plays your animation independent of a browser. This means that you can play the animation directly on the desktop, which is perfect for creating personalized animated greeting cards.

Message box style After your animation has finished, you can have a special message pop-up. The items listed in this dialog box are Windows clipart files (EMF and GIF). A thumbnail of the selected file is shown below the list. Click the Import Style button to find other backgrounds on your computer. Selecting the Custom dimensions option allows you to change the size of the message box if needed.

Select GIF file Displays the location and file name of the file currently opened. If you don't have an animation already open, you can select one here.

Select sound file Click the browse button to find a WAV or MID file to play during your animation.

Generate executable file Select the destination where you want the packaged animation to be saved in and enter a file name for the packaged animation.

Loop infinitely or Loop count Specify the number of times you want your animation repeated. If Loop infinitely is selected, the viewer has to click on the animation for it to end.

Go to URL Specify a URL or Web address to go to when the user clicks on the animation.

Lock animation to center of screen The animation is played in the middle of the screen.

Start and End frame position Select from where you want the animation to start moving onto the screen and where it will "dock" before the animation starts playing.

Enter message Type your message in the text box.

Font This opens the Font dialog box where you can set the font, style, color, and size of the text.

Related Info:

  Exporting an animation


Exporting an animation

This procedure allows you to save your GIF animation as an EXE file that can automatically open and play your animation without using any outside programs.

To export an animation:

1	Open a finished GIF animation.

2	On the File menu, select Export: As Animation Package (EXE).

3	Modify your animation by adding a message or additional motion (see Animation Packager dialog box for more information).

4	In the ensuing dialog box that appears, click OK to save the EXE file inside the folder you selected and send it as an e-mail attachment. Or, click the Show Me button to preview the animation.

Related Info:

  Export Animation Package dialog box


Welcome to GIF Animator
Welcome to Ulead GIF Animator

Ulead GIF Animator is the only program you need to create great looking animations. Whether you are creating animations for the Web, presentations, and multimedia files or simply just want to impress your friends, GIF Animator provides you with all the necessary tools.

  The Object Tweening function in GIF Animator helps generate the animation for you. With just a series of clicks your animation is done, it does not get easier than that.

  The multitude of editing tools such as the Paintbrush, Eyedropper, Fill, and Selection tools gives you the ability to further edit and enhance your images.

  Creating animated text banners for your Web pages is a snap with the Banner Text function.

  There are various video filters and video effects that you can use for your animations to make them more interesting and unique.

These are only a few things you can expect in GIF Animator. With an impressive array of editing, enhancement, and animation options, there's no need to look further than GIF Animator for your animation needs. To help you get started in producing your animated creations with GIF Animator, read first the section Getting Started.

Related Info:

  What's New in Ulead GIF Animator 5


Reading this help

Ulead GIF Animator online help now has a new look. The new format of Explorer View Help offers the complete table of contents and is now conveniently located at the left side of the help window. To choose a help topic to view, simply double-click a book on the browser pane and then select a topic you want to learn more about. The information will then be shown on the right side of the help window.

This help provides aids that make navigating through related topics easier:

Links you to other related topics.

This usually appears in dialog box and procedure topics. It displays information regarding other tabs in a dialog box or other related procedures.

Jumps to the related nested dialog box.

Pops up extra information to enhance understanding.

Related Info:

  Welcome to Ulead GIF Animator


Shortcuts

GIF Animator contains shortcut keys to help you work more efficiently.
  View a list of all shortcuts


Shortcuts to print
Shortcuts	  Back to main page

File Menu

Ctrl + N	Creates a new image file.

Ctrl + O	Opens a folder where you last saved an image file.

Ctrl+S	Saves the current image file/Saves the image as an UGA File.

Ctrl+Shift+S	Saves the image as a GIF File.

Ctrl+E	Saves the image in frames.

Ins	Opens the Add Image dialog box.

F11	Opens the Optimization Wizard dialog box.

Ctrl+B	Opens the Batch Process dialog box.

Ctrl+Alt+S	Saves the file in HTML format.

F6	Displays the Preferences dialog box.

Edit Menu

Ctrl+Z	Undoes the last menu command.

Ctrl+Y	Redoes the last menu command.

Ctrl+X	Cuts the current selection.

Ctrl+C	Copies the current selection to the clipboard.

Shift+Ctrl+C	Copies all object information in the selected frame and places it in the clipboard. When pasted, all objects are merged as a single object.

Ctrl+V	Pastes the currently cut/copied object from the clipboard.

Del	Makes the selection area transparent.

Ctrl+G	Opens the Canvas Size dialog box.

Ctrl+R	Cuts away unused area.

View Menu

Ctrl+1	Displays an image at its actual size.

+	Zooms in progressively on the image.

-	Zooms out progressively on the image.

Object Menu

Ctrl+Alt+D	Adds a new blank object with the same dimensions as the canvas.

Ctrl+D	Replicates the selected object in the workspace.

Shift+E	Opens the Text Entry dialog box.

Ctrl+Shift+Enter	Opens the Object Properties dialog box.

Frame Menu

Ctrl+Alt+B	Opens the Add Banner Text dialog box.

Ctrl+T	Opens the Tween dialog box.

Ctrl+Alt+F	Adds a new frame.

Ctrl+F	Duplicates the selected frame.

Help Menu

F1	Opens the GIF Animator online help.

Shift+F1	Activates the Context Sensitive Help. Click on the item in question to open the help related article.


Contacting Ulead Systems
How to contact us

International

info@ulead.com.tw

http://www.ulead.com

North America

info@ulead.com

http://www.ulead.com

Germany

info@ulead.de

http://www.ulead.de

Japan

info@ulead.co.jp

http://www.ulead.co.jp


Technical Support

Please visit the following Web sites for support on your products:

America = URL:  http://support.ulead.com/

Germany = URL:  http://www.ulead.de/tech/tech.htm

Japan = URL:  http://www.ulead.co.jp/tech/tech.htm

Taiwan = URL:  http//www.ulead.com.tw/ulead/twsuppform.cfm


New dialog box

Canvas size Select a predefined size from the Size drop-down menu or enter custom Width and Height dimensions in the respective entry boxes.

Add a Preset Opens a dialog box to add customized canvas sizes to the Size drop-down menu.

Delete a Preset Remove predefined or customized canvas sizes from the Size drop-down menu.

Canvas appearance

Solid color background object Click on the color square to open the Ulead Color Picker dialog box, where you can select a color for the background object.

Fully transparent The transparent background is displayed as a checkerboard in the new image.


Open Video File/Add Video dialog box

Opening a video file creates a new animation file, setting the canvas size according to the video dimensions and using the video as the background object. From the Add Video dialog box, you can browse for the desired video file, select it, and preview it before inserting it into your animated GIF file.

Look in Find the desired folder.

View the contents of the next higher folder in your system.

Toggles between displaying the folders on your desktop and the folder you last viewed.

Create a new folder.

Lists names.

Lists names with statistics.

File name Enter a name to identify the files selected for opening.

Files of type Select a particular file format for opening.

Subject Displays general topic information on a file entered by the creator of the project.

Description Displays general information about the file, entered by the creator of the project.

Recently opened files list Displays all the folders that you have accessed to open video files. You have to open a file from the folder for it to be shown in the list.

Duration Opens the Duration dialog box, where you can select specific frames that you want to open from the selected video file.

Info Click to open the Properties dialog box. This displays information about the selected file.

Browse Search for files or folders.

Preview Click to display the selected file contents in the preview window. This allows you to view the file before opening it.

Auto play Select to play the file immediately after selecting it from the file name list box.

Mute Select to view the video clip without its audio content.

Related Info:

  Adding video


Save As dialog box

GIF File

Open in GIF Index Editor Opens the file in the GIF Index Editor after saving for advanced optimization features.

UGA/PSD/UFO

Option Opens the Save Options dialog box for defining the file compression.

Macromedia Flash (with BMP Options)

Transparent background Select to maintain transparency for the BMP file.

FPS (Frames Per Second) Select the number of frames per second for the Flash file.

Macromedia Flash (with JPEG Options)

Quality Select a compression ratio for the JPEG image.

Subsampling Select a subsampling method for the JPEG image.

FPS (Frames Per Second) Select the number of frames per second for the Flash file.

Default Resets the Quality and Subsampling options to their defaults.

The following attributes occur on all Save As dialog boxes:

Save in Find the desired folder.

View the contents of the next higher folder in your system.

Toggles between displaying the folders on your desktop and the folder you last viewed.

Create a new folder.

Lists names.

Lists names with statistics.

File name Enter a name to identify the files selected for saving.

Save as type Lists the available file formats.

Related Info:

  Save As


Select Files dialog box

OK Closes the dialog box and saves any changes you have made.

Cancel Closes the dialog box without saving any changes.

Add Opens the dialog box to add new files to batch file list.

Remove Removes the selected file from the batch file list.

Remove All Removes all the files from the file list.

Load File Set Opens the dialog box to load a saved file set and list out all the GIF files which are included. Then, you may re-arrange the set by adding more or removing GIF files.

Save File Set Allows you to save the selected GIF files by batch in Ulead GIF Animator File Set Format - *.uga. This file set can be used again by clicking the Load File Set button.


Organize Favorite Image Editor dialog box

GIF Animator lets you use other image-editing applications to adjust your graphics.

Image editors Displays all image-editing applications currently associated with GIF Animator.

OK Accepts the changes made in the dialog box and closes it.

Cancel Closes the dialog box without saving changes.

Add Click to open the Add Favorite Image Editor dialog box where you can define an image-editing application that can be launched to edit the graphics used in your animations.

Edit Click to select the image editor in the Edit Favorite Image Editor dialog box and replace with a new one.

Delete Remove the selected image-editing application from the Organize Favorite Image Editor dialog box.

Related Info:

  Editing objects


Add to/Edit Favorite Image Editor List dialog box

Program name Enter the name for the image-editing program you would like to add to the Organize Favorite Image Editor dialog box.

Command Click the Browse button to search for the *.exe program used to launch the image-editing application.

Browse Search for the executable file used to launch the image-editing application.


Update from Favorite Image Editor dialog box

After making adjustments in an image-editing application, saving or closing the image will relaunch GIF Animator with this dialog box.

Close the session and delete the temporary file Select to remove the connection to the temporary file opened in the image-editing application. Any additional adjustments made to the file in the image-editing application will not update the image in GIF Animator.

Yes Accept the changes made to the image file.

No Reject the changes made to the image file. If after closing the dialog box, you decide to apply the changes after all, select Edit: Favorite Image Editor - Simultaneously Update Image.


Canvas Size dialog box

Resizes the underlying canvas only. All the objects remain unchanged.

New size Enter the new Width and Height in the boxes provided, either in pixels or as a percent of the current dimensions.

Keep aspect ratio Maintains the horizontal and vertical proportions for the image when resizing.

Sizing reference Select how the objects should be repositioned after the canvas has been resized.

By position Repositions the objects according to the position button selected.

Offset by Repositions the objects according to the defined horizontal and vertical offsets.


 The canvas is also known as the logical screen.


Resize Image dialog box ; Dialog boxes
Resize Image dialog box

Resizes the canvas and all the objects.

Canvas size Enter the new Width and Height in the boxes provided, either in pixels or as a percent of the current dimensions.

Keep aspect ratio Maintains the horizontal and vertical proportions for the image when resizing.

Quality Select the resampling quality. The higher the image quality the larger the file size.


Global Information dialog box

Looping Select infinite to have the animation repeat itself indefinitely, or define the number of repeats in the entry box provided.

Comment block Enter a comment you wish to include in the animated GIF. These commands will only be visible when the animated GIF file is opened in an editor.


Synchronize Objects Across Frames dialog box

Select source image Select the source frame from the drop-down menu.

Objects to synchronize Select to synchronize all the objects or only those selected.

Apply the following attributes

X-offset Synchronize the horizontal position of the objects.

Y-offset Synchronize the vertical position of the objects.

Transparency Synchronize the transparency of the objects.

Visibility Synchronize the visibility of the objects

Lock Synchronize the position lock attribute of the objects.

Merge mode Synchronize the composite characteristics of the objects.

Apply to Apply the synchronization to all frames or only those selected.

Related Info:

  Changing object attributes globally


Shadow dialog box

Shadow Select to add shadow to the selected object.

Color Click the color square to choose a color for the shadow.

Direction Select the direction for the shadow to fall.

X- and Y-offset Set the offset in pixels for the shadow.

Tilt angle Adjust the angle of inclination of the shadow.

Perspective Adjust the perspective of an image to make the object appear as if it has depth or distance. This is only available in floor shadow option.

Transparency Set a low value to have a darker shadow and a high value to allow more of the base image to show through the shadow.

Shadow size Select the size of the shadow in relation to the size of the image or selection. For example, a value of 100 creates a shadow the same size as the image and a value of 200 creates a shadow twice the size of the image.

Soft edge Set a higher value to blend the shadow more smoothly into the background.

Preview Displays how changes will affect the actual image before applying them.


As the value increases, the blend starts closer to the center of the shadow. Higher values cause more of the shadow to fade into the background.


Object Properties dialog box
  General	  Position and Size

Allows you to review and change the characteristics of the selected object.

Name Change the name of the object so that you can easily identify it.

Show Select to keep the object visible in the image. Clear to hide the object.

Merge Determine which composite characteristics of the object you want to apply to the base image.

Transparency Set a higher value to make the object more transparent. This allows other images below the object to show through more clearly.

Shadow Select to add a shadow to the object.

Options Opens the Shadow dialog box where you can define the shadow's attributes.

Preview Select to see how the changes will affect the actual object before applying them.

Related Info:

  Changing object properties


Determines how PhotoImpact blends colors with the underlying image. The options you have for blending images depends on the color model of your image and the selected tool and dialog box.


Object Properties dialog box
  General	  Position and Size

Allows you to review and change the characteristics of the selected object.

Position Displays the object’s top-left coordinates. Enter new coordinates to move the object.

Lock Anchors the object to its position on the image.

Size Choose the desired size for the image.

Unit Percent changes the size in proportion to the original; Pixels allow you to specify the exact size for the image in pixels.

Keep aspect ratio Maintains the horizontal and vertical proportion for the image when resizing.

Preview Select to see how the changes will affect the actual object before applying them.

Related Info:

  Changing object properties


Add/Edit Banner Text dialog box
  Text	  Effect
  Frame Control	  Neon

Font Select a font type from the drop-down list which automatically displays a preview of the font.

Size Select the font size.

Color Box Select the color of the text. Click on the box to change the color.

Shadow Click to open the Shadow dialog box where you can set and define a shadow for the text object.

Style Select the font style.

Alignment Select the alignment.

Anti-aliasing Select to smooth out rough edges of a moved text object.

Kerning Select to reduce the spacing between certain pairs of letters to improve their appearance. When a font is created, each character is given an invisible box that includes some space so that the letters don't overlap when displayed or printed. Some pairs of characters such as A and V, look better if the boxes overlap slightly, reducing the gap between them without overlapping the characters themselves.

Vertical Select to rotate the text 90 degrees clockwise.

Line spacing Adjusts the gap between the lines of your text. The higher the value the larger the gap.

Baseline shift Adjusts the vertical position of the selected text. A positive value will position the selected text below the original baseline; a negative value positions it above.

Character spacing Adjusts the gap between each character of the text. The higher the value the larger the gap.

Fit in window Select to have the typed text fit in the text entry box of the dialog box, regardless of the font size. This option is available only when Rich Edit Control 3.0 or above is installed in your computer.

The following attributes occur on all Banner Text dialog boxes:

Banner Area Displays the x and y positions of your banner area in the preview window.

Text Object Displays the x and y positions of your text object in the preview window.

Zoom In Increases the magnification of your image.

Zoom Out Decreases the magnification of your image.

Actual View Resizes your image to 1x (100%) magnification.

Center the text in banner area Centers the text object horizontally and vertically within the banner frame.

Start/Stop Preview Click to display the selected banner animation in the banner area of the preview window.

OK Clicking opens a pop-up menu where you can choose how you want the banner text added.

Create as Individual Objects Select to add the banner text to your animation as individual objects, which can no longer be edited with the Banner Text dialog box.

Create as Banner Text Select to add the banner text to your animation as banner objects which can be modified later by selecting Frame: Edit Banner Text.

Cancel Closes the dialog box without adding the banner text.

Related Info:

  Adding banner text


Add/Edit Banner Text dialog box
  Text	  Effect
  Frame Control	  Neon

Enter scene Select to include an effect of text moving into the animation, then select an effect from the list.

Frames Select the number of frames to complete the move-in effect.

Exit scene Select to include an effect of text moving out of the animation, then select an effect from the list.

Frames Select the number of frames to complete the move-out effect.

Related Info:

  Adding banner text


Add/Edit Banner Text dialog box
  Text	  Effect
  Frame Control	  Neon

Delay time Set the delay time between frames in the animation or the speed of the animation.

Key frame delay Set the delay time for key frames in the animation. Key frames occur when the banner text has completed one action and is about to go on to the next. For example, if you have your text scrolling from right to left, key frames will occur in the middle, after the text has scrolled in from the right and before it has scrolled out to the left. When you set a higher Key frame delay, the text will pause longer in the middle of the scrolling sequence. When you set a lower Key frame delay, the text will appear to scroll across the frame without pausing.

Distribute to frames Select to have the banner object interlaced with the underlying animation. Otherwise the banner object will create new frames using the currently selected frame as the background.

Related Info:

  Adding banner text


Add/Edit Banner Text dialog box
  Text	  Effect
  Frame Control	  Neon

Neon Select to add neon effect to the text.

Direction Select to add the neon effect inside/outside the text object or on both sides.

Width Set the width for the neon effect.

Color Click the color square to open the Ulead Color Picker dialog box where you can select a color.

Glow Select to have the neon effect fade in and out over the course of the animation.

Transparency Select to make the text transparent so that only the neon effect is visible.

Related Info:

  Adding a neon banner


Tween dialog box
  Frame	  Objects

Start from frame Select the frame from which the tweening should begin.

End in frame Select the final frame to be included in the tweening.

How to generate frames

Insert frames Select the number of frames to be inserted between the Start and End Key Frames.

Update intermediate frames Select to adjust the object properties for frames between the Start and End Key Frames.

Update selected frames Select to adjust the object properties for the selected frames only.

Frame delay Set the delay time between frames in the animation, or the speed of the animation. (Only enabled for Insert frames.)

Start/Stop Preview Click to preview the animation in the workspace.

Related Info:

  Tweening frames


Tween dialog box
  Frame	  Objects

Objects to tween

All showing object Select to tween all visible objects.

Currently selected objects Select to tween only the selected objects.

Object attributes to tween

Position Select to tween the position of the objects.

Transparency Select to tween the transparency of the objects.

Start/Stop Preview Click to preview the animation in the workspace.

Related Info:

  Tweening frames


Frame Properties dialog box

Attributes

Delay Set the delay time between frames in the animation or the speed of the animation.

Removal method Select the method for switching to the next frame.

Frame title Enter a title for the frame. This is what will appear above the frame in the Frame Panel.


Smart GIF Animator automatically selects for you the removal method (either Do Not Remove or To Background) based on the content of the frames.

Do Not Remove Places each frame on top of the previous frame.

To Background Removes the image, replacing it with the background color.

To Previous State Removes the image, showing the previously shown layer.

Web Browser Decides Switches layers according to the default method for the Web browser used to show the animated GIF.

Note: Some Web browsers do not support certain removal settings. If you use a setting that a browser does not support, the default method for that browser is used.


Text Entry dialog box

Text Entry Box Enter text for the image. To create a paragraph return, just press Enter.

Show/Hide Options Button Click to reduce the size of the Text Entry dialog box. The resulting dialog box will not have the options available, only the workspace.

Font Select the font for the text.

Script Select the script language you want from the drop-down list.

Size Select the size of the font.

Style Select the style of the text.

Alignment Select the alignment of the text.

Color Box Select the color of the text. Click on the color box to change the color.

Line spacing Adjusts the gap between the lines of your text. The higher the value the larger the gap.

Baseline shift Adjusts the vertical position of the selected text. A positive value will position the selected text below the original baseline; a negative value positions it above.

Character spacing Adjusts the gap between each character of the text. The higher the value, the larger the gap.

Anti-aliasing Select to smooth out rough edges of a moved text object.

Vertical Select to rotate the text 90 degrees clockwise.

Kerning Select to reduce the spacing between certain pairs of letters to improve their appearance. When a font is created, each character is given an invisible box that includes some space so that the letters don't overlap when displayed or printed. Some pairs of characters such as A and V, look better if the boxes overlap slightly, reducing the gap between them without overlapping the characters themselves.

Fit in window Select to fit the entire text in the workspace window.


Compress by Size dialog box

Allows you to optimize your files by compressing them according to file size or compression ratio.

Desired file size Select to be able to enter the target file size in Bytes or Kilobytes for the animation file.

Compression ratio Select to be able to enter the desired compression ratio for the animation file.


Gradient Fill dialog box

Fill type Specify how you would like to apply fill to your image. You may fill your object with gradually changing colors starting from one point and extending along a straight line to another point, extending outward to the sides, or in a circular fashion.

Fill colors Fills the selected image with the specified range of colors.

Color mode Determines how the colors change in a gradient fill.


RGB Follows the colors found in a straight line connecting the start and end colors in the RGB cube.

HSB Clockwise Follows the colors found in a continuous arc going clockwise around the HSB cone from the start to end color.

HSB Counterclockwise Follows the colors found in a continuous arc going counterclockwise around the HSB cone from the end to start color.


Insert Frame Options dialog box

Insert in the current frame The inserted file will become an object in the currently selected frame.

Distribute to individual frames if input consists of multiple frames Select to have the inserted file interlaced with the underlying animation. This option is only available when the inserted file consists of multiple layers, such as a GIF animation file or a video file.

Insert as a new frame Automatically create new blank frames to use as the background for the newly inserted file.

Show this message box next time Select to have this dialog box appear the next time you drag an image file into GIF Animator.


Active Desktop Item dialog box

Item Name Enter a name for the new active desktop item.

Position Enter the coordinates where you would like to place the active desktop item.


Advanced Options dialog box

Image as matte Displays the path of your selected file.

Load File Click to open the Load Matte Image File dialog box where you can select the desired image file.

Offset Enter a value to define the image's X- and Y-offset. This shifts the image a number of pixels based on the entered value. Negative values move the image left and down while positive values move the image right and up.


Preferences dialog box
  General	  Optimize
  Plug-in Filters	  Add Image/Video
  Open/Save	  Edit
  Preview

Add image/video Set the default option(s) on how you want to insert image files into GIF Animator when dragging and dropping from another program.

Insert in the current frame The inserted file will become an object in the currently selected frame.

Distribute to individual frames if input consists of multiple frames Select to have the inserted file interlaced with the underlying animation. This option is only available when the inserted file consists of multiple layers, such as a GIF animation file.

Insert as new frame(s) Automatically create new blank frames to use as the background for the newly inserted file.

Ask when dragging and dropping image files Select to open the Insert Frame Options dialog box before the file is inserted. Here, you can set options on how you want to insert the frames of the image file. When left unselected, the options set here will be applied.

Add video Set the options on how you want to insert video files into GIF Animator.

Insert in the current frame The inserted file will become an object in the currently selected frame. The number of objects created will depend on the number of frames of the video file.

Distribute to individual frames if input consists of multiple frames Select to have the inserted file interlaced with the underlying animation. This option is only available when the inserted file consists of multiple layers, such as a GIF animation file or a video file.

Insert as new frame(s) Automatically create new blank frames to use as the background for the newly inserted file.

Ask when adding videos Select to open the Insert Frame Options dialog box before the video file is inserted. Here, you can set options on how you want to insert the frames of the video file. When left unselected, the options set here will be applied.

Related Info:

  Adding video

  Adding image objects


Preferences dialog box
  General	  Optimize
  Plug-in Filters	  Add Image/Video
  Open/Save	  Edit
  Preview

Show message when there are unsupported features in UFO files (object merge mode) GIF Animator only supports UFO file objects that have merge modes set to "Always". Select to have a warning message pop-up whenever the UFO file contain objects that have merge modes set to other modes besides "Always". Deselect to have GIF Animator automatically change the mode to "Always" for objects that don't have "Always" as their merge mode.

Ask when opening PSD/PSP files Select to open the Open PSD/PSP file dialog box where you can select how you want to open the file. When left unselected, the options set here will be applied.

Open each layer as an object Select to have the individual objects in your file inserted as separate objects in GIF Animator.

Open the composite image or first frame only Select to merge all the objects into the base image before opening therefore only one object is created.

Favorite image editor

Show tips when launching the favorite image editor Select to have a helpful tip appear before the frame is opened in the favorite image editor.

Show tips when closing a previous session of your favorite image editor Select to have a warning message appear when there is already an existing temporary file opened in the favorite image editor for the current frame. When left deselected, a new temporary file is created.

Show tips when your favorite image editor is still open when closing a project Select to have a warning message appear before opening a new project when the current project has a temporary file opened in the image editor.


Preferences dialog box
  General	  Optimize
  Plug-in Filters	  Add Image/Video
  Open/Save	  Edit
  Preview

Resize

Ask when needing to convert to an image object for resizing Select to have a warning message appear when an object in the animation, usually a path or text object, has to be converted into an image object first before the image is resized. Path or text objects that have a 3D transform applied to them using an image editor will have to be converted into image objects first.

Show warnings when resizing banner text objects Select to have a warning message appear when resizing an image with a banner object.

Generation quality Specify the generation quality when objects are transformed (resized). Select "Best" when you want the finest quality and "Fair" when you don't want GIF Animator to smoothen your object when transformed.

Ask when converting an advanced text color to a normal color Select to have a warning message appear when you are trying to change an advance text color to a color option available in the color box in the Text Entry Box.


Reverse Frame Order dialog box

Reverse the order of the entire animation Rearrange the order of the whole animation sequence making the last frame of the animation as the first frame and vice versa, the second frame as the second to the last and vice versa and so on.

Reverse the order of the selected frames Rearrange the order of a select number of frames making the last frame of the animation as the first frame and vice versa, the second frame as the second to the last and vice versa and so on.


Save Optimization Preset dialog box

Preset name Enter a name to define the preset.

Set as default Set this preset to be used as the default optimization setting.


Copy Merged

Copies all object information in the selected frame and places it in the clipboard. When pasted, all objects are merged as a single object.

[Shift+Ctrl+C]

Related Info:

  Use the Windows Clipboard with GIF Animator


Make Selection Area Transparent

Makes the selected area in the selected object layer transparent.

[Del]


Favorite Image Editor

Opens a submenu where you can select an image-editing application (that supports UFO and PSD file formats) to edit the selected frame in the workspace. After selecting a frame, click the Favorite Image Editor button on the Standard Toolbar, edit the contents of that frame in the selected image-application program.

Related Info:

  Editing objects


Organize Favorite Image Editor

Opens the Organize Favorite Image Editor dialog box where you can specify an image-editing application to use if you want to edit the frame contents outside GIF Animator. This is especially useful if you want to use tools that are not available in GIF Animator. If you have more than one image-editing application, select the one you want to use as default on the Favorite Image Editor submenu or on the Standard Toolbar.

Related Info:

  Organize Favorite Image Editor dialog box

  Add to/Edit Favorite Image Editor List dialog box


Simultaneously Update Image

The Update Favorite Image Editor dialog box pops up the first time you edit a frame outside GIF Animator. When the option Close the session and delete the temporary file is selected, the next time you modify the same frame using the same temporary file in the external image-editing program, any additional adjustments to the file will not be reflected in GIF Animator.

Related Info:

  Update from Favorite Image Editor dialog box


Close the Session

Breaks the link between your favorite image editor and GIF Animator. Any further updates you made to the temporary file opened in your favorite image editor will not be reflected in the file that is currently opened in GIF Animator.


Canvas Size

Opens the Canvas Size dialog box if you want to expand the current canvas size of the project. This is useful especially when you miscalculated the canvas size of your first opened the project.

[Ctrl+G]

Related Info:

  Canvas Size dialog box


Play Animation

Allows you to view the animation right in the workspace.


Stop Animation

Stops the animation playing in the workspace.


Object Manager Panel

Displays all the objects in your current project. If you are having trouble finding an object in your project, simply click that object in the Object Manager Panel to select it. You can drag thumbnails around within the Object Manager Panel to change their depth or layer in the image. Shortcut buttons are available on the Object Manager Panel for quick access to commands like Duplicate Object(s) and Delete Object(s). You can also select what objects will be visible and adjust an object's transparency here. You can also change the position of the Object Manager Panel by double-clicking it then dragging it to a new position.


Optimize Panel

This is only available when working in Optimize mode. This opens the Optimize Panel where you can determine several settings to optimize the animation project before saving. Click on the various elements in Optimize Panel below to know more about the functions available in the Optimize Panel.


Delete Object(s)

Erases the selected object in the workspace. Press Ctrl+Z to undo this action if you delete an object by mistake.

Related Info:

  Removing objects and frames


New Blank Object

Adds a new transparent object in the workspace with the same dimensions as the canvas. This is useful when wanting to use the Paintbrush Tool to draw on the canvas.

[Ctrl+Alt+D]


Duplicate Object(s)

Replicates the selected object in the workspace. When multiple objects are duplicated, a new object is created for each one.

[Ctrl+D]

Related Info:

  Duplicating objects and frames


Trim Object(s)

Trims excess borders for those image objects which have added to GIF Animator to make the area surrounding transparent. This is helpful in making the alignment of objects more accurate.


Combine as Single Object

Merges the selected objects into one object. To separate the objects again, just press Ctrl+Z.

Related Info:

  Merging images


Distribute to Frames

Spreads out the selected objects of the selected frame to the succeeding frames. If there are no succeeding frames after the selected frame, new frames are created. Depending on the number of objects selected, the number of frames the objects are distributed to will differ. Each object will be distributed to its own frame with the first selected object remaining in the current frame selected.


Text

Opens a pop-up menu where you can edit the text object selected, add a neon effect to it or break up the characters into individual objects.


Edit Text

Only available when a text object is selected. This opens the Text Entry dialog box where you can view and edit the selected text's attributes. You can also access this by double-clicking or right-clicking on the text object then selecting Text: Edit Text on the pop-up menu.

[Shift+E]

Related Info:

  Text Entry dialog box


Neon

Opens the Neon Settings dialog box where you can add a neon effect to your text object. If you feel that the neon effect is not up to par, try it without the Anti-aliasing option selected in the Text Entry dialog box.

Related Info:

  Add/Edit Banner Text dialog box


Split Text

Breaks up characters in the text object into individual objects. The number of objects created depends on the number of characters the text object has. To merge the characters again, press Ctrl+Z.


Convert to Image

Converts the selected object into an image object. If select this command for a text object, you will no longer be able to edit the content of text.


Split Banner Text

Transforms the banner text into a text object. This is useful if you want to enhance the banner text using a favorite image editor program. When the effect applied to the Banner Text is dropped, each character of the banner text becomes an object in itself.


None

Deselects the selection area made in the workspace.


Non-transparent

Creates a selection area encompassing all the areas in the image that are not transparent.


Load Selection

Allows you to use an image from file as a selection. When you load the image into GIF Animator, a selection is created using the outline of the image opened. If you want to reposition the selection, use a selection tool.


Shadow

Allows you to add a shadow to any type of object in the project. This command can also be accessed in the Object Properties dialog box or right-click an object and select Shadow from the pop-up menu that appears.

Related Info:

  Shadow dialog box


Split Shadow

Select to create another object out of the shadow and separate it from the object. This allows you to edit the object or the shadow only.


Object Properties

Opens the Object Properties dialog box where you can view and adjust relevant attributes regarding the selected object. If you have more than one object selected, you can adjust transparency and lock settings of the selected objects simultaneously. This dialog box can also be accessed by double-clicking on the object or right-clicking on the object then selecting Object Properties on the pop-up menu.

[Ctrl+Shift+Enter]

Related Info:

  Object Properties dialog box

  Changing object properties


Edit Banner Text

Only available when a banner text object is selected in the workspace or in the Object Manager. This opens the Edit Banner Text dialog box where you can adjust the attributes of the banner text.

Related Info:

  Add/Edit Banner Text dialog box


Tween

Lets GIF Animator generate the animation frames based on the selected object's original attributes and the object's new attributes. This opens the Tween dialog box where you can set different options on how to generate the animation.

[Ctrl+T]

Related Info:

  Tween dialog box

  Tweening frames


Synchronize Objects Across Frames

Opens the Synchronize Objects Across Frames dialog box where it allows you to make the selected object's attributes correspond to a selected frame or all frames in your project. This is useful when you insert an object into your animation and want its attributes to be synchronized throughout the whole project.

Related Info:

  Synchronize Objects Across Frames dialog box

  Positioning objects

  Changing object attributes globally


Flatten Frames as Single Object

Creates a new object/layer out of the objects in the selected frame. When multiple frames are selected, the number of new objects created is determined by how many frames are selected.


Add Frame

Adds a single transparent frame with the same project canvas dimensions after the selected frame.

[Ctrl+Alt+F]


Duplicate Frame(s)

Adds a new frame after the selected frame with the same content as the selected frame.

[Ctrl+F]


Delete Frame(s)

Erases the selected frame from the Frame Panel.


Reverse Frame Order

There are two options here on how you can rearrange the frames in your animation. You can rearrange the whole animation sequence making the last frame of the animation as the first frame and vice versa, the second frame as the second to the last and vice versa and so on. You can also do this with a select number of frames. This can create an effect of a "rewind" playback.


Change Frame Order

Assign as First Frame Moves the selected frame to the initial position of the animation sequence making it the first frame.

Move Frame Backward Moves the selected frame one frame back in the animation sequence.

Move Frame Forward Moves the selected frame one frame forward in the animation sequence.

Assign as Last Frame Moves the selected frame to the end position of the animation sequence making it the last frame.


Frame Properties

Opens the Frame Properties dialog box where you can view and edit the selected frame's attributes. If you have more than one frame selected with different frame attributes, the fields will be empty. If you want the attributes to be constant for the frames selected, you can enter the desired attributes and it will be applied to the selected frames.

Related Info:

  Frame Properties dialog box


Online Tutorials

Opens the GIF Animator online tutorials at the Ulead Web site.


Pick Tool

Allows you to select or reposition all types of objects in the workspace. The Move active object(s) only option on the Attribute Toolbar allows you to only move the object selected in the Object Manager Panel. This eliminates the accidental selection of other objects.


Order

Arranges the layer position of the objects in the workspace. You can also arrange the layers of your objects in the Object Manager Panel.

Bring Forward Moves the object up one level.

Send Backward Moves the object down one level.

Bring to Front Moves the object to the highest level.

Send to Back Moves the object to the lowest level.


Align Objects

Using these tools when two or more objects selected results in the objects being aligned in reference to the edges of the bounding box. For example, when two objects are selected and align top is selected, the top side of the lower object in the workspace will be aligned to the top side of the object above it. When only one object is selected, that object will be aligned in reference to the edges of the canvas.

Aligns the centers of the object selected in reference to the canvas edges.


Move active object(s) only

Available on the Pick Tool Attribute Toolbar. Select to only move the selected object in the Object Manager Panel. This is especially useful if you have numerous objects in the workspace. This will prevent you from accidentally selecting and moving other objects.


Text Tool

Allows you to add textual captions to your animation. The color box option provides you with a quick way to change the text color or use a gradient fill for the text object.


Font & Size

Determine the font type and size of the text object.


Color

Select a color for the text object. You can choose to apply a solid color or a Gradient fill.

Ulead Color Picker Opens the Ulead Color Picker dialog box offering colors and special options for choosing a color.

Windows Color Picker Opens the standard Windows color palette for choosing a color.

Foreground/Background Color Reminds you of the current settings and allows you to quickly choose them.

Two Color Gradient Allows you to specify a starting and ending color for the gradient fill of a text object.

Advance Text Color Effect GIF Animator supports only a text object with one color or with a two-color gradient fill. When the text object is edited in PhotoImpact and a multi-colored gradient fill or other types of fill (texture) are used, this option will be selected. When this is selected, you cannot adjust the text attribute of the text object inside GIF Animator. However, you can still edit the text object's content.


Style

Opens a pop-up menu where you can adjust various text attributes. You can smooth jagged edges by selecting Anti-aliasing or rotate your text object 90 degrees clockwise by selecting Vertical. There are also options here where you can add a shadow and create individual objects out of the characters of the text object.


Transparency

Adjust the opacity level of the color used by the Paintbrush Tool. The higher the value, the more the color is transparent therefore showing more of the base image.


Transparency

Determines how much of the underlying image should show through the fill. The higher the value, the more transparent the fill color is.


Connected pixels only

Only available when the Magic Wand selection tool is selected. Select to limit the selection range to the adjacent area where the Magic wand selection tool was clicked. Deselect to have the selection area search encompass the entire workspace.


Fill connected pixels only

Select to limit the Fill Tool's effect to the adjacent area where the mouse button was clicked. Deselect to have the Fill Tool's effect encompass the entire workspace.

Original

Fill connected pixels selected

Fill connected pixels not selected


Shape

Select to use either a square or round shaped brush head.


Size

Adjust the size of the brush head.


Transparency

Adjusts the pressure of the Eraser Tool when applied. The higher the value, the weaker the applied pressure is. The area where eraser was applied to will become transparent and therefore letting the image underneath show through.


Soft edge

Allows for the edges of the brush stroke to blend with the background. The higher the value, the more the edges of the brush stroke blend with the background.


Line

Freehand Allows you to paint freely on the image.

Straight Line Allows you to paint a single straight line. Click where you want to start the line then click again at the end point to create the line.


Allow painting on transparent areas

Select to be able to paint or use the Fill Tool on transparent areas in the workspace. Deselect when you don't want to accidentally paint on or fill transparent areas in the workspace.


Eyedropper Tool

Allows you to select drawing colors visually by clicking on a color in the workspace. Your selected color will be used for the brush when you use the Paintbrush or Fill Tool. The Attribute Toolbar displays the RGB, HSB, and Mask values of the color beneath the eyedropper.


RGB

Displays the Red, Green, and Blue values of the color underneath the Eyedropper Tool.


HSB

Displays the Hue, Saturation, and Brightness values of the color underneath the Eyedropper Tool.


Mask

Displays the Mask value of an object underneath the Eyedropper Tool. The higher the value, the more visible the image is.


Selection Tool - Ellipse

Allows you to create a round selection marquee.

Related Info:

  Tool Panel


Similarity

Drag the slider to define the degree of similarity between the selected pixel and its adjacent pixels.


Soft edge

Feathers the edges of the selection area. Selecting a soft edge also rounds the edges of a square or rectangular selection.


Anti-aliasing

Select to smoothen out the rough edges of the selected text object.


Equal width and height

Select to be able to create a square or circular selection when using the Rectangle or Ellipse selection tool. This option is only enabled for the Rectangle and Ellipse selection tools.


Selection Options

Opens a pop-up menu where there are several options for you to use with the selection tools such as Invert and All. There is also an option here where you can load an image and use it as a selection.


Transform Tool

Allows you to resize and rotate objects in your animation (with the exception of some types of path objects). The Attribute Toolbar contains several items to help control the way you change the selected object's dimensions.


Transform Method

Freely resizes the image. Check the new object properties of the object in the Object Manager Panel. Press Shift to retain the original proportions of the object.

Freely rotates the image. Use the nodes on the corners of the rotation box to rotate the image.


Rotate by degree

Rotates the image by a set value. Enter the rotation value and click  [image]  to rotate clockwise, or click  [image]  to rotate counterclockwise.


Reset center ; Transform Tool, reset center
Reset center

Moves the rotation point back to the center of the object. When Transform Tool is at the Rotate Freely mode, a rotation point appears at the center of the object. You may then move the center to change the reference point around which the object spins.


Frame Panel Commands

Opens a pop-up menu where you can change the thumbnail size of the frames in the Frame Panel and open the Frame Properties dialog box.


Go to First Frame

Goes back to the initial frame of the animation.


Go to Previous Frame

Moves one frame back from the currently selected frame.


Frame information

Displays the frame number of the current frame and the total number of frames of the animation. Click to open the Go To Frame dialog box where you can go directly to a desired frame in the animation.


Go to Next Frame

Moves one frame forward from the currently selected frame.


Go to Last Frame

Goes to the end frame of the animation.


Fit to Thumbnail Size

Restores the window size of the Frame Panel from a larger view to a smaller view to fit the thumbnail size.


Object Manager Commands

Opens a pop-up menu where you can access options that pertain to the use of the Object Manager Panel and also various options that can be used for the selected object in the workspace.


Show Details

This can be found on the Object Manager Commands pop-up menu in the Object Manager Panel. Select to show each object's size and position on the Object Manager Panel; deselect to hide the object's size and position.


Vertical

Select to rotate the selected text object 90 degrees clockwise. Deselect to return the text object to its original orientation. This command is also available in the Text Entry dialog box.


Swap Color

Click to quickly switch the foreground and background color.


Preset

Displays the available Optimized Color Palette presets available. Select one from the drop-down menu.

Add/Delete Optimize Preset

Click [image] to open the dialog box to enter a name for the preset that you want to save to the preset list. Check Set as default if you want the preset to be used as the default optimization setting.

Click [image] to delete the preset that you select from the preset list.


Auto Remove Garbage Pixels

This function works in conjunction with dithering. When dithering is used in optimizing, the resulting optimized image may have some "noise" in it. Press this button to have GIF Animator automatically discard the noise in the optimized image.


Lossy

Removes pixels from the image, based on the value that you enter. The higher the value, the more pixels will be removed, and the smaller the resulting file size.


Transparency

Click to add transparency to your image.


Show objects

Display all objects or show only the visible ones.


Transparency

Set a higher value to make the object more transparent. This allows other images below the object to show through more clearly.


Compress by Size

Allows you to compress the image based on either a target file size or an overall compression ratio.

Related Info:

  Compress by Size dialog box


Auto Optimize When Settings Changed

Select to have GIF Animator automatically apply the new settings and display the optimized image in the Optimized Image Window when there is a change in the optimize settings. When not pressed you have to click the Optimize Now button below the optimized image window to see the image with the new optimized settings.


Show/Hide Optimize Panel

Toggles between showing and hiding the Optimize Panel window. Hide the Optimize Panel window when you feel the workspace is too cluttered or crowded.


Show/Hide Color Palette

Toggles between showing and hiding the Color Palette window. Hide the Color Palette window when you feel the workspace is too cluttered or crowded.


Palette

Select the palette that you would like to use to optimize the file. There are three types of palette to choose from on the drop-down menu.


Method

Choose one of two optimization engines for your image - Median Cut and Minimum Variance.


Weight

Specify the color channel that you want to emphasize. This prompts the program to favor colors from a certain color channel (Red, Green, or Blue) when building the color palette.


Web snap

Converts the selected color to the nearest Web-safe color. The higher the value, the greater number of colors that will be converted.


Load Palette

Opens a color palette file (*.pal) that has previously been saved.


Preserve Local Palette

Select to save the Local Palette to the GIF file.


Local palette for all frames

Select to save the Local Palette of each frame.


Local palette for current frame

Select to preserve the Local Palette in the current frame. When selected, you can change the optimize preset of the selected frame.


Preset

Lets you select a previously saved options file from the drop-down menu.


Remove redundant pixels

Deletes unnecessary or repeated pixels between frames to reduce file size.


Remove comment blocks

Deletes all comment layers to reduce file size.


Color Cell

Displays all the colors contained in the image. Click directly on a color cell to edit it, using the editing tools on the right. Color cells may display different indicators on different corners of the square. Click the buttons on the right panel for details.


Lock Color

Ensures that a color remains in the palette, even if you change palette settings on the Optimize Panel. An indicator on the lower right means that the color has been locked [image]. Once a color has been locked, select that color cell, then click this again to unlock it.


Save Palette

Saves the current color palette to a file (*.pal), which you can use again later.


Edit Current Cell

Lets you edit the selected color in the palette. There are three color selection options for you to choose from on how you want to edit the selected color. After editing the color cell, an icon will appear on its bottom left side [image].


Snap to Web Safe Color

Converts the selected color to its nearest Web-safe color. An indicator on the top middle of the cell and lower left means that the color is Web safe [image].


Create Gradient Palette

Converts three or more selected color cells according to a gradient of your choice. The original colors of the image will be remapped to the new gradient colors, affecting the appearance of the image. After the selected color cells have been re-mapped, there will be an indicator on the lower left on those cells [image].


Add Color to Palette

Allows you to add colors to your palette. There are three color selection options for you to choose from on how you want to add colors to your palette. The added color will be automatically added into the Global Palette with a plus symbol.


Sort Palette Colors

Lets you reorganize the entire color palette according to various criteria: RGB values, Hue, Saturation, or Brightness. This does not remap colors in the image, meaning that the colors in the image remain unchanged.


Sort by R Channel

Reorganizes the selected colors by Red color channel.


Sort by G Channel

Reorganizes the selected colors by Green color channel.


Sort by B Channel

Reorganizes the selected colors by Blue color channel.


Sort by Hue

Reorganizes the selected colors by their hue value with the color cell having the least hue value positioned at the top leftmost corner of the Color Palette.


Sort by Saturation

Reorganizes the selected colors by their saturation value with the color cell having the least saturation value positioned at the top leftmost corner of the Color Palette.


Sort by Brightness

Reorganizes the selected colors by their brightness value with the color cell having the least brightness value positioned at the top leftmost corner of the Color Palette.


Unsorted

Select to return color cells to their original order in the palette.


Delete Color

Removes the selected color from the palette.


Remove Locks and Edits

Removes all Lock and Edit indicators from color cells by unlocking color cells, removing added cells, and returning edited cells to their original colors. Colors that have previously been deleted by you will not be restored to the palette.


Show/Hide Optimized Images

Toggles between showing and hiding the Original and Optimized Images window.


Optimize Panel


Optimize Panel


Optimize Panel


Object Manager Panel - Attributes

	Click to show/hide an object.
	When lock is selected, object cannot be moved.
	Displays the type of object selected.