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September 15, 2001
Web Animation: Learning in Motion (cont'd)
Getting Started: Adapting Traditional Animation Techniques
We have all seen enough cartoons to understand the concept of successive still images creating the illusion of motion. This is the basic principle behind film (at 24 frames per second), video (30 fps), and Web animation (usually done at 12 fps to keep file sizes manageable). The more frames per second, the more fluid the motion will appear. An effective way to quickly and easily demonstrate to students the basics of animation is through good, old-fashioned flip books.
Animated GIFs
Prior to computer technology, animation frames were painted by hand before being photographed onto film. Now students can scan hand-drawn, frame-by-frame images into the computer in a similar fashion. The easiest way to create animation in a classroom with minimal software (Windows' basic Paint program or AppleWorks on the Mac) and limited time is animated GIFs. A GIF is an image that is optimized for the Web. By definition it is small in file size due to the low resolution dictated by the Web (72 pixels per inch). This makes GIFs ideal for many reasons: they are easy to manage and can be stored on floppy disks. What's more, any image can be converted to the GIF format. I use GIFConverter for the Mac or Image Thumbnailer and Converter for the PC (both of which are available on the Web) to take images from scans or digital cameras and convert them to the GIF format. Image viewers, also called graphic file managers, can load and save image files as .GIF, .JPEG, or other file formats.
Each image must be saved as a GIF file. Using simple programs, such as GifBuilder for the Mac or GIF Construction Set for the PC, users can import images in sequence and save the file as an animated GIF to be played on any Web browser. These programs allow for controlling the speed of playback and for creating simple transitions between images.
Advanced Techniques for Creating Animated GIFs > > >
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