this tutorial require the gmic plugin for gimp
(you may download the plugin here G'MIC, there is also a command line version but this tut is for the plugin version)

OVERVIEW ON THE "ANIMATED" GMIC FILTER

Gmic offers several “animated” filters , most in the “sequences” submenu



and one, “layer morphing” in the layer submenu



All filters in sequences menu may use a additional output option quite useful for animation
the option is here,



checking " Output Files " allow to save directly all new frames create as numbered sequence in the most commune format as png
(but for some reason the naming don't follow the standard of gimp GAP or of other tool used to manipolate edit and convert frames , a progressive six digit number starting from 000001
...so frames created by gmic may need to be batch renamed to be used by GAP or other video editor)

this group of animated filters is still experimental and the filters may crash when the RAM is not sufficent
..well crash is not exact and give a too dramatic idea;
if there is no sufficent memory available for the task the filter will abort with a error message
but no gimp no gmic would crash ,
( so no risk to lose your previous work or for your system )

####################################################################

TUTORIAL : HOW ANIMATE THE OTHER GMIC FILTERS

Gmic offers very flexible input/output options to allow easily to animate all the other filters
“Animate” not with a fully automated process but speeding up a lot the manual process...let see how:

1 THE MOST COMMUNE CASE, FILTERS REQUIRING 1 LAYER AS INPUT


I use my tag as sample

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/2346652286_fe022f3934_o.jpg

1.obviously we should open the image in Gimp, and call Gmic
Note now the input and output option under the preview window



2) For input the default option “active layer” will work well.
..if for some reason was changed set it back to “active layer”

3) Change now the “Output Mode to “ New Layer(s)”
PLEASE NOTE: change to “New Layer(s)” NOT to “New Active Layer(s)”

Now chose between the available filters that you want use.
I used "Fuzzy Frame" in “Array and Frames”

we must decide now the setting to use for the first and the last frames...
In this case i set to 0 the first 3 paramethers for the first frame:
because in this case that is equivalent to "no changes as the original " that i believe be often the best starting point
for the first frame of a smooth animation



Now instead then OK (that will close GMIC ) we should click on the APPLY button

now we may start with the effect to make thing simple i just by increase by 1 the first 3 values



and again click apply and repeat

Why Looking the preview may be so useful

In this case looking in the preview i may see that at a certain point (after 30 frames) seems better lock the "Hight" paramethers ( or the head of my mascotte would be cropped) and increase only the other 2

then after a few frames "fuziness" arrive at his maximum value possible so i will only increase Widht value till only transpareny is left.

CREATE A PING PONG LOOP

then we may close gmic and use gimp to create a ping pong loop:
No need of gap for then you will need this script
http://flashingtwelve.brickfilms.com/GI ... rstack.scm

1 )save the image but let it open
2) run the reverse layerstack script and delete the top layer
3) Now File/Open as Layer the image you just saved
4) Finish..( you may check the result from Filtes/animation/playback )

NOTE from the screenshoot you may see that as color for the frames i used full transparency
BUt i suggest you if you want avoid complication to use a solid color BG
The complication is that animation with a similar transparent BG will work well only in Replace mode , that would make impossible srhink the gif file size by "optimizing " the gif...(that require usually the "combine" mode or result will be crap )

this i why this file, my final result would take so looong to load...



here i used the Tunnel filter (also in "frames and arrays" ) changing only the first parameter



OK this is only the first part...check after for the rest...

wow very nice tute PC, love what you did with your sig....

@Molly
thank Molly i hope that everything is clear in the tut to this point

############################################################
SOME MORE TIPS

1) FROM IMAGE TO The LAYER EDITED BY GIMP
( how create in-between layers to get a smooth transition )
not all GMIC filters have a setting correspondent to "No Change-As The Original" from where start a smooth transition
(if there usually you will found setting to zero 1 or more of the filter parameters )

in that case you may use gmic "Layer Morphing " for create fill in layers between the original image and the first layer of your animation.

Make sure that to be active is the layer with the original ,call gmic,in the Gmic layer menu chose "layer morphing"



NOTE the "frames" slider : that controls the number of the new "transition" layers

NOTE: if you use GAP this is equivalent to use GAP "morph" without set any control point: is a simple gradual transition

2 Layers Needed 2 as input ?

IF you need or wish to use not only 1 BUT 2 layers as input (ad example some gmic "3D " filter require 2 ,one for the shape ,1 for the texture) you need to change your input option

FOR FILTERS THAT REQUIRE 2 IMAGES AS INPUT

We need to change the GMIC input option. (screenshoot is on top page )

As example arrange in gimp the layers position so the 2 layers result one on top of the other , with the top layer Active
then use as option “Active and Below “

#####################################################################

SAVE THE ANIMATION


Please FIRST save everything as .xcf , the native gimp format, do NOT skip this step

then to share your animation you may export as

SAVE AS .gif

Gif was the most used format to display animations on the web.
The quality of gif is VERY LOW because limited to 255 colors,and a very poor support for transparency, as pro IF optimized file size will be lower then with other format.

If you never used GIMP to save a animated Gif, then process even if simple may be tricky

As first you should “optimize” your animation or the only advantage of save a animation as gif (a smaller file size ) will get lost.
For this use Filters/Animation/Optimize for Gif

then is easy make a mistake when saving gif please look the dialog:




Note the checkbox " as animation"
maybe was designed by a sadist ,since the as default that is left unchecked
..while the only good reason to save something as gif is to get a animated gif
, so CHECK IT!
So TAKE CARE to check that “save as animation“ box and then click OK


SAVE AS .apng (animated png)

apng offer a much higher quality (but bigger file size) then gif ,and is actually well dispayed by most of the browser (Firefox , Opera Google Crome..even recent version of IE )

the way to call the apng plugin is tricky:
usually nothing has to be done to use the file convertion plugin
NOT in this case :
if you just try to save something as image.apng will pop up a warning about apng be "unknow file type" save will fail and you may think the apng plugin doesn't work

BUT IT WORKS:only you have to expand a almost hidden dropdown list in the save dialog..look here



quite hidden in the lower part of the menu the voice to chose to to successfully save as apng



download http://registry.gimp.org/node/24394

SAVE AS SWF (Flash )

GIMP may export your animation as swf thank to third third party plugin as this



FOR LINUX http://www.registry.gimp.org/node/14983

FOR WINDOWS

for windows there is a similar plugin created by James Huang http://www.box.net/shared/htf97ciy3r

[b] read the author comment http://www.gimptalk.com/forum/flash-swf-export-python--t41499.html ,because there is something tricky about the saving path (shortly path should have no embedded empty spaces...So in win you should avoid to save" in "document and setting" or any of its subfolders (as "document" and "image ")
but something as C:/SwfVideo would work...then should be not special character (as è, ç ...) and the first letter of the name should be a uppercase ( C:/swfVideo would NOT work...C:/SwfVideo should work )

if you need to contact (or to say thank ) the developer James H go here
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!5nbbef.RA ... &next=2237
and yes the page is in japonise but he may well read english


SAVE AS VIDEO (.avi, .ogg, .mp4, .mov, .mkv, .flv... )

in theory GAP or other third party plugin may export your animation as AVI

I suggest , instead to export all the animation frames as png
(with Gap use Video/split image into frames , without gap grab this script ) and use a Video editor or one of the many free utility (as example for windows there is SUPER ) to convert in your favorite video format..more flexibility and usually better result.

Am I supposed to make the frames before I do the tutorial? Or do I just keep changing the parameters in the fuzzy frame filter? I'm puzzled. The stuff you posted before the actual tutorial ... is that part of the actual tutorial or is it separate information?

Hy O
"The stuff you posted before the actual tutorial ... is that part of the actual tutorial or is it separate information?"
separate information , for use that sequences filters for animation you have only to set the first frame and last frame values...The tutorial is to animate all the other

"Am I supposed to make the frames before I do the tutorial? "
NO! you should not !

"Or do I just keep changing the parameters in the fuzzy frame filter? I'm puzzled."
only change parameters + a click on APPLY .... then change values again and click again Apply and so on and on
Till the very last frame ,then you may wish to click OKAY to finally close GMIC


PS if happens by mistake to click OKAY instead then APPLY don't worry,
you will have just to call again gmic ,but luckily will restart from last filter used and with last value used, so you may continue from where you left .

PS
"I'm puzzled."

I think you are puzzled because you don't try yet the combination of "OUTPUT OPTION-new layer(s)" + apply for repetetive transformations of the same original layer

Very nicely done! However, it is important to note that the plugin for SWF support is Linux only. It is not compatable with Windows and Mac.

I like the technique. I wish I had the SWF ability, because GIF sucks and PNG is too big and sometimes (like now) doesn't work at all!!!

This image is my sig file on another site, that I animated with G'MIC. Also, it runs like @#$% on IE.

Thank Photomaster

there IS a SWF plugin for windows i just forgot to add the link http://www.box.net/shared/htf97ciy3r
but read also the author comment http://www.gimptalk.com/forum/flash-swf ... 41499.html ,because there is something tricky about the saving path (shortly path should have no embedded empty spaces...So in win you should avoid to save" in "document and setting" or any of its subfolders (as "document" and "image ")
but something as C:/SwfVideo would work...then should be not special character (as è, ç ...) and the first letter of the name should be a uppercase ( C:/swfVideo would NOT work...C:/SwfVideo should work )

Nice effect on the sig

And i forgot to add that is possible also save with much higher quality then with gif as apng (animated png , FF and Opera display them well not sure for IE

and advice that the apng plugin is tricky:
if you just try to save something as image.apng will pop up a warning about apng be "unknow file type" save will fail and you may think the apng plugin doesn't work

BUT IT WORKS:only you have to expand a almost hidden dropdown list in the save dialog..look here



there quite hidden in the lower part of the menu the voice to click on to successfully save as apng

Thanks for your replies, PhotoComix.

The last 5 or 6 frames from G'MIC while I was changing only the width didn't seem to get any smaller so I quit.

The reverse layer stack script came up with two errors so I went to Layers > Stack > Reverse Layer Order after I had duplicated my initial image and saved the duplicate as a separate xcf file.

Then I opened the separate xcf file as layers in my initial layers.

hey thats cool "o" I knew you could do it... woo hoo

mmhh ..maybe saulgoode didn't update the script because same option was added to gimp by that " Layers > Stack > Reverse Layer Order" new entry.

Thank to point out i will edit again the tut to correct this...a bit later because now my ADSL is agonizing and go to about 20kb/sec ..less then a dial up and this make almost impossible post messages here.

Anyway you are less perplex now? you got the idea about how add new layers without have to close and reload gmic ?

Thank you for your tutorial, PC. Much appreciated.

Thank Mahvin !:yes

@ O
Sorry O i may see only now your animation for a while my connetion was so slow that even the emoticon look still.
So obviously you got it...any suggestion on how i may correct my phrasing to explain more clearly ?

"The reverse layer stack script came up with two errors so I went to Layers > Stack > Reverse Layer Order after I had duplicated my initial image and saved the duplicate as a separate xcf file."
thank for the head up...i believe saulgoode didn't update the script because to gimp was added that equivalent command
Layers > Stack > Reverse Layer Order ...i will correct the tut

"The last 5 or 6 frames from G'MIC while I was changing only the width didn't seem to get any smaller so I quit."

Sometimes gmic preview is not too accurate but you may easily check if there is a change
In case of similar doubts do your change ,click apply but taking care to have visible also the image window.
The new layer go on top and are visible, so if you see a subtle sudden change there then the width command work (well it works but is not always reflected in the preview )

you may check even better toggling on off the visibilty of the top layer

(only if you use transparency as frame color ,gradually enlarging transparent area may become almost impossible spot the differences in the image window...only " playback" will show the changes and only after you set animation mode to Replace
...working with transparence would be better do the contary, start from a fully transparent frame and enlarging gradually the visible area till max possible, then changes will become immediatly visible in the image window)

Thanks,Thanks PC today I did it to try. SWF-Export works on Win-XP SP-3.5. Hmmmm, how to open swf in the GIMP?

Nice guitarist and cool effect on the guitarist

about swf...for sure gimp with the swf plugin may export in that format ..i am not sure about reading.

My apng plugin works sometimes and suddenly now stopped working. I'm not sure why, as I have used it many times. The SWF plugin crashes saying, so I will be looking for that package next.

I got the SWF files and it works beautifully! I tried posting it here, but GC doesn't support SWF files.

that seems something that GnuTux may fix...if we ask for