In this tutorial, I will show you how to create a digital marquee, like the one shown below:



This tutorial will require the use of my Move Layer script for GIMP: FP's Move Layers Script This tutorial was created using GIMP 2.6.6. A pdf of the tutorial has also been attached to the bottom of this post for download.

I also recommend you install these scripts:

Saulgoode's
Combine Background Script
Animation Settings Script

Insanity Prevails
Multi-Layer Action Scripts

Double-click the zip file and place the script in your GIMP scripts folder (ie...C:\Program Files\GIMP-2.0\share\gimp\2.0\scripts). Refresh your scripts and you're ready to go. The script can be located under the Filters > Animation > Move Layer...

The tutorial is not difficult at all, I've just included a LOT of screenshots to minimize confusion. Let's begin....

Step 1 - Create background layer

Open up GIMP and create a new background layer (Mine is 600X 150). Set your foreground color by clicking on the foreground color swatch:



and choose something close to black (I don't recommend complete black as it doesn't quite come out right when using the GIMPressionist filter.) I used color 585858 (or R 88, G 88, B 88).

Fill the background layer with this color. Here's what mine looks like:



Step 2 - Create text layer

Select your text tool and add your text with the desired color. I recommend you use a 'thick' font (I went with Arial Heavy at size 70).



You should now have two layers in the stack:



Right-click on the text layer and choose "Layer to Image Size"



Center the text by clicking on the Move Tool (4-headed arrow) and move the layer as desired.



Step 3 - Paint background

Make your background layer active by clicking on it in the Layers Dialog and then go to Filters > Artistic > GIMPressionist...



A dialog window will open up with several tabs. I'm gonna provide you with the settings I used; however, you may need to adjust them to fit your image size. Additionally, we won't be altering every tab. Just the ones we need to.

Under the Brush Tab, Choose Sphere:



For the Size, choose a Size of 1 and Max/Min choose 6



For the Placement Tab, Choose Evenly Distributed and for Stroke Density, choose 4



For the Color Tab, you can pick what you want. I chose Average under brush, since my layer is one color it doesn't matter. For a multi-color layer, you'll need to choose whatever suits you best.



For the General Tab, I chose Solid and Black and Paint Edges.



If you would like to save this preset for later use, Click on the Presets tab, give it a name in the box next to Save Current... and you can select the preset next time.



Now, choose OK at the bottom of the dialog to paint your background layer.

Step 4 - Paint the text

Do the same thing for the text layer: Filters > Artistic > GIMPressionist... (or if it's the last filter you used, hit Shift+Ctrl+F). Since we just used this filter, all of the settings should still be there. But, if you closed down GIMP and didn't save the preset, you'll need to adjust the settings as described above. Otherwise, we will only change one the General Tab settings. Under the General Tab, choose Transparent and deselect the Paint Edges option.



Click OK at the bottom of the dialog window. This is what we have now:



Step 5 - Adjust text layer as needed

If you zoom in on the image, your layers may not be aligned correctly. Here's what mine looks like (Notice that the text "bubble" are slightly offset from the background layer "bubbles"):



This is easy to fix. Choose your Move Tool (4-headed arrow), click somewhere in the image to make the image active, and use your keyboard arrows to adjust the layer so both of them are aligned:



Step 6 - Animation

Next, with your text layer still active, go to Filters > Animation > Move Layer... and choose these settings:



Hit OK and you'll have 15 text layers.

Step 7 - Combine the layers with the background

Make your background layer active by clicking on it and go to Filters > Animation > Combine Background

When all of the layers are combined, you can delete the very bottom background layer as it is no longer needed.

Step 8 - Save your animation

Using the animation settings script listed at the top of the tutorial, you can quickly adjust the speed of the layers. I set my bottom layer to (1500 ms) to create a slight pause at the beginning of the animation. The remaining frames were set to (75 ms).

Go to File > Save or File > Save As... and save as animated gif.

Your results should look something like so:



And here's a green one:



Let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy!

Art

Wow! That's awesome. I will give it a try. Any chance you can create PDF file too? I also don't see the move layer option when I call up Animation in the filters area.

fencepost, Thanks for the new tutorial.

Thanks fencepost. Another awesome tutorial.

very nice Tony

Nice tutorial!
It reminds me of, "Time Square" in NYC.

Yes it does, I did that one a couple years ago, It was a fun one.

For some reason my computer doesn't like DA and won't download anything from there. Could somebody help me with FPs and IPs scripts?

Tell me which ones you want Eris and I can post or email them to you.

I need Fencepost's Move layers and Insanity Prevails' Multi layer action scripts. Thank you Molly.

Download here Erisian

Thank you d4rkheart. I haven't a clue what is going on with my computer and DA but at least I have the scripts now.

Wich browser are you using?

Thanks d4rkheart, just had them zipped up ready to send. he probably already has the combine bg

Oh, sorry Molly ...you can upload saulgoode script if he want.

no problem, you just beat me to it thats all.

I'm using Firefox. I have no problem downloading at the library which also uses Firefox. The only recent problem I have had is a problem with hackers but I can't see why only my connection with DA downloads is affected though I have at times found it impossible to get onto Gimp Chat as well.

Cool effect.

Thanks for the tutorial, FP. I really need to work more with GIMPressionist, too.