[Gimp] Make animated (moving) images

Hey good people.
In this tutorial I'll learn you how to make simple gif animations in Gimp.
It's easy, and fun. I made my avatar like that.

Chapters

1. Creating the layers
2. Inserting the images
3. Save it

That was the chapter, I bet each chapter will be short since it's not much to do. Anyway, let's head off!


1. Creating the layers

To do anything with Gimp you have to open it, of course, so open up Gimp.
After you have opened Gimp, create a new image. How big it is doesn't really matter.
Then, open up your layers menu (Ctrl+L), and create some layers. Just make 20 here, since it's an example. Make all layers filled with background colour. The name of every layer should end with (Xms). X is how many milliseconds you want it to last. There's 1000 milliseconds in one second. So, an example of a name should be 'Layer 1(50ms)'. To make the move in the animation smooth you should have 50ms (or less).
Okay, so make the layers. As I said before just make 20 layers here. That wont be a long animation, but I'm just learning you.



If everything went well here we're ready to head over for next chapter.


2. Inserting images

To make an animation you will be needing images to move, obviously.
Here I'll make it simple, just making a dot that moves. So, hold down Shift and press the eye at the first layer. Then select the pencil tool (N) and select a brush with a fitting size. If the biggest brush isn't big enough, set up the scale until it's big enough. Then begin with adding a dot to the background, and then to the next layer a little away from it, and so on.
After adding a dot to all the layers, your layer menu and the image editor window should look like something similar to this.



To check if every thing's correct before saving it go to Filters - Animation - Playback and press Play.
Now you'll see actually how the animation will look like after saving it! Here's how mine looked like.




3. Save it

This is really easy. Just press Ctrl+S while having the Gimp window open.
Name it whateveryoulike.gif . When you click save, you'll get up a window like this. Mark 'Save as animation' and press export.



After clicking export, you'll get up another window. Just leave all those settings by default.

Upload it at ImageShack, or another place that supports animations, and use like hell.
Here's my result:



Thanks for reading my tutorial. Feel free to ask questions, I'll keep updating on request.

 

Thank you for this guide.
Will try it later on.

 

No problem. If you're having any problems just post them here.

 

Thanks, Grats on User-Educator btw

 

Your welcome.
And, thanks

 

Very very nice

 

Thanks, I guess.

 

Thanks so much, I use GIMP all the time on Ubuntu, I REALLY wanted a tutorial for animations

Thanks again!

 

No problem.
I have tried Ubuntu myself, I loved it. But there was several programs that I didn't manage to install.

 

how i download gimp?

 

http://www.gimp.org/downloads/

 

Basic, simple, and helpful.

Good job.

 

Umm I've having some troubles. I made 20 layers, just like you said. Then when I put a dot on one layer, and move on to the next, it still puts the dot on the first layer. Even when I remove the [eye] from it. Do you know the problem?


EDIT: I got it! Thanks alot of tutorial! Here is the gif:

Maybe I shouldn't of made the images too far apart . But it still works! Thanks!

 

how do i add a picture from my file>? and make it move like avatar animation?

 

I either fail at this or Im doing something wrong when your on could you help me??

 

thats awsome tut, i have tried animations but in photoshop, not so good with it at all but this seems simpler

 

Nice job. I love the guide, it's simple and most people use gimp, rather than Photoshop, because either they don't want to download a uTorrent of it, or just can't purchase it.
7/10.

 

I r like dis Nyse

 

Thanks I'll make sure to try it out

 

Thanks for your feedback people! It have been a while since I checked this topic, sorry for the late replies.

Uhm. I didn't really get what you said here now.

Sure, just sign me up at MSN!