[PhotoComix]

this tutorial require the gmic plugin for gimp
(you may download the plugin here http://gmic.sourceforge.net , 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 )

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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....e022f3934_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...

http://www.gimpchat....file.php?id=716

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

http://www.gimpchat....file.php?id=717



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

[PhotoComix]

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


FOR FILTERS THAT REQUIRE 2 IMAGES 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


We need to change the GMIC input option. (see screenshoot ion top page )

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

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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:

[attachment=0]Screenshot - 10_15_2010 , 1_22_00 PM.jpg[/attachment]


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

http://www.gimpchat....file.php?id=722

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

http://www.gimpchat....file.php?id=723

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.....org/node/14983

FOR WINDOWS

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

read the author comment http://www.gimptalk....on--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.

[donGoGo]

mitico.... 8) G'MIC is 1.4.4.1 or 1.4.4.2 :?:

Quote

but for some reason the naming don't follow the standard of gimp GAP

usa Outputs frames e da Video→Dividi immagine in frame, cosi facendo si può utilizzare GAP :mrgreen:

use Outputs frames and to Video→Split image in frame, doing so you can use GAP :oops: (bad english)

P.S.

Quote

with Gap use Video/split image into frames

sorry lo ha già detto fotocomics....dovevo leggere fino in fondo :mrgreen:
sorry has already said fotocomics.....i had to read to the end