Gif Animator 5 - Optimized file is larger than original?

Cordata · Post by **Cordata** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 4:02 am

I just started using Gif Animator 5, and either I'm missing something obvious, or I'm going about this all wrong. That's where the more experienced people come in...

The short version is that I created an animated GIF, and after running the optimization wizard against it, the original size shows 123,904 bytes and the compressed size is 1,190,565 bytes. This just doesn't seem right... Help!

The long version is that I:
- created a 375x235 canvas with a transparent background
- added 6 transparent gif images (pictures, not line art) via File, Add Image, with each image being 100x100 pixels and 8-10K in size
- left the first frame blank
- created a second frame and placed one image in the first frame, top left corner
- added a tween (1 -> 2) so the image would fade in.

I then repeated the above process to add new frames and then a tween to fade in the other images.

From there, I ran the optimization wizard, picked the default / "recommended" settings. I ended up with a small original file size and a huge compressed size...

Anyone have any ideas on this? Am I better off creating something like this as a Flash animation instead of an animated gif?

Appreciate any tips that can be thrown my way...

Post by **VikingAnimations** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 1:04 am

The original file size is likely the first image you started with. Then you added a bunch more and did the animation. The type of animation you made (several different images and tweening) generally makes big gif files. The canvas size is also a bit big (375 x 375).

That is why...

A flash file may be the better option, but if you want to preserve the transparency then pick the bitmap option when you save as flash.

Note that adding a swf image to a web page is also not as simple as adding a gif.

Cordata · Post by **Cordata** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 5:45 am

Thank you for the reply.

What you said confirms what I was guessing. I'll have to look at Flash solutions this weekend and go from there. Luckily, it seems that most Flash editors give you the HTML code to plug into your HTML. Now all I have to do is pick a Flash editor and start over.

Thanks again!

Post by **VikingAnimations** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 9:03 am

GIF Animator 5 can save in swf format... or did you miss that part of my post?

Cordata · Post by **Cordata** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 2:46 pm

VikingAnimations wrote:GIF Animator 5 can save in swf format... or did you miss that part of my post?

More of a misinterpreted than a complete miss... I thought you were referring to Flash in general when you advised to pick the bitmap option when saving. I looked at Animator this morning and what you suggested all makes sense now.

Thanks again!