GIF Anim removes my colored backgrounds

Tommie · Post by **Tommie** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:01 pm

On some of my gifs I have a colored background that I want to keep. However, when I open them in GA, the background is transparent.
I know how to replace it frame by frame, but when I have 20 or 30 frames this is Very tedious.
I have used the Optimize tab and set the Matte color to the desired color. That doesn't work. I also tried it with all Frames and Objects selected. In the Preview it plays with the orig background, but after I save it's black. I deselected Transparent, but that gives white and not the color it had before it opened.
I tried saving with the Index Editor. It plays with the correct color in the Preview, but saves to black. (Is it supposed to show identical frames as solid black?)
Any help for this? I really have read the Help, and used the Index. The Index tells me what to do and what to use, but it doesn't say where that option or tool is and I end up doing trial and error for hours.

Regards (smile - go ahead and make me feel stupid)

Post by **VikingAnimations** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:35 pm

Using the Matte will work, but you have to turn off Transparency first. On the Optimization tab's attribute panel, look for this:

Deselect that if it's pressed in, and pick your background color.

The other thing to do is add a background like you have been, but make use of the Synchronize feature on the Standard Toolbar.

Select the background object, and away you go...

The background color you refer to sounds like just the color shown in the thumbnail of the image. If there is a color there, but GA 5 opens it with no background (transparent) then that is the color used as the transparent index, which most programs will display when making a thumb. If GA 5 opens it transparent, that is the way it was intended.

Tommie · Post by **Tommie** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:25 pm

Thanks for the help.
These animations have always played with the bakground color in all viewers. I have no idea why GA removed it.
Anyway your tip was a welcome one.
Is there an easier way to select the exact color? I had to zoom in, get the color, write the values and then enter them in the Matte color selecter. Can I make the selector open Windows color where I can save to custom colors? Or do you know an easier way?

Tommie · Post by **Tommie** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:53 pm

Tried to Sychronize, but it doesn't just add the background. I get identical object in all frames and so no anim. I selected the exact options in your post.
I'll add for a few frames and use the Matte for many.

Thanks anyway

Post by **VikingAnimations** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 6:34 pm

When you synchronize, make sure only the background image is selected in the Object manager, and double-check the synchronization settings to the picture posted above.

GIF Animator doesn't remove backgrounds. I bet it's your viewers.

As for picking the color, have you tried a color picker program?

Tommie · Post by **Tommie** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:06 pm

I understand. I added the color to the first frame background. How do I create just a background. I tried creating a new object, but obviously don't kow what I'm doing.
I have Color Picker, but I have to copy the values from there also. Progam recommendations?
I do really appreciate your help. I'm not usually slow. I just finished resizing 3,700 wallpapers for a wide-screen monitor and also 1024x768. Framed some too. I think pooped is the word. Would love to rest but I am really pushed with a new PC waiting to be built and the person waiting.

Thnx

Post by **VikingAnimations** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:14 pm

Add a new object, and use the fill tool.

I suggest visiting my website and reading the GIF Animator 5 Basics tutorial. It should answer many of the questions you seem to be coming up with here.

I use the color picker that comes with Desktop Sidebar...

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 12:23 am

I think the two of you don't see the forest for the trees.

If a gif is transparent, the background of the page shows through and doesn't need to be part of the animation. At least that is my excuse for using gif format over jpeg or bmp. I often want to use the gif in different places where the background may be different and if the gif is transparent it works with no problem.

Post by **VikingAnimations** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 12:58 am

I think the issue here is perhaps Tommie is not aware that GIF Animator is functioning perfectly here.

Perhaps he isn't familiar with how the GIF format was designed to work, and that viewers (apart from web browsers, which the GIF format was intended) will display gifs with variable results, and he's too used to what he's been seeing with those viewers. That is a possibility...

Tommie · Post by **Tommie** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 9:01 am

I am aware that you are most interested in web design, but that is not the only use for gifs. I am refreshing and changing greeting cards that I have made for email. My family and friends love them and want some more.
I do have some experience.
Most of the cards were created with a solid background frame/object for the background. Often the background is necessary to complete the visual message that is intended, sometimes simply for beauty. These were done so long ago, I don't remem what program I used.
For instance; When GA opens such a file it opens 5 frames of which the first two frames are identical. When Easy GIF Animator and NeoPaint open it, they open 5 frames of which the second frame is the solid background. I then simply select trans or not.
The ones without a frame (dif color edge) open trans in GA, because Ga doesn't find the solid background object imbedded in the file.
I wanted to use GA because I prefer the selection tools (they are much easier to use) and I won't have to use other programs as editors.

Ga is a very good program for web design which I assume it was created for. (It is listed under Web Utilities after all) I certainly don't feel I have wasted my money. I just wish it didn't miss (as does IE) the background frame.
I did read the tutorial on your website and referred to it as I was working. It is very well written and the inserted links are handy.

Solution Background Synchronization:
The created new object has to dragged to the bottom of the object list. Simply creating a new object doesn't work and the fill tool won't work it it isn't in the right position. It also has to be the only object selected to Synchronize.
Frame 1 has to be selected in the Synchronization tool.

Suggestions:
It would be nice to have text under items on the toolbar instead of having to wait for a popup or look at the bottom of the window. I do so much more than gifs and use so many programs, I don't always remem what every icon in every program is for.

The viewers I am using for the cards are ThumbsPlus and XnView. Only gifs saved in GA show black backgrounds in the preview list. (You probably wouldn't notice if you use IfranView, it shows all animations in black background anyway)

Other viewers I have: (I haven't checked GA's preview in these because I have a clean install of XP and don't want to junk it up with temps)
ABView 1.85\ ACDSee 4.0\ AhaView 2.05\ CompuPic Pro 6.22\ DROPVW\ Image Navigator 3.1\
ImageCommander 1.0\ IrfanView\ IVIEW240\ Maniac Gif Viewer\ PixShow v7.86\ PolyVision 32\
ProShow Gold 2.0.1571\ QSHOW\ Warren View\

Other programs I have:
Animated Gif Collection\ Animation Stopwatch 1.0\ Graphic Workshop Pro 2.0a.42\ Gypsee 1.52\
Gypsy Pro 1.4\ NeoPaint 4.6a\ The Complete Animater\ Video Craft Gif Animator\

Thanks again for your time

Post by **VikingAnimations** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 4:29 pm

I'm glad to hear you found the tutorial useful.

Solution Background Synchronization:
The created new object has to dragged to the bottom of the object list. Simply creating a new object doesn't work and the fill tool won't work it it isn't in the right position. It also has to be the only object selected to Synchronize.
Frame 1 has to be selected in the Synchronization tool.

I am aware the new object for the background has to be at the bottom, and I assumed you would know that as well. The screen shot showed the correct way to do it. Note that the frame selected isn't necessarily frame 1 - it's whatever frame you added the background object to. If the new object was added when you had frame 9 selected, then frame 9 would be the source frame.

I'm not sure what you mean by "it's not in the right position."

IrfanView's background color can be changed to any color you want - check out "Options, Properties."

We shall see if the programmers at Ulead do anything with that text suggestion. GA 5 hasn't been updated in a very long time now.

Anyway, it seems a solution has been found.

Happy Animating!

Alludo USER to USER Web Board

GIF Anim removes my colored backgrounds

GIF Anim removes my colored backgrounds

Worked great

Sychronize

Background image