In your reflet image make Obj -2 visible, select it and copy Obj -2 , paste it into your top image like we did
with the first frame. Align: Bottom. Rename this layer: Frame 2. Repeat this procedure untill you have copied and pasted
all five layers from your reflet into your top image. All layers should be aligned to the bottom and renamed. Deselect All Objects.
Hide frame layers 2,3,4 and 5.
This is how my Layer manager looks like:
Close your reflet file
and save the top image with all the new layers as reflet.ufo to your desktop folder.
Our image is a bit large for an animation.
We will resize it first.
Press Control+G to open the resize box and resize to 75%, apply to Image and Objects checked, Keep aspect ratio checked, Method: Bicubic.
Don't worry if you see a small white line appear in your image. We will fix that later.
We will continue with making a frame for our animation. Shift+N to expand your canvas (expand all sides equally checked) and expand your canvas
with 12 pixels, Color: #7d84a9. Select: All. Right click Border:12 pixels Inward. Convert to Object. Arrange: Bring to Front.Shadow: Color
Black. 5th Icon (overall shadow) Tranparency: 65%. Size = 100 Soft Edge:12. Web: Button Designer: Any Shape - Default but change the Bevel Size
to 2 and OK. Deselect.
Expand your canvas , this time with 16 pixels, expand sides equally checked color= #7e8ba9
Expand your canvas, uncheck expand sides equally and this time with 10 pixels to the bottom only. Same color.
Select All. Border: 6 pixels Inward. Convert to Object. Button Designer: Any Shape. Same settings but change the bevel Size to 1. Deselect.
The Horizon: Pick up your Line- and Arrow Tool. Mode: 2D Color: #7d8aa8. Path Panel: Outline tab: Width 1.
Press your Shift Button and draw a straight line a bit longer than the horizon in the painting. If you did not get the white line earlier,
make a new horizon with this line. With your arrow keys position it over the white
line and arrange: Send Backward so it falls behind the inner frame. Adjust transparency if needed. Deselect.
Click to Activate your Stamp Tool and browse to a suitable stamp for this image. I used the pebbles stamp, but you may prefer shells
or other objects. For the pebbles I used Scale: 75. I stamped a few objects. Deselect.
Add your name or watermark to the lower part of the frame.
Save your work.
Open Gif Animator, open an existing file and open your reflet ufo. My Object Manager looks like this:
As you can see the first frame of
our reflet objects is visible the rest (2,3,4 and 5) are hidden.
Right click on Frame 1 in the Frame Panel on the bottom. Frame Properties.
Change the Delay to 20.
Duplicate Frame 1. Using the Object Manager, hide Frame 1 layer and make the Frame 2 layer visible.
Duplicate Frame 2. Using the Object Manager, hide Frame 2 layer and make the Frame 3 layer visible.
Duplicate Frame 3. Using the Object Manager, hide Frame 3 layer and make the Frame 4 layer visible.
Duplicate Frame 4. Using the Object Manager, hide Frame 4 layer and make the Frame 5 layer visible.
Click the Preview tab and watch your animation.
When you are happy with the animation. Click the Optimize tab.
In the Preset Drop Menu: change the preset to Photo 128. My finished animation is about 160 Kb.
Save this animation as: reflet.gif to your desktop folder.
As this file is a bit large for showing on the PhotoImpact International Bulletin Board. We will reduce it to 75% again.
Click the Edit tab. In the main toolbar click Edit and then: Resize Image.
Fill in 400 pixels for the width of the new file, set Quality to best and click OK.
Click the Preview button and check your animation. Click the Optimize button and you will see that we have resized
quite a bit. My image was around 100 Kb. Save this file as reflet-small.gif to your desktop folder.
You are done!. I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial as much as I enjoyed writing it for you.
Please feel free to show your image in the
Show and Tell Forum of the
PhotoImpact International Bulletin Board.