Microsoft®
GIF Animator FAQ
Updated February
14, 1997
What
is an animated GIF?
An animated GIF is a file that contains one or
more images that are played back in sequence to produce an animation effect.
It's like a cartoon flipbook, whereby slightly different images are played
back in sequence to simulate motion.
What
is GIF89a?
GIF89a is a file format that is popular on the
Web and that has the ability to store a sequence of still images and flip
through them (like a cartoon flipbook) to create the effect of animation.
GIF89a stands for
the Graphics Interchange Format, and more specifically the version of the
GIF specification that was released and extended in 1989. The Graphics
Interchange Format defines a protocol intended for the online transmission
and interchange of raster graphic data in a way that is independent of
the hardware used in creation or display.
GIF89a Benefits:
- All the previous
benefits of GIF: transparency, compression, interlacing, 1 to 8-bit color
bit depths for optimum size and compression.
- Cell animation.
The ability to store a sequence of still images known as 'frames' and flip
through them like an traditional cartoon flipbook. This gives the perception
of a changing or moving picture.
- Platform independence.
Supported by applications on Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, Sun Microsystems,
Inc., Linux, and Irix.
- Anyone can use
them on their Web site.
- GIF animations
work like any other GIF. Anyone can include GIF animations on their Web
page in an HTML IMG or FIG tag. They can also anchor it (link it to another
place on the Web).
GIF89a Limitations:
- All the previous
limitations of GIF: maximum of 256 colors, photographs are better compressed
by JPEG.
- The animation
can be slowed down or interrupted by other images or controls being downloaded
and other playing animations.
- Animations can
be borrowed as easily as any GIF.
- Many older browsers
do not fully support the GIF89a animation format and display only the first
or last frame.
What
file format do source files have to be in?
Source files can be in a number of file formats,
including TIFF, JPEG, MIC (the native Microsoft® Image Composer file
format), and other formats supported by Image Composer. You can drag files
directly into Microsoft GIF Animator from Image Composer or from other
programs that support OLE drag-and-drop operations.
Why
should I use animated GIFs on my Web site?
Because animated GIFs add eye-catching motion,
you can use them on your Web site to make it more appealing. Moreover,
if you use Microsoft GIF Animator, you don't have to write code or use
a complex animation program to create animations.
Where
can I go to get more information?
A good place to look for more information is Yahoo's
animated
GIF search page.
If you'd like more
technical information about this format, visit the link to the GIF89a specifications
as published by CompuServe: http://emoryi.jpl.nasa.gov/royalef/gifspecs.txt.
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