Community Event / Creation How to make a animated sig pic

breakpointUK

breakpointUK
Hi, I have been asked a few times how I made my sig...

CmdrBreakpoint.gif


So I will detail the steps required...

Firstly,

Find a film sequence you like, I used a program called Wondershare, which allows you to download youtube clips and converts them to any movie format you like, there are also some websites that can do it in a browser too.

The basic 640 x 360 film resolution is about right anything bigger won't fit very well in the banner.

Next, Create a 'picture overlay' as in the example above, which is the frame, name and Elite logo, I used Paint Shop Pro which can export transparent (background colour is ignored) gifs, I imagine there are some freeware art packages that can do the same. Use a 500x60 picture size.

I then used Sony Vegas again I imagine there are some freeware apps that you can be used for video editing...

The important thing is that the program can do Video Pan/Crop... so this...
Ex1.png


can be changed to this...
Ex2.png


using the same 500x60 resolution as the ''overlay picture'.

You may need to slice the video up, as the action you want in your animated banner may not appear in the same position throughout the film, this means you change the 'capture window' X and Y (position) Center (see above pictures) for each slice, I would limit yourself to about 20-25 seconds of footage, using the first and last second as fade in and out.

How you export (save/render) the movie is really important, you'll need to use the custom render option (well, in Sony Vegas... again freeware app should be able to do the same).

Remove the Audio (not actually required but cleaner at the render point), change the output size to 500x60 (same as the 'capture window), set quality high should be fine...
Ex3.png


Test the final clip making sure it repeats nicely.

Next...

Download "Free Video to GIF Converter", website address in the picture...
Ex4.png

Load up you new movie file that you rendered and use the settings I have highlighted in the picture.

Create the GIF, it should save it as a repeating gif, if not use a basic free app to set it as a repeating GIF.

Next...

Goto... http://www.online-image-editor.com/ and upload your gif, go to wizards tab and choose picture overlay, uploading the 500x60 transparent gif (frame, name and Elite logo) you created at the beginning. Position and then click apply... Save!

Phew done!
 
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DobrijZmej

DobrijZmej
3.5 megabytes?
People, I understand that now a dedicated communication channel is no surprise, but still the image to sign more than 500 kilobytes, it seems to me too much.
 

breakpointUK

breakpointUK
DobrijZmej said:
3.5 megabytes?
People, I understand that now a dedicated communication channel is no surprise, but still the image to sign more than 500 kilobytes, it seems to me too much.
Click to expand...

3.5 megabytes isn't a lot these days... I admit I could reduce the sig to 128 colours which saves a bit... but once your browser has cached the gif, it will not need to download again.
 

Mobius

Mobius
breakpointUK said:
Hi, I have been asked a few times how I made my sig...

CmdrBreakpoint.gif


So I will detail the steps required...

Firstly,

Find a film sequence you like, I used a program called Wondershare, which allows you to download youtube clips and converts them to any movie format you like, there are also some websites that can do it in a browser too.

The basic 640 x 360 film resolution is about right anything bigger won't fit very well in the banner.

Next, Create a 'picture overlay' as in the example above, which is the frame, name and Elite logo, I used Paint Shop Pro which can export transparent (background colour is ignored) gifs, I imagine there are some freeware art packages that can do the same. Use a 500x60 picture size.

I then used Sony Vegas again I imagine there are some freeware apps that you can be used for video editing...

The important thing is that the program can do Video Pan/Crop... so this...
Ex1.png


can be changed to this...
Ex2.png


using the same 500x60 resolution as the ''overlay picture'.

You may need to slice the video up, as the action you want in your animated banner may not appear in the same position throughout the film, this means you change the 'capture window' X and Y (position) Center (see above pictures) for each slice, I would limit yourself to about 20-25 seconds of footage, using the first and last second as fade in and out.

How you export (save/render) the movie is really important, you'll need to use the custom render option (well, in Sony Vegas... again freeware app should be able to do the same).

Remove the Audio (not actually required but cleaner at the render point), change the output size to 500x60 (same as the 'capture window), set quality high should be fine...
Ex3.png


Test the final clip making sure it repeats nicely.

Next...

Download "Free Video to GIF Converter", website address in the picture...
Ex4.png

Load up you new movie file that you rendered and use the settings I have highlighted in the picture.

Create the GIF, it should save it as a repeating gif, if not use a basic free app to set it as a repeating GIF.

Next...

Goto... http://www.online-image-editor.com/ and upload your gif, go to wizards tab and choose picture overlay, uploading the 500x60 transparent gif (frame, name and Elite logo) you created at the beginning. Position and then click apply... Save!

Phew done!
Click to expand...

May I say that this is an Excellent post A++ and im adding a 5* rating :D. I haven't used the software but I may give it a go tonight to see what I can come up with,
 

DobrijZmej

DobrijZmej
breakpointUK said:
3.5 megabytes isn't a lot these days... I admit I could reduce the sig to 128 colours which saves a bit... but once your browser has cached the gif, it will not need to download again.
Click to expand...

So, it's a little when such signature is one person.... and if 10 people add themselves this image, it will have 35 megabytes.
My tariff includes 2 gigabytes per day, and then I pay at 1.25 cents per megabyte... for me will be a very unpleasant surprise when I left 100 megabytes for the all evening, but I will download them for an hour...
 

breakpointUK

breakpointUK
DobrijZmej said:
So, it's a little when such signature is one person.... and if 10 people add themselves this image, it will have 35 megabytes.
My tariff includes 2 gigabytes per day, and then I pay at 1.25 cents per megabyte... for me will be a very unpleasant surprise when I left 100 megabytes for the all evening, but I will download them for an hour...
Click to expand...

if it becomes the norm, then the forums can have an option to disable images over a certain size (as a personal setting, rather than global)

but, like I said your browser only has to download and cache the gif once... so if 10 people have a 3.5mb gif thats....

2000mb - 35mb = 1965mb and that only needs to happen once, not every day
 
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DobrijZmej

DobrijZmej
I do not want to argue here, all I wanted I said, maybe other forum members will support me, or vice versa, will not support =)
As for your instructions - it is really cool, great job! :cool:
Thank you!
 

Aewarin Jameson

Aewarin Jameson
First - love the guide - thank you. Was wondering what tools you used as making my GIF was a right royal pain in the rear.

Just waiting for someone to link a movie to their sig and all hell's going to break loose! :D
 

Cody

Cody
<dons his curmudgeon's sombrero>

Animated avatars are one thing - too many animated sigs would lead me to disable all sigs in my UCP.
 

breakpointUK

breakpointUK
Cody said:
<dons his curmudgeon's sombrero>

Animated avatars are one thing - too many animated sigs would lead me to disable all sigs in my UCP.
Click to expand...

Agreed... I decided to try and keep it fairly small and clean so it would not annoy. My previous one which Liqua hated (click my avatar to view) was pretty maniac with flashing images everywhere... my current one is meant to a bit easier to view.
 
Last edited:

Cody

Cody
breakpointUK said:
Agreed... I decided to try to the it fairly small and clean so it would not annoy.
Click to expand...
It's not so much that they annoy - it's that the human eye is drawn to peripheral movement (for very good reasons), and that distracts from what one is trying to read (which is hopefully a meaningful post).

Still - no real matter, as I can also block them selectively with AddBlock Plus.
 
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