webchyck
12-27-2006, 04:31 PM
I thought I would share how I created my animated layout with the flowers (http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2116&cat=500&ppuser=8) on it as I don't think I shared it here at DAQ. I have emailed this to people but figured why not post it for all!
I created the base layout, just like you would a regular page. Saved it in its layered state (.psd file) and then Saved For Web (which creates a merged-layer .jpg) as a separate document. I went back to the layered .psd version, turned each of the flowers a bit, then Saved For Web again, creating a second .jpg (I named them with numbers: dopey01, dopey02, etc). I did this six times to get a full rotation on each flower. Closed the .psd file (didn't save it again, since I wanted to preserve the original format and wasn't sure I was back in the original position with each flower). Then, I opened up all of the .jpgs and created a new document that was the same size as the web-saved .jpgs (ie 600 x 600 pixels at 72 dpi). Dragged and dropped (made sure to hold down the shift key so that the pages would be centered) all the .jpgs into the new document. Opened the Animation palette (See Window Menu in PSCS2) and made sure to click on Create Frames from Layers in the menu. Set the time on each frame ( .2 seconds--for some images you might want a longer delay), and then hit the play button to see how it looks. I "optimized animation" (a choice on the Animation palette menu) because that seemed smart. Then, I did Save for Web again, but this time switched to .gif. I left all the default settings, but because 600 x 600 was too large a file to upload, I had to reduce it to 300 x 300 pixels.
This is basically the same thing I did with the animated ATC, too. I created the base layout, and then to get the fairy's arm to move, I cut it out, as well as her wing, and pasted it as a separate layer that I could move around. The arm is under her main body, but above her wing. I also had to separate the "JOY" word art. I basically worked backwards on that one. The sparkles are simple brush stamps from Seishido placed around.
I hope more people will try animated layouts this next year!
I created the base layout, just like you would a regular page. Saved it in its layered state (.psd file) and then Saved For Web (which creates a merged-layer .jpg) as a separate document. I went back to the layered .psd version, turned each of the flowers a bit, then Saved For Web again, creating a second .jpg (I named them with numbers: dopey01, dopey02, etc). I did this six times to get a full rotation on each flower. Closed the .psd file (didn't save it again, since I wanted to preserve the original format and wasn't sure I was back in the original position with each flower). Then, I opened up all of the .jpgs and created a new document that was the same size as the web-saved .jpgs (ie 600 x 600 pixels at 72 dpi). Dragged and dropped (made sure to hold down the shift key so that the pages would be centered) all the .jpgs into the new document. Opened the Animation palette (See Window Menu in PSCS2) and made sure to click on Create Frames from Layers in the menu. Set the time on each frame ( .2 seconds--for some images you might want a longer delay), and then hit the play button to see how it looks. I "optimized animation" (a choice on the Animation palette menu) because that seemed smart. Then, I did Save for Web again, but this time switched to .gif. I left all the default settings, but because 600 x 600 was too large a file to upload, I had to reduce it to 300 x 300 pixels.
This is basically the same thing I did with the animated ATC, too. I created the base layout, and then to get the fairy's arm to move, I cut it out, as well as her wing, and pasted it as a separate layer that I could move around. The arm is under her main body, but above her wing. I also had to separate the "JOY" word art. I basically worked backwards on that one. The sparkles are simple brush stamps from Seishido placed around.
I hope more people will try animated layouts this next year!