Hey, atabei!

[spedbug]

Bountifulpots said you could tell me how to make an icon that moves (changes text, image, etc.). I've got limited computer skills but would like to give it a try. Any tips?

Comments

[atabei.livejournal.com]

I use ImageReady to make animated gifs. The program comes with PhotoShop- you basically make a new layer for each stage of the animation and ImageReady lets you set the timing for each transition, whether it loops or not, etc.
Does that help you at all?
I'm on CS2 but before that I had 7 and ImageReady was part of the package then too.
(Neopets Icon= really simple animation, I'd done it with fading in-out transitions but that made the file larger than LJ allows for icons so I made it simpler)

Darn, I'm only using Photshop 5.0 (Limited Edition)

[spedbug.livejournal.com]

I guess that ruins that! :oP

Was CS2 expensive? My daughter is using a 30 day trial download, right now, and seems to like it.

Re: Darn, I'm only using Photshop 5.0 (Limited Edition)

[atabei.livejournal.com]

I have the whole professional suite- I got it at educational price at my university for around $500.
Photoshop on it's own should be considerably less.
You should check to see if your daughter, or maybe a niece or nephew, is eligible for the student discount, as you can see, it makes a HUGE difference. Regular price for PS CS2 is over $500 (the suite goes for over $1000). Regular price for the PS CS2 upgrade (it says it's ok for any previous version) is around $150.

[atabei.livejournal.com]

Here's another animated icon I made and there are a couple blinkies and maybe an animated doll or two inthis entry:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/atabei/67296.html

You got some cool stuff!

[spedbug.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...maybe Photoshop 7.0 is less expensive since it's older. I'd love to play with stuff like that.

Re: You got some cool stuff!

[atabei.livejournal.com]

Thanks :-)

I'm pretty sure there are cheap, as well as free, animation programs out there. I can ask around in some of the forums and communities I'm in and get back to you with whatever they recommend.

Thanks, I appreciate that.

[spedbug.livejournal.com]

I'd rather not spend anything on "play", at the moment but if I have to, I'll look into a cheap copy of Photoshop 7.0 (off to check some sites).

Re: Thanks, I appreciate that.

[atabei.livejournal.com]

I've seen this one used a lot and it has a free trial.
http://www.ulead.com/ga/runme.htm

The price is pretty reasonable too- probably why it's popular on the forums and communities I'm in. Most of the people on them are teens that tend to look high and low for stuff that's cheap or free so they don't have to ask their parents for it. They usually don't want to spend any money on software. (They'll download trials over and over for the same program rather than paying for it)

I'll keep an eye out for other programs.

Re: Thanks, I appreciate that.

[atabei.livejournal.com]

This kid uses MS Paint to make her stuff and she uses the animation shop in PSP for her animated gifs.
http://www.autumnpixels.com/

She's on some of the forums I'm on. She's, ummm, how do I say this nicely? She's a bitch but she's a great pixel artist.
I just thought you might want to take a look. 8-)

PSP isn't free but it's not too expensive and there are free trials available.

[antof9.livejournal.com]

you need to show her bookczuk's changing hair too. That's Freaking Cool!

(very cute BC Ant icon by atabei, of course!

[atabei.livejournal.com]

LOL, that was in one of your entries right? I don't remember where it is. I can check photobucket when I get home if you can't find it either. :-)

[antof9.livejournal.com]

got it! It was a "quads only" post

http://www.livejournal.com/users/antof9/50657.html

Sped -- the Quads are atabei, chromatographer, bookczuk and I.

[antof9.livejournal.com]

OK speddy :)

Check out that link I posted as "quads-only" -- the only reason the entry was locked was because I didn't think *everyone* on my friends list would think it was as interesting as we did :) Nothing secretive about it, and quite frankly, it's entertaining. Just might help you laugh off that remaining Jury Butt.

Re: the SOP reference in the post -- you might not know this, but Chromie and Atabei are scientists. Real-live, honest-to-goodness geek girls! Once, when discussing the dying of my roots (might have been when I posted an "old" post with this icon and freaked out atabei -- she was very concerned about my avatar!), someone mentioned following the SOP. Surprisingly, the artsy-fartsy sister (me) knew what that stood for! We all fell over (collectively), and have referenced it from time to time :)

These seem to be the most popular animation programs

[atabei.livejournal.com]

on the pixel forums right now. :-)

Free 30 day trial:
Animation Shop

Freeware:
GIMP
Unfreeze

[spedbug.livejournal.com]

atabei, you rock. All this time and you still remembered I was looking for a cheap/free animation program. I'm not only touched, I'm awed (so said by the woman who forgets to

;)

[atabei.livejournal.com]

LOL, you're welcome :-)