GIF Animation Freeware

November 24, 2004 2:16 PM

I'm looking for simple GIF animation freeware/cheapware. What are your faves/dogs?
posted by ZenMasterThis to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

Google around for a copy of Microsoft GIF Animator. MS released it as freeware many moons ago, but was small, fast, and straightforward (unlike every other Microsoft application) and was my go-to utility before I switched to Paint Shop Pro's built-in animator.
posted by Danelope at 2:26 PM on November 24, 2004

I use Alchemy's GIF Construction Set for all my animation needs. That plus BitMorph always satisfies.
posted by MrMoonPie at 2:32 PM on November 24, 2004

Unless you are using only a few colors and have rock-solid knowledge of what you are doing, you are better off using the gimp (also for windows). It is not a simple proposition, but it will not take much more time to learn the basics (save layers to animated GIFs and/or use the script fu "Load sequence") than learning a dedicated GIF animator. And you will have plenty of power left.
posted by magullo at 3:04 PM on November 24, 2004

Here are some freeware programs --

If you have graphics software and just want to string some GIFs into an animation:

Unfreez
Bone simple. Drag and drop images into the window and punch a button. Only 19K. Download/Screenshot

MS GIF Animator
Screenshots - Download

Ulead GIF Animator 2
Screenshot - Download

If you want a graphics/animation suite:

Photoplus 6
Serif Software offers free older versions of their programs with email registration. However... during the Unisys GIF brouhaha they yanked Photoplus 6 and replaced it with 5.5, a cut down version with no GIF saving and no animation capabilities. You can still snag a copy here, though. Very nice program, sort of a lo-rent Photoshop.

Graphics Gale
Last English version of a Japanese program. Includes onionskinning, a feature not found in the other freeware programs. Download

Finally, if you're okay with the gray ethics of using abandonware:

Jedor Viscosity
The most professional, full-featured suite of this bunch. Screenshot - Download (of course, you'll need to hunt down a crack for it)
posted by nikzhowz at 6:49 PM on November 24, 2004

Depending on how much usefulness you want out of the software you are looking for, you might look at the Gimp. Supports animated gifs.
posted by pemdasi at 2:34 AM on November 25, 2004