The Sinclair QL Forum

A new set of programs to handle animated GIF images on SMSQ/E systems.

View animated GIFs, convert individual frames to individual PIC files or GD2 sprites, or convert the entire animation to a GD2 dynamic sprite file, compressed or uncompressed. Support for resizing, rotation and alpha transparency.

There is a GIF conversion program, and an animation file viewer/browser, along with simple SBASIC programs to handle the animations (GIF or sprite) in or alongside your own SBASIC programs.

Requires an SMSQ/E system with support for 16-bit colour modes 32 or 33. 256-colour mode support to follow (note: does not work in mode 4 or mode 8 - high colour required). Note: this is not a games sprite authoring package.

View the README_doc file first, then the individual Quill doc files for the various component parts of the AnimGIF package.

A few sample animated GIF files are included with the package. There is also a large (as in about 15,000 files) collection of animated GIF files which can be downloaded from the same page, as either an .iso image or a qxl.win of GIF files.

Download from http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/graphics/index.html
As the Forum doesn't allow me to upload .mp4 video files, here's a couple of links to short videos of the software on my website:
http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/graphics/animgif.mp4
http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/graphics/animgif2.mp4

Great! Just a question: Why does the pointer flickers during animation?

RalfR wrote:Great! Just a question: Why does the pointer flickers during animation?

The load put on the system during animation, the use of MCALLT means you notice the pointer on/off between reads. Especially when viewing GIFs, less so when viewing the dynamic sprites because it takes longer to process the GIF.

Edit: (pressed submit by mistake first time): you could reduce the flicker if viewing ANIMVIEWER_bas or similar program by setting its priority lower using a command such as SPJOB -1,1. Question of balancing the animation smoothness and how much that affects other running programs.

Ah, ok, thank you. I once made an animated sprite by hand (30 years ago...) That looked good, but was a lot of work. That was the time, when JMS launched his "Hot Install" with a neat animated sprite. But that all wasn't official at that time, and JMS didn't tell anything, as usual.

So I had to bug TT to send me the sources how to make it..

Looks fantastic, Dilwyn! Glad some people are still writing modern software for QL-type systems!
I havent had time to look at it properly yet, but I will over the next few days.
Keep up the good work!

Encountered a few bugs. If I can reproduce them I'll email you the details, Dilwyn.

Steve Wilhite, lead engineer at CompuServe, responsible for the development of GIF (apparently to be pronounced jiff) died quite recently - 14th March. As some disrespectful wag on Twitter quipped: He's with Jod now!

pjw wrote:He's with Jod now!

pjw wrote:Encountered a few bugs. If I can reproduce them I'll email you the details, Dilwyn.

Thanks Per (and Bob who sent a few bugs and suggestions). Glad to get some feedback.

pjw wrote:Steve Wilhite, lead engineer at CompuServe, responsible for the development of GIF (apparently to be pronounced jiff) died quite recently - 14th March. As some disrespectful wag on Twitter quipped: He's with Jod now!

He he. Obviously in that case they referred to the format by the initials G I F rather than saying it as the 'word' GIF as most of us would.

Presumably Steve is now busily compressing everything up there