How to produce minianimations

[Spycam]

First you have a number of options. Digital camera: I have an old camera that will take a 3 shots per second, so I run 30 - 40 frames of a moving scene. Capture card: at a cost of around 50 quid you can get a USB capture device. You can feed a video signal in perhaps from VHS tape or a DVD and some devices have a TV tuner built in so still frames can be taken from tv programmes. Also a camcorder would be ideal.
Save your frames somewhere (a folder on your desktop).
Now you need software that will put the frames together, try
www.gamani.com for a 30 day free trial (you can make it last forever, email me), there's a simple free software from Microsoft that does a good job, Microsoft Gif Animator.
You feed your frames in and out comes your animation. This file is like a jpeg photo file so can send it in to this Forum just like a photo.
.......hope this info helps. Give it a try, it's FUN!

[noel]

I'm goingto give it a go. My camera takes videos as well. I wonder if it will work with my camcorder? Anyway thanks for that.

[noel]

Having said that, I can't get the URL you put on to work. Is that correct Roy? I thinkl my Ulead Studio program may allow me to do animations.

[Spycam]

Sorry about that, it's
www.gamani.com

[noel]

quote:

---

Originally posted by ishake

Sorry about that, it's
www.gamani.com

---

Cheers Roy, that one works.

[Spycam]

Kath, start simple ( your camera's movie mode is only good for animations if you have/get a capture device so you can strip frames from your video) by taking 20 - 30 photos one after the other as quickly as you can, of the scene you want. Pop the 20 -30, or whatever, frames into the Gif software and when you are happy with the results, save to somewhere you can remember and there you have it - all done. This way will do for a start, you can improve results in time if you want to.
It can't be too difficult, I manage it in the middle stages of Parkinson's !!

[Martin]

I downloaded a programme called AvidFreeDV last night (took about 7 hours) I have some MOV files on my digital camera which I want try and edit. Looks quite complicated so if anyone can help, let me know.

[Spycam]

Hello Martin. Did you get editing software cd/cd's with your camera?
It might be of interest to you that yesterday I bought a video capture device, USB and quick to setup and tiny. It does all sorts of things and I am still checking it out. I'll post some results ASAP.
Sorry I can't be of help with your downloaded software.

[Martin]

Sylvia, I can't see windows movie maker on my XP.

I've just spotted it![:I]

I've had a look and it doesn't recognise .MOV files