PHP and animated images

[DefecTalisman]

This is in respect to userbars.

How the hell do they animate them? The only option I have come up with is the GD::animated gif module in perl which i am struggling to install locally due to the lack of a c compiler.

I can create a dynamic image with php and am working on making a service that can supply these custom images.

php restricts to static gifs and even when a animated gif is brought in to the GD image it ends up being static.

Also if anyone has any ideas as to what people could use in a dynamic user bar, sig, avitar please let me know.

Regards,

[The_Magistrate]

I think you might be making this harder than it has to be. You can find online userbar generators that will make them for you. You can also use a program like ImageReady to make your own animated gifs.

If you're looking for a c compiler, check out gcc. Open source and there is a windows port for it.

[Zenax]

I am thinking that he is wanting to create his own scripts for it. Perhaps you could try looking at the different websites offering them, and see if you can figure out how they do it?

[CascadesAdmin]

if you create the user bar there is a userbar thing in the user CP

[2dots]

Hi as far as i know you'll have to overcome many problems with GD, if at all possible try to go with ImageMagick..
There are many debates going on all over as how to approach animated gifs with GD none of the seem to offer a good solution.
Have a look at:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/gifsize/
this should give you some ideas of what's involved...

another one is a class that will create animations:
http://phpclasses.betablue.net/browse/package/3163.html

you can also have a look into:
http://www.asido.info/ looks promising

[Derek]

Just use an animation program.

[DefecTalisman]

lol.
@all who said use a animation package : Adobe Image Ready is what i used to create my sig along with Photoshop I have done many others.

some eg's:











@all who said use an exsisting online solution : I would rather offer a different solution to people. There is no one offering just one custom dynamic image that could be used as a component in a sig or bar. No examples here else it would give the game away.

In regard to the animation I think seeing as I already asked corey to install the module and he has done so, I should use it. It will surfice for what I need.

Just sux that php doesnt have the same module.
Edit:

Hi as far as i know you'll have to overcome many problems with GD, if at all possible try to go with ImageMagick..
There are many debates going on all over as how to approach animated gifs with GD none of the seem to offer a good solution.
Have a look at:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/gifsize/
this should give you some ideas of what's involved...

another one is a class that will create animations:
http://phpclasses.betablue.net/browse/package/3163.html

Saw this, looks like what I need. But to have to sign up to get it. Then also it doesn't look official. Corey to install it wouldn't fair, seeing as I am sceptical to install it on my comp.

you can also have a look into:
http://www.asido.info/ looks promising

The other I am still looking at. I want to go with something that will work on most servers with as little extra modules as pos.

Esentially all I really need is to be able to take many images or image objects and turn them in to a gif.

@all with userbars, why are they all the same size? Did you get the option to change the font to a custom font or size? Could you have a negative space or transparency in them? You are restricted to one image wide by however many high you want (never tried stacking them myself).

[2dots]

well the only logical way to merge animated gifs with GD would be to split them into single frames place tour text or another gif on top of each frame then merge them back together into a single animation.

I think i know exactly what you're trying to accomplish....
there is a bunch of open source scripts out there than can manipulate images (PHP GDLIB) but as far as know none of them play nice with animations...
You should look around at http://www.phpclasses.org/
you'll find a bunch of stuff that will allow you to merge gifs add text, watermarks, etc. (but again animated images are hard to do)....