Step 2

Make your Image with border active (with your mouse left click it and you will see that the border surrounding the image is blue) and go to Edit/Duplicate Selected. With your left mouse button, left click on the second frame to make it active. We do not want the first frame active - just the second frame.  We want the first frame to have the entire picture untouched. Make sure your second frame is now activated (blue frame around it).

Step 3

Make your strip graphic active and go to Edit/Copy.  Move the slider from your tag graphic over so that the 2nd frame of the image is in front of you.  Go to Edit/Paste into Selected Frame. Holding down your left mouse key, carefully place the strip all the way over to the right side of the tag graphic so that it fits exactly in between the top and bottom borders and flush against the right side border.  DO NOT RELEASE THE LEFT MOUSE KEY UNTIL YOU HAVE THE STRIP FITTING EXACTLY WITHIN THIS AREA.  Make sure the strip fits in exactly.  When it is placed properly, release the left mouse button.

Step 4

Your second frame should still be active (blue border around it).  Go to Edit/Duplicate Selected.  With your left mouse button, left click on the 3rd frame so that the third frame is the only selected frame.  Go to Edit/Paste into selected frame.  Holding down your left mouse button, move the strip flush up against the first strip.  Make sure that it fits smoothly next to the first strip (no gap or line showing) and that the strip also fits exactly between the top and bottom border.  It takes practice and patience.  Once you have it placed, release the left mouse button.  If you mess up, click the undue key and go to Edit/Paste into selected frame and try again.  Remember the strips need to fit smoothly next to the previous strip and there should be no gaps between the top and bottom border.

Step 5

Once you have the strip placed, go to Edit/Duplicated Selected and left click on the 4th frame to active it.  Again go to Edit/Paste into selected frame and place the strip exactly flush against the film strip from the frame before. Once placed, release the left mouse button.

Step 6

Continue this process until your entire image is covered with a film.  You should have 6 frames in your animation.  The first frame should be uncovered (no strips placed on the first frame).  Click the Control and A Keys to Active All the frames (you will see every frame has a blue border). Go to Animation/Reverse Frames.

Step 7

You should still have all your frames activated (blue border around all the frames). Go to Animation/Frame Properties and type in 45.

Step 8

Left click your mouse on the 6th frame to activate it only.  We only want the last frame activated.  Again go to Animation/Frame Properties and this time type in 250.  What we want is that our animation moves at the same rate, but when the tag is fully open, it sits a bit on the frame without the film.

Step 9

The animation image is very large so let's resize it.  Go to Animation/Resize Animation.  Percent of Original 90% and select Bicubic Resample.

Step 10

Go to File/Save As and name your file. Be sure to add a .gif extension to your file.  You will be taken through a number of screens:

But before we continue to save the animation, let's first click Customize to make sure you have all the correct settings for this animation. 

Left click the Customize Button and you will see 2 tabs:  Colors and  Optimizations. Here is what each setting should be.

Colors

255 Colors, Optimized Median Cut and Error Diffusion should be checked.

Optimizations

The middle three selections should be checked. 

The top and bottom selections - unchecked.

After customizing the colors and optimization settings, click Ok and click Next and you will get the following screens:

Screen 1

Animation versus output Size - just click next.

Screen 2

Optimization process - just click next.

Screen 3

Optimization preview - just click next.

Screen 4

Optimization results - click finish.

Step 11

Make sure to save your image as a gif file.

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial and will give it a try.

Purrs,

Nikki, Nichie and Sue

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