WebImage: GIF Animations

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Q: How can I create an animated JPEG from the JPEGs I have?
A: Currently, GIF is the only format that supports animation of images in its files. You can still use JPGs, BMPs, or any other image types WebImage supports to create your animations, but the results can only be saved as GIF files.

Q: How can I get back to the Image Toolbar from the Animation Toolbar?
A: The Animation Toolbar will remain as long as you have multiple images loaded. Even without the toolbar, all the normal image editing options are still available under Single Image mode through the menus.

Q: Why is it when I click on the file information for an animated image, the size shows as 0.0?
A: The size is currently only displayed under the information box for the first image.

Q: Why does the program only allow me to save animations as GIF files?
A: GIF is the only image format that currently supports animations.

Q: How do I combine the images I want to animate?
A: Open the first image. Then, under the Animate menu, select Add Image, and pick the next image from the dialog. After that, you can add images using the menu or by using the Add Image button on the toolbar.

Q: How can I move some of the images around if I mixed up the order?
A: First, switch to thumbnail view of the images, either by selecting View>Thumbnail under the Animate menu, or by pressing the Thumbnail View button on the toolbar. Next, select the images you want to move and drag them where they need to be.

Q: How can I get rid of some of the images in the animation?
A: First, switch to thumbnail view of the images, either by selecting View>Thumbnail under the Animate menu, or by pressing the Thumbnail View button on the toolbar. Next, select the images you want to delete and press the Delete Image button on the toolbar.

Q: Why can't I cut/copy/paste any images in thumbnail mode?
A: There is no cut, copy or pasting of thumbnails. You can use Add Image, Delete Image or selecting and moving images to accomplish the same thing.

Q: When I made a change in one image, why didn't it affect the rest of the images?
A: Changes only affect the image being worked on and do not propagate through to other images.

Q: When I change the background color using the background color box in the Animate Controls dialog, why doesn't it change in the images?
A: You are changing the background color, but this is not the visual "background" on the image. It is a hidden background that sits behind the image that you usually cannot see. You can see it with animations with transparencies in our product, but in browsers it is usually not shown.

Q: Do I have to reduce each image in my animation to 16 colors one at a time?
A: WebImage has an Optimize Global Palette selection under the Animate menu. This will optimize each image to a global palette of however many colors you choose.

Q: Why does this message pops up saying the program needs to optimize the palette for 256 colors whenever I save an animation?
A: A GIF file has a single palette. But when you build an animation from multiple images, they each have a palette and they are generally all different. Therefore, WebImage needs to reduce the colors across all the images to have a total of 256 colors, which it then stores in this single global palette.

Q: Why don't my animated GIFs loop in Netscape Navigator?
A: Some 16-bit versions of Netscape Navigator have a bug that prevents animations from looping properly. Be sure you are running the newest version. Additionally, be sure that the animation you saved has the Continuous Looping flag turned on.

Q: What is causing my animated GIF's colors to mess up when I save them?
A: There is a bug in WebImage 2.0 that caused the palette of an animated GIF to be destroyed if the palette is optimized before saving. This bug has been fixed in WebImage 2.1.

Q: Why does WebImage always ask me to optimize my palettes on animated GIF's, even if I've optimized them already?
A: There is a bug in WebImage 2.0 that asked to optimize the palette upon saving even if it wasn't needed. This bug has been fixed in WebImage 2.1.

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