Microsoft GIF Animator

• 4.0 stars

  "lets you create an animated gif"

  August 4, 2009  |   By bjmd

  Pros

  Fairly easy to use, and lets you adjust the time period per frame. Individual frames can display for varying times.

  Cons

  Not the most intuitive software to figure out how to use. It works but you have to muck about a while to understand how to make it do what you want...

  Summary

  This is a nifty little program that did exactly what it said it would, and exactly what I wanted -- it makes an animated gif file.
  
  Note -- it does not make a gif image from scratch -- you have to have another piece of software to do that -- Paintshop, Paint.NET, GIMP, etc.... -- or else a supply of images or screencaptures to use that are already saved as gif files. Some of the other reviewers seem to have had the mistaken impression that it would do this. It doesn't -- don't expect it to.
  
  Rather what it does is assemble some gif files that you already have into an animated gif file to create the kind of flashing, moving image that is found on web pages or occasionally in forum post avatars. If you need a candle flame to flicker, a wizard to disappear in a puff of smoke, a ball to roll back and forth on a table, or some feet to do a happy dance, this program will let you assemble a set of static gifs of the various images into an animated whole that simulates movement.
  
  It's a nice little program if your image software doesn't support producing animated gifs, or if you want a simpler way to create them than the process involved in some of the more complex programs. If it ran from within another program, you'd think of it as an "add-on" -- since it is a separate piece of software, it probably doesn't qualify for that description, but in reality that probably describes its function fairly well. For image editing you will want something else. But for this one little task it's very efficient, and not all the freeware image editing software will do this particular job, so it is undeniably handy.
  
  It let's you adjust the time you want each individual frame to display, and the various frames can display for differing amounts of time; they don't all have to match. It also let's choose if you want the image to loop or not.

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1 reply to this review

• Reply by joe6789 on October 7, 2010

  great review; sadly, I see MOST gif animator designers are not aware of the frustration they cause by not adding an easy to make simple beginners tutorial on how to get started. They must be losing many many potential users as a result.

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