GimpChat avatar

Ronounours · **Joined:** Jan 03, 2011 **Posts:** 1656

Hi there,

As you probably know, GimpChat allows to display avatars as .gif animated files, with a limit of 390Kb.

So, today, I was wondering how a complex avatar I could make, while fitting the limited file size. Here is my attempt, with an animated avatar that takes exactly 390Kb :yes

It is composed of 32 150x150 frames of an animated 3d cube where each face is itself animated (picture rotation + blur), all running at 15 fps.
The trick here was to find a way to do only an half-rotation of the cube (180°), while making the faces of the cube perfectly matching each-other, so that the animation looks smooth.

I admit I didn't use GIMP for this one, except for saving the frames as an animated GIF. I mainly used a G'MIC script I wrote especially for this occasion (source can be found here : http://pastebin.com/x8sQdXta).

What do you think about it ? Anyone interested to start a GimpChat avatar contest ? :geek

EDIT : In case of future avatar changes, here is the one I've originally posted :

Draconian · **Posted:** Fri Aug 31, 2012 11:27 am **(#2)**

You would probably just win anyway. :mrgreen:

Cool Avatar!

molly · **Joined:** Apr 07, 2010 **Posts:** 14182

David, was that a script or plug-in you posted in that link? or something else.

YAFU · **Joined:** Nov 09, 2011 **Posts:** 726

Excellent gif, is something hypnotic :blind

I've been able to reduce the size (~310Kb) without reducing the quality much using:

Code: Select all

gifsicle -O --colors 256 anims.gif > anims1.gif

Ronounours · **Joined:** Jan 03, 2011 **Posts:** 1656

Thanks. Interesting YAFU, I was not aware of this gifscile tool.

Ronounours · **Joined:** Jan 03, 2011 **Posts:** 1656

Yes, molly, this was a script code in the G'MIC language. You need 'gmic' (the command line tool of G'MIC) installed in order to use it.
Maybe I can add it to the plug-in as well, if you really want to have a try easily.
Let me know (it is somehow long to render by the way).

lylejk · **Joined:** Sep 24, 2010 **Posts:** 12825

Very cool avatar David. I've read up on gifsicle; cool that you can have more then just 256 colors in an animated gif using this tool as well.

Oregonian · **Posted:** Fri Aug 31, 2012 2:33 pm **(#8)**

Very nice, David. I vote for yours.

molly · **Joined:** Apr 07, 2010 **Posts:** 14182

It is okay, I just wondered cuz I copied it and saved it as a script and it didn't work so I thought maybe it was a plug-in. :oops:

akky · **Joined:** Apr 09, 2011 **Posts:** 1764

thats very clever

2-ton · **Posted:** Fri Aug 31, 2012 9:00 pm **(#11)**

I do hope that you will put that into a G'Mic update!

Rod · **Joined:** May 16, 2010 **Posts:** 16152

Nice avatar David!

The Warrior · **Joined:** Jun 02, 2013 **Posts:** 2090

2-ton wrote:

I do hope that you will put that into a G'Mic update!

Would love to see it incorporated. Really cool animation.

The Warrior · **Joined:** Jun 02, 2013 **Posts:** 2090

gramg wrote:

Ronounours wrote:

Yes, molly, this was a script code in the G'MIC language. You need 'gmic' (the command line tool of G'MIC) installed in order to use it.
Maybe I can add it to the plug-in as well, if you really want to have a try easily.
Let me know (it is somehow long to render by the way).

I always wanted to be able to do this, also, Warrior. I don't know how to use the g'mic command line tool, either.

Seems there are a few neat things right now that require that command line tool. I have no idea how it works.

This is an older post...not sure if it would be revisited for consideration as a regular option somehow.

I realized it was an older post. Still hopeful though, haha.

Rod · **Joined:** May 16, 2010 **Posts:** 16152

Sequences>3D Image Object.

The Warrior · **Joined:** Jun 02, 2013 **Posts:** 2090

I made something similar once, using the same feature. I like how the OP's moves, and the photo spins at the same time. Really cool.