Animated Avatar

[Dcanoli]

Okay, I've spent WAY TOO MUCH TIME on this today, so after hours of trying it myself, I thought I'd "give in" and ask the pros!

I would like an ANIMATED avatar (custom of course). I can find plenty on the web, but they all have http addresses. I've right-clicked on a bunch of them to save, but I get the usual "too big" error message.

I tried to open them in various editing softwares, but once I get them to the right size, then the animated part stops.

I saw a SNOW WHITE DOLL as someone's avatar on another site's boards, and I loved it, which is what got this whole thing started.

How do I keep the animation going once I right-click it to my computer?

Thanks!

 

[jfulcer]

The problem is the DIS restricts the size image you can use as an avatar quite heavily. Understandably because of how big the boards are.

While you can use all kinds of tools to 'edit' the picture and still retain the animation, I'm not sure that you ever will get it small enough and still look decent and retain the animation.

search google for "Animated Gif Editors" and I'm sure you'll find lots.

 

[Dcanoli]

Hey Jeff,

I cannot BELIEVE I am still here trying to solve this problem! I am a glutten for punishment!

I found a few boards on the net that suggested removing frames, but I tried that...the file was originally 4.0KB (ONE KB away from the required 3.9KB!!), but when I started DELETING frames, it went UP to 4.2KB!

What do you think about that? I'm completely dumbfounded by this one!

Is there something else I can do besides deleting frames? I am so close! That 1 KB is killing me!

 

[Dcanoli]

Okay, now what about this--two images will come through, but they are not animated; what do you make of that?

 

[Dcanoli]

Well...now, I'm wondering if you can HAVE animated avatars on these boards....CUSTOM ones, that is!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Do you have a link to the file?

 

[Dcanoli]

Here is one as an example--the image comes through beautifully but w/no animation....tried taking EVERY frame out except two, but it still wouldn't work....

Thanks, if you can figure out this riddle:

http://i-love-disney.com/disneygallery/displayimage.php?album=20&pos=21

 

[Dan Murphy]

See if this works...........

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/dmurphydis/disney-cinderella-gif-7.gif

 

[Dcanoli]

Hey Dan,

I am off to work, so I won't be checking back in until about 2, but let me ask you this....the problem is--you can't "link" to the picture in the Custom Avatar spot under User CP....

You have to have it right on your computer. I can get the animated avatars in my signature, but I can't get them as my avatar under my user name.

I was going to use another Cindy animated figure in my siggie later today when I had a chance to work on it (using the same method you did--uploading it to Photobucket), but I just can't get the darn avatar to work under my name.

If you have any idea how to do it, let me know! I'm puzzled!

Deb

 

[Dan Murphy]

Just take the link I have there, my photobucket link, right click on it, save it to your PC. You can then go to the custom avatar section here on the board, and upload to it from your PC. You do not link to it, from a Net hosting site, like a signature clip, but rather you are actually uploading it to the DIS server from your PC. It's file name will change when it becomes your avatar. You'll get it.

 

[Dcanoli]

Hmmm...very interesting....I'd like to see if that works...gonna try it.

I'll let you know!

 

[Dcanoli]

Okay, can I just say something?

THAT IS INSANE! Do you know how many hours I spent trying to figure out how to take frames, out--blah, blah, blah?

And all I had to do is add it to photobucket and then right-click on the link?

So, let me ask you this? Did you just upload the photo to Photobucket and then take the http from there?

My boggling! I cannot believe it is that easy!

Deb

 

[Dcanoli]

Not sure if I can do it on my own....let me try...

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c208/dcanoli1/thumb_disney-cinderella-gif-9.gif

 

[Dcanoli]

Okay, Dan--apparently, I CAN'T do it on my own.

Did you tweak the image any before uploading to Photobucket?

 

[Dan Murphy]

...And all I had to do is add it to photobucket and then right-click on the link?

So, let me ask you this? Did you just upload the photo to Photobucket and then take the http from there?...

You would have had to save it from your or my photobucket to your PC then upload it from there to here. Right click on the avatar, you will see it now has a disboard url

Okay, Dan--apparently, I CAN'T do it on my own.

Did you tweak the image any before uploading to Photobucket?

Yes, the original was too large, both in bytes AND dimensions.




And it looks good there.

 

[Dcanoli]

Okay, good. I figured you had to have tweaked it to get it down to the right KB.

What software did you use? Apparently, what I have won't do it, and the free GIF editors weren't of any use.....I've love to be able to do this on my own in the future.....


.....and THANKS! I love it!

 

[Dan Murphy]

http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-2923047...3259?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1178573319&sr=1-1

Also, they very may well whack you on that cute picture of the kids there in your signature, too tall. With their current rules, needs to be 200 pixels high or less. Just an FYI.

 

[Dcanoli]

Dan,

Thanks for the heads up!

Actually, I was just playing with the boys' picture via Photobucket (i.e., checking out the next size down).....but decided I would leave well enough alone. I've had that picture on my siggie for about a year now....

If they whack me, I'll just deal with it then!

Thanks for the link; I'll have to check it out a little later. Everyone always suggests Photoshop Elements, but I've never wanted to dole out the cash! It may be time.....

Thanks for your help. What did you do in Photoshop? Did you take out some frames or just resize it? I'm not sure how you knock down the KBs.

 

[Dcanoli]

Dan,

One more quick question--if you don't mind! (Sorry!)

I have MS Digital Image Suite 10. What exactly did you do to the image? I'm wondering if I could do it with this program.

I couldn't get anything in it last night (i.e., it was importing it as a still picture, not an animated picture/avatar/etc.), but maybe I was going about it the wrong way...

Thanks for any direction you can provide me!

Deb

 

[Dan Murphy]

....Actually, I was just playing with the boys' picture via Photobucket (i.e., checking out the next size down).....but decided I would leave well enough alone. I've had that picture on my siggie for about a year now....

If they whack me, I'll just deal with it then!

.....What did you do in Photoshop? Did you take out some frames or just resize it? I'm not sure how you knock down the KBs.

You can resize, if you want to, in MS 10, to exactly 200, their current limit.

I resized to 99 pixels on the longest dimension (one less than their current limit) and then saved, compressing the file a bit to get it under their current limit of 3.9K. The program allows you to do that in the save process.

Dan,

One more quick question--if you don't mind! (Sorry!)

I have MS Digital Image Suite 10. What exactly did you do to the image? I'm wondering if I could do it with this program.

I couldn't get anything in it last night (i.e., it was importing it as a still picture, not an animated picture/avatar/etc.), but maybe I was going about it the wrong way...

Thanks for any direction you can provide me!

Deb

I have MS 10 also, use each program for different things. I suppose MS 10 could do it, but I do not know how; I do know how in PSE 5.