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Gif animation files


L

lasa

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I made a GIF animation file in Imageready that I've sent to my father. He's running on a MAC. The animation will not run on his system. The gif file only shows the first frame in something called "Preview", (I noticed that Preview does not show animation) I know nothing of Mac's..
I assumed the browser or some other program would kick in to read the animation but ..nope and I could could not figure out how make a file association...and even if I did which program to use?

I don't know much about his system but here it is:
Mac OS 10
Browser: Internet Explorer for Mac
Heres got the basic mac applications...

Does anybody know how I can set up his computer to see my Gif animations?

Lasa
 
Lasa,

I'm not familiar with Mac's so my input is limited to a couple of thoughts.

Even with Windows running on a PC, animated gifs will only open and err, animate when opened with "Windows Picture and Fax Viewer".

However, you could email your animated gifs and they should work while viewing your email message with the gif inserted...at least they work when I view email on my PC.

Other than that, perhaps your ISP offers free web space where you can upload your animated gifs for viewing. Just send the url address to anyone you'd like to view your work and voil
 
Doc, that is what I thought...that if sent by e-mail it would fire up but it didn't. What do Mac users do with basic web animation?
Lasa
 
Sorry it took me a bit to get to this post, lasa. I've been working away from the computer for the last couple of weeks.

Depending on what version of OS X (as your Dad is using IE, I suspect it is an earlier version of OS X) Preview may or may not play animated GIFs (it is supposed to.)

Unfortunately Mail, the default mail application, while it is developing into a fine program still has no option to automatically play animated GIFs.

So here are the solutions. If your Dad is using a version of Preview before Tiger (10.4.x), have him launch Preview. From the menu bar (#1) View > Customize Toolbar... which brings up the drop down window with all the toolbar options. Drag the play button (#2) to the toolbar (#3) and you can play animations. If he has Tiger, there is a bug in Preview which does not play the animations automatically the way they are supposed to.

A second work around is to save the GIF to your desktop and drag it onto a browser window. It will play automatically. Actually you can save it anywhere, but I tend to just drag files sent in Mail to my desktop.

A third option is to use a different mail application. Thunderbird is an excellent mail app which allows for the playing of animated GIfs automatically, and the creation of simple HTML mail similar to Outlook Express (BG colors and that sort of thing). Mail app is very limited in those areas. I and many others have put in suggestions that we would like to have GIFs play in Mail but still no change, though it does now render HTML mail extremely accurately.

http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/
 
Thanks alot!
Perfect timing I'm going over to fix some stuff on his computer as we speak, Thanks again,
Lasa

Just got back worked like a champ! I later able to have the gif associated with IE instead of the Preview application so now if double clicked even in the e-mail it animates..
Thanks,
 
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