Animated Gifs

How do I get Santa Claus to use the chimney?

I hope you're not Claustrophobic!

I'm sorry, OS4.1 please...

@Snuffy

What exactly are you asking for?

Hans

@Hans

I was wondering the same

Hi @Hans


What exactly are you asking for?
Hmmm, not sure myself. See: Sys:Prefs/Presets/AnimatedGifs
None of these animate! I have folder for Christmas and none them work. What am I missing ? I use to have dancing bananas, but they don't dance anymore! I'm sure all this worked last Christmas.

@Snuffy

Quote:
Do you have animated icon installed?

I have Animatedicon v45.2 installed on my OS4pre4 partition.
If I launch it from OS4.1 workbench, it asks for a file, and if I select one of the boingball gifs in that drawer, it is animated on workbench.

Hi @Swoop
No, it's not anything to do with programs.
Sys:Classes/datatypes/gifanim.datatype was never installed. I wonder why?

@Snuffy

Quote:

Download gifanim from os4depot.

Hans

@Snuffy

Try SYS:Utilities/Dockies/Anim.docky

@Snuffy


You can show these anim.gifs in Amidock and effectively use them to put animated icons on your workbench.

Below is a text file taken from my Digital Universe distribution which shows how to add an animated icon to a programme. Just substitute the application name for any you want to put an animated icon on your WB.


===================================================
How to add an Animated Icon for DU on your Workbench
----------------------------------------------------


Introduction
------------
By using the OS4 AmiDock utility it is possible to place animated "icons" on the
Workbench. Note this is in fact a dock and not a true icon, but it will look
like an icon and unlike a true left-out icon, there is no danger of deleting the
program. However, you cannot alter any icon tooltypes from the Dock icon so
this would need to be done via the real DigitalUniverse icon in the DUOS4:
drawer.


Step 1.
-------

First find a nice animated GIF file to use as the DU dock icon. There is
a nice one on the OS3.9 install CD, found at:
AmigaOS3.9:OS-Version3.9/Workbench3.9/Prefs/Presets/Animated GIFs/Amigaplanet.gif

This is an "Amiga Boing Ball" Saturn type image, not at all scientifically accurate
as the axis of rotation of the planet and that of the rings are at totally
different angles. It does look quite good though. This file is not included here
as it may be copyrighted.

I have included an alternative image which I created myself from photographs I
took of the 1999 Solar Eclipse from Hafik in Central Turkey. See my website at
http://www.eavesweb.plus.com/eclipse99 for more details of that event.

Once you have a suitable animated GIF file copy it to somewhere on your hard drive,
this folder would be a good place to keep it !


Step 2.
-------

Run the AmiDock Preferences Editor. You can do this by finding it in your WBStartup
drawer and double clicking the icon, or you can use the Edit... menu from an
existing AmiDock.

In the Docks section at the LHS, click Add. This will be called New Dock but you can
rename it, the name is not important so call it what you like. Then on the RHS under
Objects click Add. Select from the drawer Workbench:Utilities/Dockies/ the file
Anim.docky. An object currently called NoAnim will be present. You will see the new
Dock placed on your workbench, drag it to where you want the Animated Icon to be.

Back in the AmiDock Preferences window, click the Layout tab.

Dock Type = Icons
Orientation = Does not matter that much, Vertical drag bar at top seems
to work best.
Placement = Always in Background

Dock has drag bar = UNCHECKED
Dock is borderless = CHECKED.

Other parameters do not matter so leave them.


Now click the Appearance tab.

Icon Area = Transparent.

Set the Texts to your prefered font.


The settings in the Misc tab do not matter.


SAVE the AmiDock Preferences.



Step 3.
------

Right Click on the black box above the words No Anim on your new Dock and select
Choose Animation. (You may have to left click the text first to activate the Dock).
Using the file requester locate the full path and filename of your chosen GIFAnim.

Next Right Click and select Choose Tool, enter "DUOS4:" for the path and then select
"DigitalUniverse" for the filename.

Finally if you do not like the speed the animation runs at, the eclipse animation I
personally found too fast, you can adjust the speed by right clicking and selecting
the appropriate.

SAVE the AmiDock Preferences.


Step 4.
-------

The icon is now complete.

However you can add an "underline" to it by adding a separator.docky underneath the
icon :o)
=========================================

Hi @BillE
I didn't know Amidock could do these icon animations. OK, I'll try it out when I get home later. Looks really interesting. Thanks for info and Merry Christmas to you!!

@BillE

Thanks, I never tried but it's cool!

Hi @BillE

Step 3...Next Right Click and select Choose Tool, enter "DUOS4:" for the path and then select "DigitalUniverse" for the filename.

I don't have any "DUOS4:" I just wan't to play a damn Christmas Icon! So what tool do I select?
I chose MultiView and that only selects the requester when I click 'no anim'. There's no docky animation.

@Snuffy

Quote:

Of course you don't, read what I said, substitute the names of the anims or tool to whatever you want to use.

Quote:

If you just want to see an animation forget the "tool" part, leave it alone. Just select the name of the anim.gif file in the Choose Animation requester. The 'no anim' rather gives away the fact that you have not selected an animation file yet ! Try selecting one from wherever you have them.

Then you will be able to see the animation in the dock, if there is no tool it just does nothing when you click it.

Hi @BillE

Then you will be able to see the animation in the dock, if there is no tool it just does nothing when you click it.
I give up! anim.docky refuses to work. I have no idea why. I have no errors reported anywhere. Thanks anyway.

@Snuffy

Try dragging the anim.docky onto an existing amidock set of icon images; then drag your animated gif file onto the anim.docky.

If this does not work for you, then I'm out of ideas.

@Snuffy

Might be the anims you are trying?
I have had some gif anims working with this docky but not all.

Hi @PEB

Try dragging the anim.docky onto an existing amidock set of icon images;...
Thanks, that did it! The menu selection way is now working too. I have no idea why this happened. My brand new install went perfect. The only other difficulty was with AHI gadgets and system sound settings; same thing like the gifs, hard to make settings.

@TiredOFLife
Might be the anims you are trying?
The OS3.9 Christmas animations work fine now! You got to slow 'em down a lot though!