First, you create frames for the GIF animation – individual images which are displayed later in a certain sequence and for a predefined duration. If you want to convert a video into a GIF, you have to divide the video into frames in advance. To do this, select the function video frames to layers when importing the video file. The video is now already split into frames and each frame is assigned to a separate layer.
If, on the other hand, you want to create a GIF from several static images, select the function window and then timeline via the upper menu bar. In the timeline window, create a new layer for each frame. All levels are then displayed in a bar at the bottom of the screen. The advantage of the layers is that you can show and hide individual images at any time.
Because of this feature, you can check which images can be removed. A careful selection is recommended, especially for videos. The video layer default is 24 frames per second. Although the GIF format compresses the file size, 24 images per second take up a lot of storage space, so it’s good to make a selection. If you use only every second or third image, the video quality should still be good enough. It is possible to define a smaller number of frames during image import. You should also delete images that are not relevant to the GIF animation.
Once the image sequence has been created, you can set the display time of the individual images. If you slow down the animation speed and display a frame for 0.10 seconds, for example, you will get by with fewer frames. This works fluidly up to a value of 0.2 seconds per frame. This reduces the number of frames to five frames per second, and therefore reduces file size. To set the display duration, you will find a time entry under each frame and a selection option to define the desired time value.
How often the GIF plays can also be adjusted. Go to the toolbar at the bottom of the editing window. There you will find a pop-up menu that allows you to specify how often the animation should be played, from once up to an infinite loop. Here you will also find a play button, and clicking on this gives you a preview.
Once the image sequence is set, you can focus on special effects and make further adjustments. For example, you can use an additional text layer to subtitle the GIF video.