Creating animations with GIMP

Flicks

Article from Issue 148/2013
Author(s):

Although developed for editing individual images, GIMP has everything you need to create perfect animations via plugins and scripts.

Animations and movies have much in common and a few differences; whereas movies are made of multiple images (frames) grouped in a video container file, animations in GIMP comprise multiple layers in a single image. In a movie, the frames follow in quick succession; in an animation, in layers.

The GIMP tool provides two variants for creating moving images: Either the new layer replaces the existing one (known as replace mode), or a new, transparent layer adds its content to the current image (combine mode). Movies often use a similar approach to reduce file size.

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • 117 new Effects for GIMP 2.6

    Thanks to GIMP FX Foundry, you can now equip GIMP 2.6 with 117 additional scripts that can work some spectacular extra effects into existing graphics.

  • Animation with OpenToonz

    OpenToonz is a professional animation tool for comic and manga artists.

  • Gimp 2.9

    The Gimp revamp is in full swing. We look at developer version 2.9.1 to explain the new components and features that are expected to find their way into the Gimp 2.10 major release.

  • Perl: Photos Effects

    With the GIMP image editing program, and a little help from Perl, you can enhance your digital photos and transform a modern image into a nostalgic turn-of-the-century shot.

  • Gimp Scripting

    Many users turn to GIMP for pictures in the window, but some may not realize GIMP also has scripting capabilities that allow you to automate recurring tasks. The Python scripting language is a useful alternative to the GIMP’s integrated Lisp dialect.

comments powered by Disqus
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters

Support Our Work

Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

Learn More

News