AniTuner can convert animated users so they can be used in web pages, instant messaging applications, documents, manuals, Adobe Flash movies or any other application.
The following animation formats are supported: GIF, AVI, bitmap strip, or Flash. Such formats are recognized by Web browsers, animation programs, animation player controls, etc...
Once your animated cursor is opened, click "Export to another format" in the Tools panel. Then select the format you want to export your animated cursor to using the following list:
After you have selected the destination format for the animated cursor and set up the different related settings, press the Export button to choose the filename for the output animation file. Click OK and your animated cursor is converted.
AniTuner can convert animated cursors to the five following formats:
Animated GIF
It supports bit-transparency but limited to 256 colors (8-bit). When you convert an animated cursor to a GIF, if the number of colors is higher than 256, AniTuner will first apply a color reduction to all frames before converting them. Animated GIFs are useful for HTML pages, e-mails, help files, etc...
- Non-transparent animation: if you enable this option, the output GIF will not be transparent and the background will be filled with the background color. If you convert 32-bit animated cursors, you should use this option.
- Background color: defines the color considered as transparent for the GIF or not. Be sure to select a color that is not used in your animated cursor's images such as fuchsia or teal (in the color list).
- Each frame can have its own delay like in animated cursors, so the animation timing can be kept when converting: in this case, leave the option "Each frame keeps its own timing" enabled. Otherwise select "Use the same timing for all frames" and enter the delay for all frames (in jiffies; 1 jiffy=1/60th of a second).
Adobe Flash
AniTuner can convert your animated cursor into a compact Flash SWF movie. You can then use this Flash file in your other Flash projects (using Adobe® Flash or any Flash editor tool), in your presentations or HTML compiled publications (built with HTML Executable), and on your Web pages (using the Flash player control).
Flash files created with AniTuner support partial transparency (alpha channel), high color levels (24-bit & 32-bit) contrary to GIF and lossless compression.
- Background color: defines the color that will be used to fill in the background of the movie. Generally use white but it depends on where you want to use your Flash movie.
- Each frame can have its own delay like in animated cursors, so the animation timing can be kept when converting: in this case, leave the option "Each frame keeps its own timing" enabled. Otherwise select "Use the same timing for all frames" and enter the delay for all frames (in jiffies; 1 jiffy=1/60th of a second)
AVI Clip
This creates small silent AVI clips. You can use AVI files in your help files and applications. You can refer to the Windows SDK help topic, Animation Controls:
"An animation control is a window that silently displays an Audio Video Interleaved (AVI) clip. An AVI clip is a series of bitmap frames like a movie. Although AVI clips can have sound, you cannot use such clips with animation controls. You can use only silent AVI clips.."
- Transparency is not supported by AVI, therefore you have to select a background color (generally white but you can change this to fuchsia or teal if you plan to use your AVI with the animation control above that supports background transparency). High color levels are allowed contrary to GIF. AniTuner creates uncompressed AVI clips and they can be modified or recoded with an AVI editor such as VirtualDub.
- AVI only supports one delay for all frames (contrary to animated cursors): AniTuner will by default use the delay of the first frame. But you can also enter your own delay for all frames (in jiffies; 1 jiffy=1/60th of a second).
Single Bitmap Strip
AniTuner exports a single static bitmap containing all frames of the animated cursor (not a real animation) called bitmap strip or image strip. Each next frame is juxtaposed with the preceding one and this leads to this sample result:
Frames may be juxtaposed horizontally or vertically.
The resulting bitmap may be used with some animation controls. AniTuner can also import bitmap strips..
AniTuner Disassembly
Use this format if you want to modify the animated cursor and then import changes back to generate a modified cursor. AniTuner disassemblies contain a text file (.atd extension) and a series of PNG files. When you export an animated cursor as a disassembly, AniTuner exports all frames as PNG files (including the alpha channel for 32-bit cursors) and creates a file containing all necessary information to rebuild the cursor later.
The disassembly .td file and the PNG files are always created in the same destination folder.
You can select the transparent color (background color) that indicates the transparent areas in PNG image files.
