How to Create Animated Images with PaintCAD

Just as Idesigner is one of the best graphics tool for Symbian/S60, so also paintCAD still remains the best image editor for Java/S40 devices.
Among the long list of the functionality of paintCAD, we're gonna discuss how to create animated gif images.
This animated gif image below was actually created with paintCAD.

Since some mobile browsers are static, you might not see the animated effect (if you are on mobile) except you download the image and view it on your phone.

How to Pack Animated Gif Images with PaintCAD

Before I we continue, let me throw a speck of light on animated gif images. An animated gif image is primarily composed of a set of images (called frames) that is packed to a single gif image. For the animation to take effect, it displays the first frame, the second, the third, and continues to the last frame, them it starts afresh.
So what paintCAD actually does is to pack the frames (in gif format) to a single gif and thus it's animated.
Also note that paintCAD cannot pack gif images it didn't create or save.

Fire up paintCAD, and select 8bpp mode. Create a new image or open an existing one — the first frame. Mine is just a text as you can see below:



Press "0" (zero) > Save > GIF, and save it as 1.gif.
Next, create/open the second image — the second frame.


This time, save it to 2.gif

Create the subsequent frames and save it to gif format as 3.gif, 4.gif, 5.gif ... 10.gif, etc — it doesn't have limit to the number of images allowed. For example mine is 12.
When you're done with creating the images, press "0" (zero), press the right navigation key twice and select "Pack aniGIF". 



Navigate to the folder where you saved the images previously and select it.



Press Options and select "In this folder".
Now, write the name you want the animated image to be saved to and ok it.
Now, paintCAD will display the number of frames, press Ok to trigger the packing process.
The packed gif file is usually saved in the folder containing the just packed images.

How to Unpack Animated Gif Images with PaintCAD

Apart from packing animated gif images as we did above, paintCAD can also be used to unpack gif images.

To do this, press "0" (in the painting window), the right navigation key twice and select "Unpack aniGIF".
Select the gif file to be unpacked. The unpacked images is usually saved in the last opened folder or E root.
Any question or suggestion?