Posted: September/10/2005 at 12:40am | IP Logged

Ok.....here goes

NOTE: This tutorial was done useing Adobe Photoshop CS.  The buttons or locations may differ slightly using other versions of Photoshop.

Step one: Open Photoshop and create a new whatever (just use the window that pops up to create an appropriately sized image) the layer it creates will be your background.  Now, the easiest thing to do would be to just fill it with some color.  To do this, you will need the paint bucket tool.  To get to it click and hold the "Gradient Tool" button and select the paint bucket tool.      Now select a color and fill this background layer.

Step two: Create a new layer. (For me it's the second button from the right at the bottom of the layers pane   )  To animate text, all you will need on this layer is text.  Click on the text tool (it's the letter "T" in your toolbox  ) and create some kind of text.  Any color will work but it would be better if it was different from your background color.

Step three:  Ok once you have your text, create another new layer.  To make a glow like mine, you will need to create a gradient bar.  For that you will need to use the gradient tool.    Do you remember where your paint bucket tool is, well the gradient tool hides in the same toolbox slot as the paint bucket.  To get the gradient bar, select the gradient tool then at the top of your screen you should see 5 different little buttons with gradients on them.  I would recommend selecting the reflected gradient (for me it's the second button from the right at the top of the screen).  Now click and draw a relatively short line on your image, for an avatar I would recommend a line no longer than half an inch.  This should create a bar; you'll have to play around with it to get it going the direction you want it to. 

Step Four:  Once you have your bar, "control + click" on your text layer, this should outline your text on the image.  When your text is outlined, you want to create a layer mask.  To do this, click on the layer mask button (second button from the left at the bottom of the layer pane  ).  This will create a layer mask for your text, and the mask should appear "linked" to your topmost layer. 

Step Five:  You now need to unlink your mask from your third layer, to do this simply click on the "linking" icon (for me it's a chain) that's between your "layer" and your "mask".  If your gradient bar is not on top of your text, you now should not be able to see the gradient bar your have drawn.  This is ok. 

Once your done, your layer pane should look similar to this

Once you have done this, save your image as a .psd file and prepare to go to ImageReady.

**PART TWO**

Step one:  Open ImageReady and open your .psd image that you just saved in Photoshop.

Step two:  First you will need to create a duplicate frame, for that you will need to go to the animation pane and click on the button second from the right. .

NOTE:  If you cannot see the animation pane you will need to open it.  To do this, go to the menu bar, click on "Window" and make sure Animation is checked.

Step three:  Once you have created a duplicate pane, you will need to move the gradient bar you created in photoshop to just out of  sight.  (By out of sight I mean that it should not show up through the mask you created).  It is best to move the bar that is on the first frame as it will make tweening easier later on.

Step four:  Now that you have moved the gradient bar on the first frame, you need to move it on the second frame.  Move the bar in the direction that you want the animation to go.  So, if you want the animated bar to go from the top to the bottom of your text, place the bar on top of your image in the first frame, and place it on the bottom of your image in the second frame.

**Please Read This if you are unable to grasp your gradient bar after you have moved it out from behind your layer mask.**

This is a problem I encountered when I was animating my image.  Once I moved my bar from out behind the mask to the top of the image, I could no longer grasp it to move it to the bottom.  You can bypass this problem by temporarily disabling your layer mask. Click on your second frame and then go to the layer pane and right click on your layer mask. .  In the menu that it opens, select the last thing on the list which should "Disable Layer Mask."  Once this is done you should be able to see your bar completely.  This is ok, and now that you can see it, move it to the bottom (or wherever) of your image.  Once you have your gradient bar where you want it you need to re-enable your layer mask.  To do this, while the second frame is selected, go to the layer pane and right click on your layer mask.  Now the last thing on the list should read "Enable Layer Mask," click that.  On your image your bar should essentially vanish but that's ok.  Now that that is taken care of, continue with the rest of the tutorial.

Step five:  Now you need to "tween" your frames.  This is what will actually "animate" your image.  To do this you will need to tween your frames.  Once you have moved your gradient bar to the top of the image in the first frame, and to the bottom of the image in the second frame, you need to tween your frames together.  To do that you need to click the third button from the right in the animation pane. .

That will bring up the "Tween" window.  In this window are the options that will initially control the speed of your animation.  If you second frame is selected, the window should say that it is going to tween with the previous frame.

For this example I have chosen to tween the previous frame and to have it add 25 frames.  This will give me a relatively slow animation but you can tailor this number to your personal preference.  The smaller the number the faster the animation will be and vice versa.

**Optional**  If you think that your animation is progressing to quickly, you can change the time interval on your last frame to a larger number than zero. .  This will lengthen the time your animation takes to repeat itself.

Step six:  Now that you have tweened your image and have however many frames you like, you need to save your image AS AN OPTIMIZED GIF.  To do this click on "File" in the menu bar and click on "Save Optimized As" then whatever filename you wish. 

CONGRATULATIONS!  You have completed your animated signature or avatar.

Posted: September/11/2005 at 1:40am | IP Logged

Follow up question for Photoshop CS gurus...

How on earth do you guys afford copies? The s/w is so darn expensive. (Note: No replies on how to get warez, cracks or illegal copies please but if anyone knows a cheap route, please spill the beans.)

At work I am forced to use Paint Shop Pro as they won't fork out for Photoshop for me (cheapskates!) At home I've a very old copy of Photoshop that I use along with other odds and ends but I keep on seeing all the great things you guys are doing with CS and I'm envious!

Posted: September/11/2005 at 10:30am | IP Logged

Hm...

When things look too good to be true, they usually are.

In checking the countysoft.com site out, here is the registered person. Note the address and email differences:

 Name      : ANTHONY CRIPPEN
 Email     : jimjim1@post.cz
 Address   :  P.O. Box 5009 Pirae TAHITI
 Zipcode   : 98716
 Nation    : PF
 Tel       : (689) 435695
 Fax       :

Then look at the email address for support/refund questions published on the web site, first it's a different site, downloadablesoftware.com which doesn't have a web site (although it's a registered site with a different company) and second it's got a space in the domain name so it will never work.

The unconditional money back guarantee actually has conditions that include any reason the staff can think of (paraphrased.) Thanks to vagaries of the English languages, the wording in the FAQ can be read as either "comes with no license" or "saves costs by not having a printed manual and a printed license". Take your pick!