18.2 Tools for Building Multilayer Animations

In this section, we cover tools for building animations that will be stored as a single image, with each layer acting as a frame. Some of these tools were used in Chapter 6, where we demonstrated simple animation techniques.

Animating by Hand

Suppose you want to move an object on a fixed background, as cartoon animators did 50 years ago. For example, how might you animate an old biplane landing in a field? You might try the method shown in 6.1 Tutorial: Animated Text, placing the plane in its successive positions in separate layers. But you have a problem: Each plane you position is added to the image instead of replacing the previous one, so the final animation is full of planes. And if you choose the ...

Get The Book of GIMP now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.