GIFBuilder

GIFBuilder for OSX... Want to add animation to your Web site? Animated GIF files are the way to go, particularly for those less accomplished in animation, and very few programs make creating animated GIFs easier than GifBuilder. This scriptable utility offers an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface that supports many different file types, including PICT, TIFF, Photoshop (including layers), QuickTime movie, PIC, and of course GIF files. What's more, GifBuilder lets you control pixel depth, the color palette, dithering, size, interlacing, transparency, interframe delay, disposal method, frames position, and looping. If these terms sound confusing, don't worry: easy-to-follow instructions are included, as is a sample animation.

Version 1.0 has a slightly more modern interface and is compatible with Mac OS X.

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Suggest something else:

MCFRED73 Whether I'm clueless or I'm stupid. I uploaded a gif video that created 400 frames, and when I clicked on convert, it did save the file as gif but opened it as PDF...that is so weird.
(Version 1.0)

FREDDUCKER Couldn't open a single image to start my animation with.

Tried "open" "convert" and dragging and dropping.
(Version 1.0)

STR4WB3RYF13LD5 This was just the application I was looking for! Very easy to use and simple interface. Thanks a lot!
(Version 1.0)

MISS_NANCY it appears to be nearly identical to the previous version (for OS 9).

my only use for it is to convert poser animations (uncompressed video)

suitable for viewing on either mac or windows machines.

it excels in this purpose, whether with 10.2.6 or 10.3.9. I haven't yet tried it on 10.4.7,

but I daresay a new version may be written for intel macs.

the only difference between functionality in the OS X and OS 9 versions

(in my experience) is that it was possible to drag-n-drop the movie onto

the app in OS 9, whilst in OS X, it's necessary to use the

"open" command to load the video into gifbuilder.
(Version 1.0)

ANONYMOUS Yippie. This is to me what Fetch seems to be for lots of people. I make animated gifs not more than a few times a year, still I spend to much of life waiting for ImageReady to start up. I've missed this little ugly but functional fellow since OS8. Glory days, it's back!

Keep it ugly, I love it.
(Version 1.0)

Replies:

Oct 29 2005

DAVID I just downloaded the OSX version of GifBuilder and I got a file called "GifBuilderCarbon.image".

What do I do with this? (It opens in Toast when I double-click.) Am I supposed to install/drag this file somewhere?

Thanks for any help.
(Version 1.0)

Aug 21 2006

NNOIDONE that happened to me, too...what I did was go to "get info" and in the "open with" drop down menu where it says "toast", use the down arrow to find...I think it's "disk installer" or something like that...and make that the default app for opening this file...BUT...even after I did that, though gifbuilder installed, IT DIDNT WORK! I even repaired/verified disk permissions (which works with some apps, like mail) and restarted it a couple times, but it still didn't work :( I used it before, on early versions of osx, but it doesn't seem to work with osx 10.4.7 :( and the guy who wrote it says he won't be updating it :(
(Version 1.0)

JEFFREY FRIEDL For whatever reason, it did not seem to recognize any file as an image. The load-frame file-browsing dialog would leave all .gif, .jpg, .tiff, .pct, etc. files grayed out, and dragging them directly from finder would end up doing nothing.

I did find one .gif file in one directory that happened to work (I could load it as a frame), but when I simply renamed the file, or copied another file to the same name, or even renamed the file and then named it back, it suddenly was gray in the file-open dialog and wouldn't allow me to load. Very, very odd. I checked file and directory permissions, owners, etc., and have no explanation as to why this would be that way. No one else has reported it, so perhaps it's just me. OSX 10.3.9.
(Version 1.0)

Replies:

Oct 29 2005

ANONYMOUS I get the same problem. I am new to Macs - do I have something set in my gif creator that needs changing?
(Version 1.0)

Nov 10 2005

JACK HAYSLETT Help, Please!

GifBuilder will not add frames of images created in Applworks 6. I have saved these in all formaats, jpg, gif, photoshop, pict, tiff, etc. All are "dim" files when I attempt to upload them to the frames window. I had no such problem with Appleworks 5 on my old iMac 333. My Mac-Mini OS X seems to work the same way as it did on OS 9, and gifbuilder seems the same, too. It is the OS X version. I just want to create images for GifBuilder animations. I have tried everything this old Mind can. Any suggestions, solutions is appreciated. Please contact me by email as I have a hard time navigating discussion groups. But, I'll try. Maybe, another option to Appleworks, that is not beyond my meager understanding. I have yet to understand Photoshop Elements for making layers. I liked PhotoDeluxe and never used Photoshop 5 on the iMac. I'm too old to learn many new tricks. Thanks. Jack mailtojackhayslett@sbcglobal.net
(Version 1.0)

Aug 21 2006

NNOIDONE I just downloaded gifbuilder and installed it but it didn't work at all!!! it wouldn't even open a new animation window! I used it before early in osx, but it doesnt seem to work with 10.4.7 :( I repaired/verified permissions twice and restarted it a couple times, but it still wouldnt open a new window for animation...also went to guy piquets site and he says he wont be updating it any more...its like 4 years old already, so I guess its just outdated :(
(Version 1.0)

Oct 9 2006

STARLESS72 I also have the same problem with GifBuilder 1.0 on MacOS 10.4.8: all image files (GIF, TIFF...) are greyed out in the file selection dialog which opens with the Add Frames command, and cannot be selected. Drag&drop does not work either, so the program is unusable.
(Version 1.0)

Oct 9 2006

STARLESS72 With kind (and fast!) help from the developer, I found a way to work around this problem: press and hold down the Option key (Alt), then open the File menu and select the Add Frame menu item. Now the file requester will allow you to choose any file type, image files will not be grayed out anymore.

It's important that you hold down the Option key BEFORE opening the File menu, otherwise it will not work.
(Version 1.0)

Jun 1 2009

HAIRDYES I am also having this problem with this free software. "Add Frame" recognizes NO images files.
(Version 1.0)

Jun 1 2009

HAIRDYES Starless72's suggestion works.

However, the software recognizes ONLY .PICT files (and .gif, which is what we are trying to create, so that is no help), which destroy image quality.

Sigh. We do get what we pay for, most often...
(Version 1.0)

Jun 1 2009

STARLESS72 Well Hairdyes, the documentation clearly states it:

"Supported files are PICT, GIF, TIFF (baseline) and Photoshop 2.5 or 3 (bitmap, grayscale (or duotone, which are read as grayscale), indexed or RGB)."

Anyway, I do not consider it to be a big problem: just convert your frames to GIF images beforehand, and then give them to GifBuilder so it can build the animation.

But maybe a more modern application has been published in the meantime... GifBuilder is still PPC-only.
(Version 1.0)

YVES PIGUET There is again an official home page for GifBuilder and clip2gif:

http://nyctergatis.com/gifbuilder/

No new release yet...
(Version 1.0)

Replies:

May 11 2009

ROGERHARROP Hi Yves,

Can you advise please. I have just moved from PC to mac and I am a professional speaker and I find my animated gifs in my powerpoint slides don't work in mac.

I'm not a techy - if I download this program will they then work?

many thanks

Roger
(Version 1.0)

ANONYMOUS For Bilt a gif
(Version 1.0)

ESMERALDA I have been using GifBuilder since before 1998. For those who gripe, please remember..free is ever so much better than not free. A gift to the world is a very generous thing. I have had consistantly excellent results using GifBuilder. It takes a little patience learning what you can do with it, that's all... I built an animated evacuation map for a hotel website with it, and it was better than a fancy Flash version built by someone who was supposedly an animation expert, with a much smaller file size besides.
(Version 1.0)

Replies:

Jun 1 2009

HAIRDYES Yes dear, free is great. Brava. I personally don't think it's too much of a "gripe" to request that the application perform at a basic level, which is what these people seem to be "griping" about. They are troubleshooting for solutions, so please be quiet and enjoy your smooth-running program while we try to find a solution to our problems using it, which have nothing to do with ingratitude.
(Version 1.0)

ANONYMOUS I have attempted to download this "gifbuilder" program for over a week and it keeps saying that the download has timed out.Does that mean it's not available anymore?

I'm using Tiger with a G-5 and dsl
(Version 1.0)

Replies:

Jul 27 2005

MU ADMIN Try downloading it again now, we found another link for the download.
(Version 1.0)