PhotoPlus X2 User Guide - Serif

Creating Animations 157
When you create a new frame on the Animation tab, you're not adding a new layer.
The new frame merely enables you to define a new state of the layers that already
exist. Of course, you could go on and create an additional layer (using the Layers
tab), but then all your animation frames would need to take that layer into
account—in other words, hide it when it wasn't needed.
Single-layer animation
Let's look at a different example. This one shows the YingYang symbol as a
bouncing ball, and although it has four frames it only has one layer (Add Layer to
Each New Frame was unchecked). Three additional frames were cloned from
Frame 1 (using the New Frame button), and then, within each subsequent frame
the layer was dragged slightly (with the Move Tool) to reposition its contents in the
window.
Working with animation frames
Let's cover the "nuts and bolts" of creating and arranging animation frames using
the Animation tab. You'll use the tab in conjunction with the Layers tab to varying
extents, but we'll focus on the Animation tab for the moment.
Here are some general guidelines to help you produce memorable animations:
1. Decide if you want layers to be created with each frame. Check or uncheck the
Add Layer to Each New Frame option (if needed) by right-clicking on the
Animation tab. This means that each new frame can be edited independently
as it occupies its own layer.
2. Create enough frames to define the separate states of the animation.
3. Step through the frames, adjusting layer content and state for each frame. You
can delete or reposition frames as needed, and preview the animation at any
time.
4. Save the animation as a regular PhotoPlus (.SPP) file, and export it to the .GIF
or .AVI format.