All right, I guess I'm going to explain how to make animated GIF's for AVATARS, but I'll use AVITricks Classic to do that. I chose AVITricks Classic because is a good quality freeware, and you can find the link to download it on the Support --> Utilities forum, here in Ryoni.com

So you will need
1. AVITricks Classic
2. An AVI format video
in case your video is not in AVI format you will need:
3. Super e-Converter for FLV, mpg, MOV, Real Player format videos (other formats are available, so check it)
3a. STOIK converter for WMV format videos
4. LOTS OF WILLING (hehehe, important point )

So first make sure you have your video on AVI format. Once you have it, then make sure you have downloaded and installed the AVITrics Classic.

If you have all in the list, then we can start

1. Open AVITricks, you will have this screen:



2. Press the button that says "Add video" on the middle of the screen. A new window will pop up:



Make sure that "Video" is selected an press OK, the window will change to the well known open dialog window:



3. Search the video you want, select it and press OK, the window will change again:



Just select ok, and the window will close, and the AVITricks will be like this:



4. Now, pressing the green button, locate the part of the video you want. When you are in, press the red button to stop the video. You can drag the button located on the gray bar (see the cursor on the next figure), to the left or to the right to adjust the exact position you want your clip to start:



5. Go to the orange bar (which is actually the video bar), right click the mouse and a pop up window will come. Select "Mark in and Mark out" and then select "Set as Mark-in point"



Locate the end of the clip you want using the same method, and when you are on it, right click the orange bar again, select "Mark in and Mark out" and finally select "Set as Mark-out point". Now your clip is set.

6. Check the duration of your clip. For avatar, I do recommend a length between 6.5 and 10 seconds. If you want to make it longer, you can add another piece of the video (or from other video) by right clicking the orange bar again and select "Insert before" or "Insert after". After clicking on it, the Open dialog window will come up, and you can select either the same or other video. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you are satisfied.

7. Save the project and write the video with the name and directory of your choice. Just take care of this settings:

After pressing the "Write" button on the middle left of the screen (look the cursor on the figure), a window will pop up. Save the project and the file as it comes, on AVI Format. Then do it again, but now change for the following values:



Select the choices exactly as in the screen is posted, and that is it, you will have your first AVATAR

Adding Text to your AVATAR

Now I guess you would like to add your name to the AVATAR, so let's continue with that

1. Open AviTricks Classic and add your recent made AVI file made along with your AVATAR, as explained before.

NOTE: To make better the process, select the button "Set"on the project area (next close to the "Write" button), and set the video width to 150*150, and press OK

2. Once you have it, select the button "Add effects", a pop up window will come up. Select Ok to the information window and another window will pop up. Open the "Overlays" option and select "Title overlay" and Ok again



3. The window will change to the properties window. On the properties window, if you please write description and press OK again:



4. The working area will come on like in the next figure (if the windows varies, select "working on the rubber band mode" on the left of the working area. Look at the cursor in the next figure):



On the center of the video pre-view, you will see a blue button. Drag that button to the place you want your text to be.

5. Then where it says "On screen position", click in the arrow at the right and choose "Font"

6. on the new buttons that comes, select "Font"
a window to select the font will come out
choose the font you want and press OK

7.then go to the "Font" and press the right arrow and select "Text"
and press the now available button "Text"
On the window write what you want to be, and press the "Close" bottom



return as many times to "On screen position", "Font" and "Text" to change positions, font type, size and color or what you wrote

When satisfied, save your project and write your file, as explained before, and that is it

You're amaaaazing Ruy!!!! Thank you so much!

wow a very valueable contribution again Thanks Ruy!!

Wow thanks for your message Ruy. This is what I am looking for.

lovely Nadine
Mert and Vedat, thank you very much
hope people can use it, is fun and productive

I made a couple of corrections on point 5 and 7 that i think makes it a little better

anyway, if you fond something more, then tell me to correct it
and really, thanks a lot

Great Ruy, u r approaching another group of software like Adobe Premiere

It seems U 2 decided to do a hell of a job!!
congratulations to Mcnicky & Borono

u r doing great things here
hope ppl appreciate that

Thank you Ruy
also very good method
but I know this one
is the same
you Ruy and Mcnicky are two honey sweethearts
kisses to the two of you

thanks borono
this will really help making avatars
more easy
probably the greatest person in this site

Borono i just have one question regarding the AviTrics program, the video i have is in avi format however when i add the video it displays this msg "Video may not display properly. Need to download the Video for Windows Codec with fourCC=XVID" , and the video does not play..do u have any idea why this is happening? Thanks in advance =)

thank you guys, I try to do my best, really thanks

Well aznboi1223, seems like is a code problem
to find which codes you have, go to the drop down menu in the top of the window and select "Video codes"
then with the help of either Super e-converter:
http://www.erightsoft.com/S5E01.html

or STOIK converter:
http://www.stoik.com/products/svc/

change the codes to one of those you have on AviTricks
and that will do it

Thanks alot borono haha ur the best, i figured it out i downloaded some codec haha when i pasted the problem on google and now it works!

probably yes
and happy it helped

Have fun!! and post your results on te "Show your animated gif thread here, so we can see them!!

and thanks a lot!! I do my best !!

whoa, thanks alot!
im going to try this out

you are wellcome poonsausage, and in anything I can help, just tell me and happily I will

For now, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!
AND MY BEST WISHES TO YOU!!
hopping all you want for next year will come true