converting wmf to gif file

i want to convert wmf animation files to a gif format to include on a
webpage in Netobjects fusion.
I have tried and looked but without success.
Does anyone know of a sure way please?
TIA

Old Grizzly...

Long way around but i did it

pmj...

Great!!!
:-)

1) split the wmv into compnent gifs

pmj...

What did you use for (& how did you do) that?

pmj...

How long did it take?
& how many Frames were there actually in the Video File?

& how big (File Size KB/MB) was the total of all the individual Frames?

2) used Imageready to place all the results from 1) into seperate
levels and saved as photoshop file
3) in Photoshop saved it as an animated gif

pmj...

What Settings did you use for the GIF Output?
I know that most things that can Create GIFs (either Static or Animated)
have various Options available to make the File Size smaller (or more
accurate Color etc,)

$) put it into a Netobject fusion web page all working ticketyboo ;-)

a long way around but success ;-)

pmj...

Great!
:-)

How big (File Size) is the resultant GIF?

Can we see it please?
:-)

What's the URL of it?

Old Grizzly...

That's about 15.5 *MegaBytes* in total then (for all the individual
Frames of it), is it?

Sheesh!!!

You can see why Videos are such large files, can't you?
Cos the more Frames there are (& you need a reasonably high Frame
Rate of at least 15 frames per Second, to get smooth movement),
the bigger the total File Size.

Actual Videos rely on (usually) usin gsomething like JPEG Compression
(for each Frame), which can often Compress the typical sort of Images
used in Videos down a fair bit.
& most Video Formats also manage to Compress the File still further,
by only storing the *differences* between each frame, rather than
storing every Frame.

taking about 2 or 3 minutes to complete IIRC

datasmog...

It's a long time since I use Blink but wouldn't it convert straight to a
recognised video format?

Old Grizzly...

it will convert to several o/puts but if you select GIF it outputs a
load of frames not an animated GIF i didnt (yet) try the others as i
did really need a gif

I imported these into Adobe Image ready as frames setting the animation

pmj...

Yep, with many things like that, it can be done with a (relatively)
short (& thus small Size) File, Set to Loop (Repeat) Indefinitely.

as forever. Saved the file as a PSD Photoshop file.
opened that file in Photoshop and saved for web this was quite memory

pmj...

Yep!
It would be!!!
Cos all the GIF Images (Frames) have to be Loaded into Memory
(& expanded to the BitMap equivalent, in the Memory, which will take
up *loads* of Memory), so it can then make the Animated GIF from them.

intensive and as an HTML NOT a GIF i was mistooken but forgive me me
brain was urtin ;-)

pmj...

Well, actually that Adobe "Save for Web" Option is a bit misleading...
Cos mwhat itr does is top Save the *Picture* as a GIF (or if it's not
Animated, it can Save it as JPEG) & *also* Save a little Page of HTML
to show the Picture on the Page.
You don't need the HTML that it Creates - all you need is the GIF File,
so you can then use it on whatever Web Page you want.

the html was 1KB

pmj...

Yep, HTML is basically Plain Text, so it doesn't take up much File
Size...

At all times i just used default settings throughout

pmj...

pmj...

Yes!
It does Help.
Very interesting!
& thanks for Posting back with what you did!
:-)

I'm sure the Playing around - Errr... Sorry - I mean Experimenting -
that you did will be useful for other people as well as you!
:-)

But (like Boo says), did you realise that that Animated GIF File ended
up as nearly 10 *Mega*Bytes in Size ? !!! - 9,270 KB - 9,492,229 Bytes!

Even on this 4mbps Cable Modem Connection I have, (with a sustained,
steady Download Speed of about 490 KBytes/Sec) it took nearly 19 Seconds
to Download it!!! Though it does start to Play, while the rest of it
is Downloading.

But, also - because it's an Animated GIF (& not a Video) it is *also*
very Processor Intensive! - It takes up nearly 40% of the Processing
Cycles of this 3.4 MHz HyperThreaded Intel Pentium 4 Processor on
this PC.

So..

I think it was a nice little worthwhile experiment, but I really
wouldn't advise you to use any Animated GIF like that (as big as that)
on any Web Pages that you want other people to see.
Cos not everybody has an Internet Connection that has 4mbps Download
Speed or a PC with a (HyperThreaded) Processor as fast as 3.4 GHz.

Old Grizzly...

YEp all points taken, it started of with a need to be able to do it in
the first place, but as i sais i used defaults all the way so i will be
pla... err getting into the deeper aspects to make it a more usuable
process.
The original file i started with, as defaults, had only 28 gif's. To
get me and you a better idea i purposely used a lengthy, complicated
animation.
Its a start innit? LOL

This is not the file i pla ...... concentrated on earlier as i didnt
want to post that at this time, so i repeated that with this animation
the wmf file into 169 gif files of 89.2 KB about 15.5 in total each and
taking about 2 or 3 minutes
to complete IIRC
I imported these into Adobe Imageready as frames setting the animation
as forever. Saved the file as a PSD Photoshop file.
opened that file in Photoshop and saved for web this was quite memory
intensive and as an HTML NOT a GIF i was mistooken but forgive me me
brain was urtin ;-)
the html was 1KB
At all times i just used default settings throughout
This is not the file i pla ...... concentrated on earlier as i didnt
want to post that at this time, so i repeated that with this animation
the wmf file into 169 gif files of 89.2 KB about 15.5 in total each and
taking about 2 or 3 minutes
to complete IIRC
I imported these into Adobe Imageready as frames setting the animation
as forever. Saved the file as a PSD Photoshop file.
opened that file in Photoshop and saved for web this was quite memory
intensive and as an HTML NOT a GIF i was mistooken but forgive me me
brain was urtin ;-)
the html was 1KB
At all times i just used default settings throughout

Tickettyboo...

No idea if it will do it, Len, but you seem to be able to import .wmf
files into PSP and hopefully then save then as .gif.
If you have a ferinstance and want me to have a go , let me know

Old Grizzly...

Thanks Boo have a look here please ;-)

Old Grizzly...

just testing LOL

pmj...

But that's a .wmv - windoze Media Video - File!
& not a .wmf - windoze *Meta* - File! - Which is what you said it was
in your first Post.

There's no way (or not any practical, easy) way that you can sensibly
Convert a Video File to an Animated GIF.

OK, it *can* be done, but the File Size is likely to be fairly large.
(by Extracting & Saving each (or maybe every other) Frame from the
Video File (IrfanView can Extract Frames from Video Files) & then
Importing each Frame (there are about 30 Frames Per Sec in a normal
Video File like that & that File is about 8 Seconds long, so that
means there are about 240 Separate Frames in it) into a .GIF Animation
thingy, such as Animation Shop, which comes with PaintShop Pro.

There are various other ways to do things like that, as well (Post
back if you need any more Info), but trying to make an Animated GIF
from a Video File is really starting off with the wrong thing!

Tickettyboo...

oh, sorry Len, I misunderstood. I thought you meant .wmf files but that
one is a .wmv file.
I don't think I can do anything with .wmv files in PSP :-(

Old Grizzly...

I can get them as MOV files Boo

Old Grizzly...

sorry boo ;-) its not my day today it seems ;-)

Michaelangelo...

Found this, Len. Never used it but since it's free it's worth a try. I
had a look at the original file. It plays in Media Player and in
Irfanview. Couldn't convert it in Irfanview though. It's a really nice
animation. I'm not convinced that it will look as good when it's a gif.
Remember gif's are only 256 colours.

Michaelangelo...

Oops, Must be catching!

Old Grizzly...

i'll have alook in a bit, its downloading.
I apprecite that Gif is a bit at the bottom end of quality but to build
the webpage it wont use wmv in a nice presentably way :)