Application graphics

[Scott Rossi]

Recently, Richmond Mathewson wrote:

>> PNG may not be as convenient for animation as something like animated GIF,
>> but you can create animations by showing PNGs sequentially in an image
>> object (set the text of image "viewer" to the text of image
>> "frame1.png"...), or by sequentially setting the icon of a button to the IDs
>> of PNGs.
>> 
>>    
> Well . . . you can do that with any format that RunRev can cope with,
> although
> it does seem terribly clunky, or, Heaven forfend that I should let the
> phrase
> pass out my gab: "terribly Hypercardy".
> 
> The advantage of this method is that it is easier to control things such
> as animation
> speed than with animated GIFs.

"Clunky" or not, PNG is better for several reasons:

- GIF is capable of only 256 colors, PNG = much more
- GIF supports only 1 bit mask (1 level of transparency), PNG supports 8 bit
mask (256 levels of transparency)

Besides, animated GIF format is simply the data of a bunch of GIF frames in
a single file.  If you want this same thing in Rev, import a bunch of PNGs
as custom properties of an image.  Presto.  A single object with multiple
frames, sans the "clunkyness".

Regards,

Scott Rossi
Creative Director
Tactile Media, UX Design