How to: Create your own AVI Cartoons
Intro and Download Instructions

Windows Video Clips or AVI's are a very popular form of multimedia and can easily be converted to formats usable on the web such as RealPlayer streaming media and the popular MPEG standard. Creating your own AVI animation isn't hard if you have the right tools and a little bit of creativity.

In this tutorial, we will discuss the steps used to create the file vccmintro.avi from scratch. First, you will need the programs. I have chosen a few tools that can be downloaded from the net and are either free, or shareware. But you can use any software that meets the following criteria:

• The image editor must be capable of utilizing Transparent Layers. Adobe PhotoShop is the preferred choice among many graphic designers and is used for this tutorial. PaintShop Pro is a good alternative.
  
  
• The GIF animator must be capable of Exporting to AVI. This means once you have finished all your stills, you can export to a silent movie. I highly recommend Coffee Cup GIF Animator. This program makes the task a lot simpler.
  
  
• Your soundtrack software must have the capacity to add sound to a silent movie file. Soundtrack Producer is FREE and well up to the challenge.
  
  
• Graphics Viewer: In my opinion, there IS no replacement for perfection, and IrfanView 32 has it. It is also freeware and supports the widest selection of media files imaginable. It will even play your CD's. Make sure you get version 3.05 or better, it includes a very informative helpfile

Click here to go to Step 1

Please note: This tutorial assumes that you are familiar with the process of creating the original artwork. This is not a guide to using graphics programs.

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©1999 Timothy Tobin