gifanimdtc203

Short:        GIF Animation DataType V2.3
Author:       GISBURN@w-specht.rhein-ruhr.de (Roland Mainz)
Uploader:     GISBURN w-specht rhein-ruhr de (Roland Mainz)
Type:         util/dtype
Replaces:     util/dtype/gifanimdtc201.lha
Requires:     animation.datatype V41
Architecture: m68k-amigaos

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gifanim.datatype >= V2.2 can now create GIF Animation streams

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DataType for displaying GIF Animations

-- Features are:
* Implements a GIF Animation stream encoder.
  Using the included "DTConvert", you can convert any animation to GIF
  Animation streams, like
  IFF ANIM          -> GIF ANIM
  MPEG Video/System -> GIF ANIM
  CDXL              -> GIF ANIM
  and so on...
  The only requirement is that for the source file an animation.datatype
  subclass must exists in the system, nothing more.

  The encoder supports creation of interlaced and transparent animations,
  too.

- CyberGFX output (16/24 bit truecolor)

- Supports local colormaps

- Supports sound.
  Any sound (loaded with a sound.datatype subclass) can be attached to the
  animation.

  If you want, you can read-out this animation+sound as an IFF FILM stream
  (using DumpDTAnim (Aminet:gfx/conv/DumpDTAnim#?.LhA)) and make a
  playback using film.datatype.

- Dynamic loading of frames (disk-based) or caching the whole anim in memory.




-- Changes since V2.2:
    V2.3
      - Fixed a couple of holes in the descriptor code which may caused
        endless loops or - more worse - crashes in the past.
        Thanks to Guillaume Ubbelohde (950947@mercure.umh.ac.be) for
        reporting the bug.

      - The descriptor now checks if the given gif stream is a
        multi-picture gif stream or not, nothing else !
        Syntax checking/version checking etc. is NOT done, this is the
        job of the decoder (e.g. the class library).

      - The error checking in the decoder has been improved a little
        bit. Still not perfect, but...

      - The decoder now explains most errors in a console window.

      - Implemented a NOVERBOSE option (as requested by many people),
        which turns all error messages OFF.
        Be carefull with this option !!!

      - Minor code changes and optimisations.

    V2.2
      - Minor code cleanup

      - Removed REPEAT and NOREPEAT options/feature because this
        hack-like "feature" seems to be incompatible to GMultiView's
        repeat option.
        Problem fixed.

      - Added encoder prefs options to set GIF interlace mode, transparent
        and background pens.
        See "gifanim.datatype.doc" section "preferences" for details.
        Currently untested...

      - Major speedup in the encoder part (~ three times faster).
        a) The encoder now writes any incoming bitmap in an chunkypixel
           array and operates on it instead of doing ReadPixel for
           each pixel.
        b) Minor other changes in the encoder section...

      - The decoder now treats 0x00-chars in the chunk id position as
        padding bytes and does not prompt any sytax error any more.
        Now the "slidbar.gif" created by "GifBuilder 0.2" works...

      - Introduced the option STRICTSYNTAX which prints additionally
        syntax errors (like the 0x00 padding bytes above...).

      - Added Installation script "Install DataType".
        It would be very nice if someone has the time to write a
        1:1 CBM Installer version of it...


----

Bye,
Roland


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