Animated .gif file skipping frames?!

Forum|Forum|9 years ago
December 13, 2016
4 replies
8810 views

I'm editing a .gif file, but when I play the file it skips over most of the frames, playing only a few. Most of the time the animation is frozen, then jerks through a few frames then repeats. The original gif file plays fine, only the edited frames are not playing properly.

Here's what I'm doing:

1. Open .gif file.

2. Retouch each layer using brush tool.

3. Window>Timeline.

4. Make frames from layers.

5. Select frame delay time (.06 sec)

6. Set loop Forever

7. Save for Web

8. Play/Preview .gif file

The .gif is 34 frames. It seems to be stuck of the first frame, as the frame count cycles, then plays five frames and jumps back to being frozen on the first frame. This is driving me nuts. I've tried everything I can think of, including starting from scratch by copy/paste each frame layer into a new file and following steps 1 - 8. When I do that the .gif won't play at all. The frame count cycles through all 34 frames, but the image is static. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong or how to fix this? Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

The .gif file is 346.2K, 64 sec @ 56.6 kbps, 100% dither, selective palette, 256 colors.

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pausepauseAuthor

Participant

Thanks for the replies, Trevor.Denis and JJMack. Oh, I get what you meant, 'turned on'. Yes, they are. I checked the file that was frozen and found that PS had copied only one layer into every frame. I deleted all the frames and started over from window>timeline. Then 'Make frames from layers'. For some reason PS wasn't copying the layers into separate frames, or only a few, although all the layers are turned on. I guess PS is just buggy sometimes.

For example, when I copy/pasted each layer into a new file to start from scratch, I noticed that PS was copying the same layer over and over, even though different layers were selected each time I copy/pasted. The problem has resolved itself it seems. After I deleted all frames and started a new timeline it is working as it should now. Although, the rate of play is much slower when I play the file in 'Save for Web'. Buggy! PS is buggy! Thanks again.

JJMack

Community Expert

If the GIF is only 346.2K post it here. You just need to use the insert image icon above.

JJMack

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pausepauseAuthor

Participant

Hi Trevor.Dennis. No, I'm not sure what you mean. Can you please elaborate? What do you mean, 'make sure the right (correct layer?) and ONLY the right layer is turned for that frame?

Trevor.Dennis

Community Expert

Frame animations have more than the average number of 'gotchas' for anyone new to them, and that becomes even more true if you want to edit layer/frame contents after you have set up the animation. It's a minefield!

It's easier when you have a separate layer for each frame, so in the frame animation below, the white background layer is switched on for every frame. You can force that by selecting all of the frames, and turning the background layer on.

In the screen shot below, frame one is selected and the layer named 'Demo' is turned on. Other than the background, no other layers are turned on.

When I select Frame 2, the next layer is selected, and so on. So you need to click on each frame in turn, and see which layer(s) are turned on.

If you only used the one layer and moved it, you need to click on each frame, and check the position etc. of that frame. I strongly suspect that you have got the correlation between frames and layers out of kilter. It is incredibly easy to do, and you need a disciplined workflow to avoid it.

JJMack

Community Expert

You can have Photoshop generate frames TWEEN frames I just create two layers one Masked with an unlinked layer mask. I moved the contents of the top mask layer off canvas left and high. I then create a frame animation added a frame an moved the content of the top masked layer off canvas low on the right for that added frame Then I use TWEEN to have Photoshop generated the frames between the two frames I created. Tween does not seem to handle rotation correctly