GIF Support

[MarkusTheArtist]

Seeing as its 2020 and even free programs like Google Slides or paid ones like PowerPoint include animated GIF support, I think GIF support in InDesign is LONG overdue. 

On top of that support for GIFs inside PDFs is something that I always get a ton of requests from clients about.

Whaddya say Adobe, how about some animated GIF support finally???

[Migintosh]

This forum is for users like you and me, and not a direct line to Adobe. If you want to make a feature request, start here:

https://www.adobe.com/products/wishform.html

[rayek.elfin]

The import of animated gifs has been supported for a long time in InDesign. They do function in a FXL epub, if the epub reader supports them. The built-in epub previewer plays them as well.

If you use the online publishing option, animated gifs will work as well. And with Keith Gilbert's FLX html export animated gifs work as expected in the resulting html files.

Animated GIFs don't work in a PDF. This is not InDesign's fault. PDF readers and the PDF format just do not support it. Besides, interactive PDFs are basically a dead-end nowadays, excepting some outlier cases.

Or do you mean the EXPORT of animated gifs? Which doesn't make a lot of sense in InDesign: it is not an animation software. But it is possible to record the screen and convert to an animated gif. Not advised, though: animated gifs are limited in both colour/quality and acceptable file size.

[rayek.elfin]

If you really need a simple way to create an animated gif from your InDesign animated page:

1) export your page as a FXL epub.

2) Extract all the files using eCanCrusher:
https://www.docdataflow.com/ecancrusher/

3) open the xhtml file in the OEPBS folder in Chrome.

4) install the Capture to a Gif extension in Chrome
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/capture-to-a-gif/eapecadlmfblmnfnojebefkbginhggeh

5) open the preferences of this extension and turn on "Allow Access to File URLs"

6) With your page open, click the Capture to a Gif button in the button bar of Chrome

7) drag a rectangle or click on a portion of the page which contains the entire page.

8)record and save as an animated GIF.

You may have to put a delay on all animations in InDesign to give you some time to start recording.

Or keep it simple, and just record the epub preview window in InDesign using a screen recorder such as OBS, and save as an animated Gif.

https://obsproject.com/

[BobLevine]

The OP wants to use them in PDFs. 

[MarkusTheArtist]

Yes. I work in entertainment where moving concepts are shared and some clients only use PDFs, hence my desire for support for animated GIFs in InDesign. 

Powerpoint sucks as a design program and I'd have a better go at doing cooler presentations in INDD with some GIF animations in there.

[John Mensinger]

". . . support for GIFs inside PDFs is something that I always get a ton of requests from clients about."

Sounds like they could use some authoritative counsel, or at least a reminder of how much has changed since the rotating globe era.

[MarkusTheArtist]

Animated GIFs can go a long way in the entertainment business in showing an idea for a pitch without overspending on resources without client sign off. 

I work in the advertising and entertainment business where things like animated GIFs are not considered archaic or looked down upon in software user forums, but thanks for your insight.