Paint Shop Pro Tutorials by Karen

This is one of my favourite things I have learned on PSP. I was awe inspired when I found out I could bring a still photograph to life right in front of my eyes- without the use of confusing java scripts or tricky software!. However, I found tutorials very difficult to follow, and most of them had un-neccessary steps which made it more time consuming and confusing. In the end I devised my own way and in this tutorial I will show how I animate my water photo`s. I think waterfalls make the nicest subjects, so I will be using my photo of a local waterfall. You can right click and save my photo below if you like or use any waterfall pics of your own choice. You will probably find it easier if you make a folder just for this tutorial, keeping all the copies etc in this folder until you have finished with them.

ANIMATED WATERFALL

This tutorial is written for P.S.P V7, but can be adapted for other versions.

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Open your chosen image (fig 1)

Click on the freehand tool (lasso) right click it and select tool options, set as fig 2.

Close the dialogue box. Starting at the top of the waterfall, drag the pointer around it then back up to the starting point, right click to select it (fig 3) Keep the image open until instructed otherwise.

You will need the same image 5 times, so go to file / save as, name the image anything you like but include the number 1 in the name, click on save - making everything else as fig 4.

Go back to file / save as, keep everything the same but change to #2 then click save. Repeat this step until you have saved 5 copies of the same image numbered 1 to 5. you can now close the original. Next go to file / open, click on #5 then click open (fig 5)

Repeat the last step, opening #4, 3, 2, and 1 in this order and keeping each one on the desktop as you open the next one. You should now have #1 open with the others in numerical order beneath it. (fig 6)

Working on #1, go to effects / geometric effects / wave, make the settings as fig 7 and click ok.

Now go to file / save and close image #1. Working on #2 repeat the last step, leaving everything as in fig 7 -except you need to increase the vertical wavelength by 1 to 26 then click ok. Repeat until all 5 copies are altered by 1 point and saved as you go. You have now made all the frames needed for your animation, although at the moment you won`t see a lot of difference in each copy. Now you need to animate them. Go to file / jasc software products / launch animation shop. Now go to file / animation wizard. Select "same size as first image frame" and click next. Select "opaque" then click next. Select "centred in the frame" and "with the canvas colour" then click next. Select "yes, repeat the animation indefinately" and reduce "how long do you want each frame to be displayed...?" down to 1. Click next. Click on "add image" find your folder with all your copies in and select #1 then click open (fig 8)

Click "add image" select #2 then click open. repeat this until you have added all 5 copies in order. Click next then click finish. You should now have a screen with all 5 copies in a row (fig 9)

Next go to file / save as. Name your animation, make the settings as fig 10 then click save.

Your animation will now be processed automatically. Once it has saved you can close the image on the screen. That`s it!... you have now brought life into a still photo to use as you wish. Why not try other types of water pictures, by varying the wavelengths and animation speed you can make lots of interesting effects...have fun!

Feel free to right click and save my photo if you wish (for tutorial use only).