Thanks John, I used to use animation to create simple graphics for point of sale screens in our store. Pretty simple stuff, images blending from one product image to another, opening hours image etc.

@Brian-Bennett

Hi

What is driving the point of sale screens?

Were the Flash animations being displayed in a web browser, possibly set to Kiosk mode, or special software, and does it support video?

John EB

Thanks John.

Sorry, I was just using a web browser set in kiosk mode (full screen and f11 pressed) dead simple really. I wouldn`t say no to using proprietary software as long as it is reasonably priced as I have a small budget for IT. As for actual content creation, the content is dead simple, mostly crossfade, slide etc, and 100% still images, not bothered about video sequences. However if software had ability to handle video that is a plus I suppose. Years Back we used to use a custom VB6 program as the software to display the flash animations, something which did allow for greater control over the flash content and allow for display of images at exact timings, but as MS withdrew support for VB6 and Adobe moved Flash up in versions, it stopped working so I abandoned the software and moved to a simple web browser based display method.

Brian.

@Brian-Bennett

Hi Brian

Without resorting to an application specific program, eg Powerpoint, it is possible to use a video editing program to create the slideshow from the image files you create in Photo & Graphic Designer and titles and effects in the editor and play this in the Web browser - Magix Photostory and Movie Edit Pro can do this, they both can also create the complete web page to load into the browser.

The downside is after any changes you have to export the video file again, the upside is you could create several slideshows for different times of the day/week or in advance and periodically change which one the browser plays

HTH

John EB

I do have video editing software, somewhere!!

@Brian-Bennett

Hi,

I don't understand the problem. Using the animation in Xara, just export it to AVI or GIF.

John CB

@browj2

Hi John

. . . . Using the animation in Xara, just export it to AVI or GIF. . . . .

Can you tween between frames when exporting as GIF's all my attempts do not tween unlike AVI's.

John EB

@johnebaker

Hi John,

You're quite right. I was sure that I had successfully created a GIF and just remembered that the GIF was done in Xara 3D Maker.

I'll ask on the TG forum.

John CB

@Brian-Bennett @johnebaker

Hi,

Take a look at the suggestion from the experts on TalkGraphics.

The solution seems to be to create a transparent avi and convert that to GIF with something else.

John CB
 

@browj2

Hi John

I did see that post and, as it involve more steps then necessary for @Brian-Bennett's needs, I avoided it as I did exporting from XPGD as AVI.

The final output Brian is used to creating, is for a web page that is displayed in store through a browser operating in kiosk mode.

Photostory, MEP and VPX meet this need as the images, text, transitions, animations and export as a MP4 complete with web page are all in the one program.

John EB

@Brian-Bennett @johnebaker

Hi,

Just to close the circle, this thread morphed from the initial question:

Since MS no longer support Flash on Windows 10, what are my options of creating animations, upgrade or other software?

to making a slideshow video.

So, as I now see it:

• Create the animation in Xara DPX or P&GD
• Export to transparent AVI
• Complete the process (animation, photos with transitions, titles, etc.) in Movie Edit Pro (or PhotoStory or Video Pro X)
• Export to MP4 (streamable)
• Use MP4 in web designer.

If one wants a small animation with transparency to use on a website, use AVI with transparency (not small) as Xara does not tween properly to create a small GIF.

Is this correct?

John CB

@browj2

Hi John

. . . .Is this correct? . . . .

As I understand Brians requirements - the animation is mainly text on a background and some images with the 'animations' being movement and transitions.

Photostory or MEP would be, more or less, a 'one stop shop' The only extra step is to add a one word to the HTML file Photostory/MEP generates to make the video loop, this can be done in a Notepad.

John EB