Graphic Animations

The Graphic Interchange Format (.gif files), is a bitmap-based graphical file format designed for use on the World Wide Web. It is highly compressed to minimize file transfer time and supports images with 256 colors or fewer. One of the colors may optionally be set to transparent. The GIF format provides the ability to store multiple bitmaps in a single file. The file is called an animated .gif file when the multiple images are displayed in a timed succession.

These simple graphical animations can be used to visually communicate ideas and information on your web page. They are convenient to use where a simple, single file is allowed and scripting, or other formats are not - as in an e-mail. They can be used to effectively communicate more information than a single graphic. They can also be used for animated page elements such as buttons or web dings.

For more intricate animation, try a Flash Animation. Animations can also be accomplished through scripting.