What does Animated GIF function do?
Touchpix allows you to organize both photo and video booth events. One feature is the 'Animated GIF' session, which takes the 'Photo' session to the next level by taking photos to create a video — a GIF to be more precise. A GIF is a short video composed by the succession of a few images, creating a video loop that constantly plays the images in order.
Essentially, this means that you will be taking photos, but the result is a video, which means that you will have two different outputs.
GIF (Video): The main purpose of this function. The photos will display in order, and looped a few times to create this GIF.
GIF (Photo): Not only the video is created, but also a JPG photo result will come
out with the images taken.
*Sped up video
Animated GIF effects
Animated GIF is considered a video function, since having a GIF Photo result is optional. Hence, animated GIF effects for video result will be added on video effects, and GIF (photo) effects can be added from "photo effects", by enabling "use photo effects in GIF (photo) outputs". The photo effect will be applied to each individual photo used as frames for the video. The video effects will be applied to the video as a whole.
To add these effects:
Open Touchpix app or event manager
Select 'Photo Effects' option and go to 'Photo Effects and Background removal'
Select your effects and backgrounds to apply
Enable "use photo effects in GIF (photo) outputs"
For the video result, add the effects in "video effects - audio"
How to match the amount of photos
The number of photos displayed in your GIF is determined by the overlay (Photo GIF) template you select, in case you add a photo GIF overlay.
Normally, we would set up under "video functions" the "total GIF photos" we want to have. However, this setting is overridden by the amount of photos in the overlay from GIF (photo). This happens because they must be the same. It is not possible to take, for example, 4 pictures for the GIF, and have a photo result with only 3 pictures.
To adjust the number of photos displayed in your GIF, add a template with the required number of frames to your GIF session. For example, to display 3 photos, select a Photo GIF overlay that contains 3 frames. By default, the 'Animated GIF' session only generates a video output from the taken photos. However, if you want to obtain a photo result apart from the GIF video, you must add a 'GIF (photo)' template to the event using the Touchpix designer with the amount of custom photo templates you want to get. Note that animated templates belong exclusively in the video configuration section, not in the photo configuration section.
Keynotes
Although 'Animated GIF' is considered a video function, it is included in photopass subscription.
For the 'Animated GIF' video result, each photo is displayed for the duration specified by the 'GIF Frame Duration' setting in Video Functions configuration.
You can modify the time intervals between photo captures in a GIF by navigating to Sessions > Countdown in-between GIF photos and adjusting the timer to your desired duration.
Another possible solution to match the amount of photos, is to remove GIF (Photo) overlay.