Hi guys,
There are two ways to save GIF files using the Foto Master Photo Booth software: Burst GIF and create GIF from photos. This article will show you how to work with each of the above.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Burst GIF Feature:
Using the Burst GIF feature, the Mirror Me software will record a video and create a GIF from it.
Instructions:
Add a Burst GIF feature state to your workflow by placing it between the Live View Start and Live View Stop features.
You can also include a preview of the recorded GIF, by adding the Preview Burst GIF feature state.
Live View Settings:
Canon cameras use different ISO and white balance settings for camera mode and video\live view mode. In order to adjust these settings to record a video, it is necessary to override the settings for camera mode and set the ISO and white balance settings for the video and camera mode separately.
In order to configure the settings for this recording, open the Globals tab > Canon > Enable Override Camera Settings.
The recommended settings for this feature can be found in the following article: How To Use The Live View Feature
Burst GIF Feature Settings:
Recording
Time: Set the recording time in milliseconds.
Frames Per Second: Choose the frame rate of the Burst GIF.
Recording Animation: Add an animation on top of the Burst GIF (SWF file).
Show Live View: Enable a live-view presentation of your Burst GIF recording.
* For more information about the Live View feature, click here.
Save
Output WxH: Set the size of the output file that will be saved in your “Events” folder (The max. size for DSLR is 960 x 640). The default size is 720X480.
Add Boomerang Effect: Check this box to add a Boomerang effect by adding the same frames - in reverse - to the GIF file. This Effect will double the length of your GIF file.
Trigger Next State on Save GIF: Enable this option to wait for the GIF file to save to the folder before continuing on to the next state (From V12 and up).
Preview
Dynamic Overlay Folder: Adding this option will allow your guests to swipe and choose between different folders containing sequences of .PNG image files, that will act as an animated GIF overlay, or a single folder with 3 or more images that will act as a static overlay. Click on the browse button to load the folder with the overlays you would like to use for this feature. You can find the included Dynamic GIF Overlays in C:\MirrorMeBooth\Dynamic_GIF_Overlays.
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Save GIF From Photos Feature
How Does It Work?
Save GIF From Photos feature creates a GIF from the raw photos taken in your preset
* In order to create a fun GIF please use a preset with 3 photos or more. You can use any of the existing presets or create a new one.
Instructions:
After the Save Final Photo feature in the workflow, add another feature state and choose the Save GIF From Photos from the list of features. Once you run the preset - a GIF file will be created and will be saved automatically in the Events folder in the preset pack.
You can also preview the GIF created by the software by adding another Feature State to your workflow - Preview GIF From Photos - after the "Save GIF From Photos" state.
* All Gif files will be saved to C:\MirrorMeBooth\Events\{Name of your Event}\gif_from_photos
* The fact that the GIF is created from the raw photos, means that if you're using a filter (Green Screen for example) - it will not be applied in the GIF, as the filter is enabled on the final photo.
Save GIF From Photos Settings:
Now that you have added the Save/Preview GIF from photos feature to the workflow, you may want to adjust a few settings. In order to do that, Open the features tab and select the "GIF from photos" feature on the left side:
Preview
Time: How long the preview will be displayed
Preview WxH: Change the GIF Preview width and height
Save
Gif Width: Choose the width of the GIF file.
Gif Height: Choose the height of the GIF file.
Gif Frame Rate: Choose the frame rate of the GIF file.
Mirror Raw Image Horizontally\Vertically: Check this box to apply a mirror image on the raw photos in use to create the GIF from Photos file.
GIF Overlay File: You can load a .png file to add an overlay to the GIF file (for example your logo).
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July 10th, 2019 update:
In the past few months, we had a few customers reporting on GIF files sent via Twilio and running too fast on IOS devices. We have further tested it and found that the fast presentation was affected only by:
- Smartphone’s operating system (IOS).
- Phone service carrier.
- Twilio.
As you know, Twilio allows text files up to 5MB. Having said that, some phone service carriers force even smaller sizes (for example no more than 1Mb). Therefore our tests indicate that Twilio compresses the files in order to be sent through those carriers and due to the manipulation of the GIF this undesired behavior can occur.
Hence, we came with a solution for you! What we recommend, is if you wish to share your short GIF use the “Video From Photos” instead of using the “GIF From Photos” feature, which will create a short .mp4 file that is smaller in size, has higher quality, sent faster, and has no problem with Twilio conversion. Mirror Me Software supports sending mp4 via MMS so you don’t need to worry about it.
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Sharing your GIFs:
You can share the GIF file using your social sharing station (if you're using one) and/or send it via email\MMS*, by adding an Email\MMS Feature state.
Note: You can decide which media can be sent via the Features tab.
Note: It is not recommended to save a larger file when planning to share the file via MMS, as some carriers may limit the received files.