Create GIF?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
A

Anonymous

I'm wondering if the drawing tools in Frontpage can be used to create a GIF
file instead of the code that's generated by default. I understand the code
is supposed to download faster than an image, but for certain purposes (such
as a tiny image used as a substitute for a bullet) the code seems excessive,
especially when the image appears several times on the same page.
 
It will create a GIF only for those browsers that don't support VML
Graphics, and you have to enable down-level image under Tools | Page Options
| Compatibility tab for this to happen.

The best approach is to always create your graphics in a image/graphic
application, then import into your current open FP web, prior to using.

--

==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, Forums, WebCircle,
MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================
 
Well, that's a little frustrating. Just playing around with the drawing
tools I was able to create most of what I need for my web site (which is
mostly text, so it doesn't call for a lot in the way of graphics. The stuff
looks fine in Explorer, but when I open the GIF file that was created as a
backup it looks just awful, I suppose because you need to fine-tune when
creating a GIF to get edge-smoothing and so forth.

I had trouble even finding these GIF files. FP creates them and puts them in
special folders but doesn't show those folders in the folder list. I can
only guess this is to prevent FP users from inserting these graphics into
pages when they want you to use VMF. Strange, though, to make us go outside
FP if we want to look at these files, even though they're right there in a
subdirectory of the web.

I was going to use the drawing tools for a new version of my company's logo,
which is pretty simple to create using those tools. But if you have a logo
on every page, isn't it more efficient to have an actual graphics file (a
GIF) instead of VMF? The browser will cache the graphics file, but the VMF
code will be served again every time someone loads a new page. VMF may be
more efficient when you load it a single time, but what about a user who
looks at a dozen pages that all have the same image? Anyway it gives me the
willies to think someone using a browser other than IE will see that ugly
GIF that's created as a backup.

It sure would be nice to be able to create a nice-looking GIF from the
drawing tools built into FP (and the rest of the Office programs). It seems
silly to have to go buy and learn another program when you can create the
visual effect with these tools, and all that's lacking is the ability to
turn it into a usable graphics file.
 
You have to understand that graphic application are designed for a single
purpose, to create graphic, and will provide the tools needs to create the
best image quality.

FP and the other Office applications designed to create Web sites,
documents, publications, etc, and each do have limited graphic creation
capabilities, however their main function is not the creation of graphic, so
all of the tools necessary to create the best image types/quality is not
available.

The same applies for Office application that can also create HTML, that is
not their main function, and users should use a HTML application such as FP
instead.

--

==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, Forums, WebCircle,
MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================
 
FP and the other Office applications designed to create Web sites,
documents, publications, etc, and each do have limited graphic creation
capabilities, however their main function is not the creation of graphic, so
all of the tools necessary to create the best image types/quality is not
available.
Click to expand...

Oh, I understand that, but FP used to come with a vector graphics program
that despite being clunky could create a usable GIF. In any case it's more
than a little frustrating to have tools in a web publishing program that can
create something that looks great on the screen but can't be published to
the web! I'm not looking for all the bells and whistles of Illustrator or
Freehand, I'm just looking for a way to turn the image on my screen into a
usable GIF, and it seems like a significant oversight that this key piece of
functionality isn't included with an otherwise handy set of drawing tools --
especially when they already have a crude GIF creator built in.

I welcome any suggestions on how to get from here to there without the cost
of time and money involved in buying and learning a vector graphics program.
 
If you still have the FP98 CD or FP2000 standalone CD, then you can still
install and use Image Composer v1.5

--

==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, Forums, WebCircle,
MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================
 
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