Question for John Langhans [MSFT] re: animated GIF in 2003

[Ken]

Hello. I just read a post you wrote on 4-14-2004 in the
microsoft.public.powerpoint newsgroup. It said (in part):

-----------------------------

Due to a bug in GDI+ (which returns the wrong number for
how many times a animated GIF should repeat) animated
GIF's loop one fewer times during PowerPoint 2003 slide
show than the settings specified within the GIF file.

Because of this, GIF's set to play once (not repeat)
actually don't play at all (only show the first frame of
the animatedd GIF), GIF's set to play twice (repeat once)
only play once (don't repeat), and so on and so on.

------------------------------

Does this apply to all users running PPT 2003?

I've tried sending my PPT 2002 file to someone running
2003, and it won't play the animated GIF - which is set
to play one time only. I'm hoping this is my problem, and
that I can solve it by setting the GIF to play two times.

Thank you for any help you can give.

 

[John Langhans [MSFT]]

[CRITICAL UPDATE - Anyone using Office 2003 should install the critical
update as soon as possible. From PowerPoint, choose "Help -> Check for
Updates".]
[TOP ISSUE - Are you having difficulty opening presentations in PowerPoint
that you just created (you can save, but not open)? -
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=329820]

Hello Ken,

Yes, this is true for all users of PowerPoint 2003. If you author your
animated GIF to play twice it will play once in PowerPoint 2003 and twice
in PowerPoint 2000 and 2002.

John Langhans
Microsoft Corporation
Supportability Program Manager
Microsoft Office PowerPoint for Windows
Microsoft Office Picture Manager for Windows

For FAQ's, highlights and top issues, visit the Microsoft PowerPoint
support center at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=ppt
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base at:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbhowto

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Use of any included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm

 

[Ken]

Thank you for the help! There's no way I would have
figured this out without it.

As a follow up ... I changed the GIF to play two times. I
tried it in PPT 2002, and it only played once! (It played
correctly in Internet Explorer.) So I inserted a
different GIF that was set to play three times, and it
only played twice. Yet PPT 2002 does play a once-through
GIF correctly.

I also noticed that "Windows Picture and Fax Viewer"
seems to have the same glitch.

Anyway, thanks again for the tremendous help!

Ken

 

[John Langhans [MSFT]]

[CRITICAL UPDATE - Anyone using Office 2003 should install the critical
update as soon as possible. From PowerPoint, choose "Help -> Check for
Updates".]
[TOP ISSUE - Are you having difficulty opening presentations in PowerPoint
that you just created (you can save, but not open)? -
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=329820]

Thanks for the information about how a GIF set to play twice only plays
once in PowerPoint 2002. I'll forward that information to testing.

John Langhans
Microsoft Corporation
Supportability Program Manager
Microsoft Office PowerPoint for Windows
Microsoft Office Picture Manager for Windows

For FAQ's, highlights and top issues, visit the Microsoft PowerPoint
support center at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=ppt
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base at:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbhowto

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Use of any included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm