Manual

v1.0.5December2015
NikSka&MikeMehanig

Summary

Introduction
SupportedAEversions
Contacts
Changelog
Installing
MacOS
Windows
IMPORTANTNOTE:Windows7
Usage
Settings
GifFolder
Width
FPS
Savevideofile
Goodtoknow
Losslesspreset
KnownIssues
GifGunfreezesonRenderingorHereitcomesphase
Universalsolution
Windowsspecificsolution
Ifreallynothinghelps:

Introduction
GifGunisthenewtoolformakingGIFanimationsrightwithinAdobeAfterEffects.This
featurehasbeendeprecatedsinceCS4anduserswereforcedtousePhotoshoporother
software.
Wearebringingthefreedomofcreativitybackwithoneclicksolution.Assimpleasitgets,
buttherealisationtookusalootofeffortandtestingandwilldemandevenmore.
Butthatisnothingcomparedtothejoyofsimpleyetpowerfulsolutions.

WehopeyoulikeGifGun.

Importantnote:
SinceGifGunisaoneclicksolution,wearestillexperimentingwithGIFcompression
algorithms.Weknowthereisnoonesizefitsallsolution,sowearelookingforwardyour
feedbackandusecasesonourfacebookpage.Thiswillimproveuserexperienceinthe
upcomingupdates.

Yes,ourtoolisinherentlydesignedtoevolve,andthatswhenweneedyou,ourusers.

SupportedAEversions
WehavetestedGifGun1.0toworkonAfterEffectsCCandup.CS5andCS6alsowork,but
wedidnotputmucheffortintotestingthoseversions.
Ifyouexperienceanytroubleslaunchingorworkingwiththescript,letusknow.

Contacts
WriteNikonTwitter:
http://twitter/nik_ska

Oryoumayuseourstudioemailaddress:
hello@toongoose.com

Changelog
1.1
Completelyredesigned"Settings"interface.Nowevenmoreclear.
"Maximumcolors"dropdownlist.GifGunv1.0made256colorGIFsbydefaultandwefoundthat
mostGIFslookgreatevenwith128colorsandonaverage15%lighter.Experimentwithlow
colorvalueforsomeartsyeffects.
YoumaychoosenottoloopGIF.
WehavecompletelyredesignedthewayGifGunworkswithpaths,soyoumayworkinany
languageenvironment.
Minorbugsfixesandengineimprovements.

1.0.5
FixedUnicodepathsissue.Nowtrulyinternational.

1.0.4
Losslesspresetcheck

1.0.3
MacOSinstalleradded

1.0
initialrelease

Installing
Beforeinstallingmakesureyouhaveallowedscriptstowritefiles.CheckthisinPreferences:

MacOS
:
AfterEffects>Preferences>General>AllowScriptstoWriteFilesandAccess
Network
Windows
:
Edit>Preferences>General>AllowScriptstoWriteFilesandAccessNetwork

QuitAfterEffects.

MacOS
InstallationforMacisprettyeasythereisapkginstallationfileintheOSXfolder.Dobule
clickitandfollowinstallationinstructions.

LaunchAfterEffects,goto
Window
andselectg
ifGun.jsxbin

Youmaythendockthepanelandstartmakingawesomegifsrightaway!

Windows
Copyfilesfrom
WIN
subfolderinto
C:\ProgramFiles\Adobe\AdobeAfterEffectsC[x]\SupportFiles\Scripts\ScriptUIPanels

Doubleclick
install_gifGun.bat
providedwiththescript.

IMPORTANTNOTE:Windows7

OnsomeWindows7buildsyoumaygetthefollowingerrorwhileinstallingthe.batfile:

GifBaby.exeEntryPointNotFound

Theprocedureentrypointucrtbase.terminatecouldnotbelocatedinthedynamiclinklibrary
apimswincrtruntimel110.dll.

OK

Fix
:install
thefollowingupdate
toCruntimelibrary.Theissueappearsonthesystems
thatwerenotupdatedonaregularbasis.
Well,installitanywayifyouareonWindows7.

Afteryoucopythenecessaryfiles,launchAfterEffects,goto
Window
andselect
gifGun.jsxbin

Youmaythendockthepanelandstartmakingawesomegifsrightaway!

Usage
Theusageisprettystraightforward:justsaveyourprojectandclickMakeGifbutton.Voila.

ClickthegearicontoaccessSettingswindow.Yeah,notreallyOneclick.Buthey,someone
needstosetthosesettings!

Settings
Webelieveaproperlyengineeredtooldoesnotneedabigmanual,sowewilljustlistthe
features.

OUTPUTTO
ChooseacustomfolderforyourGIFs.Otherwise,GifGunwillcreatearenderssubfolderin
aprojectfolder.

Resizetowidth
GifGunresizesproportionally,soyouhavetoinputonlywidth.

Maximumcolors
Tweakcolorpalette.256forbestresult.128isstillgreat.64and32aregreatforsomeweb
GIFs.8and16arepurelyforfun.

FPS
Prettyselfexplanatory.Youcansetittoascomp,andGifGunwillrenderwithcomposition
FPSsettings.

SaveVideoCopy
Bydefaultthetemporaryfileisremoved.Youmaykeepitofcourse.

Loop
UncheckandyouwillgetaboringnonloopedGIF.

Goodtoknow
Losslesspreset
GifGunfirstrendersavideofilewithLosslesspreset.

IfyoudonthavetheLosslesspreset,
createone.WithoutitGifGunwillfailtostart.
SetittoQuicktimeAnimationCompressioncodeconMacandtoAviNonecodecon
Windows.

YoushouldalsohavearenderqueuecleanofotherQueuedelements.Iftherearesome
queuedelements,GifGunwilloffertocleanthemforyou.Ifyourefuse,yougetnogifthis
time.

Trialversionislimitedtorendergifsat15fpsandonly350pxwide.

KnownIssues
Fornowweareawareofonlyonemajorissue.Ifyoufindmore,contactus!

GifGunfreezesonRenderingorHereitcomesphase
Youwannawaitforalittle.Weakmachinesmayrenderbiggifsreallyslow.Ifnothing
happens,quitAfterEffects.

Ifitdoesnthelp,seebelow.

Universalsolution
TryandlaunchinstallscriptprovidedwithGifGunagain.Itspossiblythetroublewith
permissions.

Windowsspecificsolution
Goto
(gifGun)
folderanddoubleclick
GifBaby.exe
,thengotos
tatic_libs
subfolderand
doubleclick
ffmpeg.exe
file.Youmaygetascreenaskingyouforpermission.ClickOK
andproceed.

Youmayalsowanttoloweryourfirewallprotection,orincludethesaid.exefilesinto
exceptions.

Ifreallynothinghelps:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Goto
Myorderspageataescripts.com
FindGifGunentryandclickViewOrder
ChooseOpenSupportTicketinthelowerrightpartofthescreen.
Describeyourproblemasspecificaspossible.PleaseincludeyourAEandoperating
systemversions.IfyouuseanonenglishversionofAE,pleasespecifythisaswell.

Wewillbeimmediatelynotifiedandsolvetheproblem.