Karen's

 Unplugged Effects Snow Filter

Animated Background

 

This tutorial will show you a quick and easy way to make an animated snow background.  We will start with our origional image.  Mine is 200x250, but try to remember to keep the file sizes as small as you can.

 

 

Since I want this to be used for a background, we will need to tile the image so there will not be any visible lines.  I use a program called 20/20 for this.  You can download a free version from the link below. 

 

http://www.hotfreeware.com/2020/2020.htm

 

Open your image in 20/20 or copy and paste it into the open program.  In the toolbar across the top, click on the image tab and find the seamless tile icon.  Click on it and you will tile your image. 

 

 

 If you want to preview the effect, you can click on Image at the top and then tile preview.  Once you have the image tiled simply copy and paste t back into your Paint Shop Pro.   

 

 

Now you are ready to add the snow effect.  We will need two images.  Copy the image and mirror one of them. 

Then select one of the images and find the snow filter by clicking on unplugged effects/snow ....

 

 

A selection box will appear with a slide bar on it which will let you choose how much snow you would like to have on the image.  I prefer to use 5 for this setting.  If you make the snow too heavy, it obscures the image too much.

 

 

This is how your image will look.....

 

 

Now that the first image is done, select the 2nd image and repeat the process....

 

 

Then you will need to mirror the image back again so that both images are the same. 

 

  

 

They do look so  very much alike, however the snow is in different spots and when put together in animation shop you will see the snowing effect.

 

At this point, save both images as jpgs.  Be sure to compress them to a smaller file size if you can. 

 

 

 I use a setting of 40 on most of my compressed graphics.  With that setting, very little of the quality is lost.

 

Now you are ready to put the animation together.  You can close your Paint Shop Pro at this time and open Animation Shop.  Click on File/Animation Wizard to begin....

 

 

Change your settings to match in each of the next few frames...

 

 

After making your changes, click Next....

 

 

After making your changes, click Next....

 

 

And once again, after making this change, click Next....

 

 

On this next page you will need to click on add image/browse for your images and add them....

 

 

Click Next after you have your images in place and on the last page, you will click Finish.

 

 

At this point you will be returned  to animation shop where you will see your newly created animation.  To see how it will look, click on view/animation at the top of the screen. 

 

 

Once you like how it looks, save it.  This is the finished animated snow background image....

 

 

I hope that you found this tutorial easy to follow and fun.  If you need some help, drop me a line at

karebear56@adelphia.net. 

 

Hugs,

 

Karen

 

 

Copyright İFebruary, 2002 - All Rights Reserved.