cutout/zig-zag minimovie
This is a tutorial on this icon.
software used: PSP8, AS, VirtualDub
I assume that most you already know how to make a regular mini-movie icon, so I will focus on the differences.
First, make your template like you normally would. The optional step is to draw a box on a new raster layer, and position it to where you want your mini-movie to be. Then select your template layer, and draw the zig-zag lines around the box you just drew. You don't have to do this step, but it's helpful if you don't want your mini-movie region to be too high, or too wide for your animation frames.
Now delete that extra layer with the box, and color the portion(s) of your template with a color that's normally not found in your images, like neon green. This is the template I used, and feel free to take it if you want.
Now work on your base on a new image. After you are done with it, copy it, and select the magic wand tool. Select the region of your template where the base should go. Now right click with your mouse, and goto Paste< Paste into Selection.
Then select the region for your mini-movie, and press Delete from your keyboard. MAKE SURE you have promoted your background layer before you hit Delete. Open VirtualDub and retrieve all the necessary frames if you have not done so yet. Then open Animation Shop, and create a new animation with all the frames. Don't resize now unless you are sure that your animation will fit correctly into the mini-movie box. So go back to PSP, with the normal rectangular selection tool, select the approximate region of the mini-movie box. It's easier if you start from right to left.
Copy and paste this selection as a new animation in AS. You should be able to determine its dimensions. So resize your frames according to the height of your selection. Now drag that new animation, and paste it in your first frame. You can then crop around that newly added frame. Then delete your first frame. Deleting one frame won't hurt you.
Returning to PSP, merge all visible layers if you have more than on. Copy and paste into AS. Like what you would normally do by duplicating and aligning both animations. And now's why you needed to pick neon green. So goto Animation< Replace Color
You will see this window, and set as follows.
Now all the neon green regions should be transparent on all the frames. You are done, and save your animation.
I hope I didn't miss any steps. If you have any questions, reply to this post.
software used: PSP8, AS, VirtualDub
I assume that most you already know how to make a regular mini-movie icon, so I will focus on the differences.
First, make your template like you normally would. The optional step is to draw a box on a new raster layer, and position it to where you want your mini-movie to be. Then select your template layer, and draw the zig-zag lines around the box you just drew. You don't have to do this step, but it's helpful if you don't want your mini-movie region to be too high, or too wide for your animation frames.
Now delete that extra layer with the box, and color the portion(s) of your template with a color that's normally not found in your images, like neon green. This is the template I used, and feel free to take it if you want.
Now work on your base on a new image. After you are done with it, copy it, and select the magic wand tool. Select the region of your template where the base should go. Now right click with your mouse, and goto Paste< Paste into Selection.
Then select the region for your mini-movie, and press Delete from your keyboard. MAKE SURE you have promoted your background layer before you hit Delete. Open VirtualDub and retrieve all the necessary frames if you have not done so yet. Then open Animation Shop, and create a new animation with all the frames. Don't resize now unless you are sure that your animation will fit correctly into the mini-movie box. So go back to PSP, with the normal rectangular selection tool, select the approximate region of the mini-movie box. It's easier if you start from right to left.
Copy and paste this selection as a new animation in AS. You should be able to determine its dimensions. So resize your frames according to the height of your selection. Now drag that new animation, and paste it in your first frame. You can then crop around that newly added frame. Then delete your first frame. Deleting one frame won't hurt you.
Returning to PSP, merge all visible layers if you have more than on. Copy and paste into AS. Like what you would normally do by duplicating and aligning both animations. And now's why you needed to pick neon green. So goto Animation< Replace Color
You will see this window, and set as follows.
Now all the neon green regions should be transparent on all the frames. You are done, and save your animation.
I hope I didn't miss any steps. If you have any questions, reply to this post.