Photoshop CS3 Can Still Open Animated GIF Properly in Windows
I just used Photoshop CS3 for about 2 months or so until I finally figured out that Photoshop CS3 can’t open an animated GIF properly. As I thought, the matters are already up from the time this product released, it is already discussed in the Photoshop support forum. I don’t know whether Adobe takes this as a small flaw or serious matter, but they do have a reply… which makes us (their customer) a little bit disappointed.
The first time I knew this flaw is about 2 months ago when the plate is still hot. The time when Photoshop users would heavily tortured the software to try any new addition created in Photoshop CS3. I admire their concept to unite Imageready and Photoshop because the tools and interface as just the same. However, the developer seems “forgot” to lift the behavior that Photoshop does when opening an animated GIF:
The result after opening an animated GIF file directly from File > Open menu is an image file without animation sequence. All the information is lost and Adobe didn’t create a documentation to open such file. This post kinda late because the discussion topic already started since May 2007, here is the topic: Cannot open animated gif??
And here is how Adobe replies…
So, their solution is to use other Adobe products, which is Fireworks, to open an animated GIF profile properly. It appears that the feature is purposely lost and the development of Imageready is no longer continued. Most of the feature not included in Photoshop from Imageready is incorporated in Fireworks. Some people might found this as no problem at all, but IMHO, this will reduce efficiency and comfortableness in editing an animated GIF. Where else can we edit an animated GIF with outstanding filters and image effect like Photoshop? It’s a waste of time to edit each frame one by one from Fireworks to Photoshop.
However, there is still a solution to this, as mentioned by Brett Dalton, a member of the forum. Photoshop can still open the file correctly from the Import menu, however, its only applicable to Windows OS only.
Choose File > Import > Video Frames to Layers
In the file browser in Windows, type *.* in the File Name and press Enter or click Load.It will not open any file, but it will view every file without restriction of Type of Files.
Open your animated GIF files, it will show you a dialog box regarding the imports. Press OK to import as default.
Voila! The file is opened in animation frames.You can view the animation time frames from Windows > Animation
Updates!
Trel Smith has just told me that Photoshop CS3 won’t even open their import videos windows without QuickTime version 7.1 or above installed in your computer. You should download it first from apple site or you can get it from the latest k-lite codec package.
How about MAC? MAC can’t do like the above solution by typing *.* in the file name. But here is an alternative:
Change the animated GIF file you want to open into .MOV file. Therefore the Import Video Frames to Layers function will recognize it as a video file and will open it as animated sequence.
However, this method won’t always works and the quality of the file is questionable.
The conclusion is: either you use Fireworks as GIF editor or using Photoshop’s import Video to Layers feature. Just don’t waste your time on some trivia stuff like this. It’s too immaterial for a busy designer.
Tags: animated gif, animatedgif, fireworks, flaw, gif, imageready, mac, Photoshop, windows
Great thanks to Brett and you for this solution !
@Ikonic
Hi,
That’s a good idea but I doesn’t work on Mac for me. If you have Quicktime Pro you could save an animated GIF as a movie and go back into photoshop but just changing the extension doesn’t work.
just wanna thank you about the clear conclusion
Nice pictures, well at least you are learning from your mistakes early in the trip..
thanks for this post !
[...] came across these via the Firewalker blog at Photoshop CS3 Can Still Open Animated GIF Properly in Windows. He dug them up from the Adobe Forums. Choose File » Import » Video Frames to [...]
@grasshopper:
@Mengchiu:
@Big Tiger:
@ice road:
Fantastic. Thanks!
lucky i didn’t instaling CS3 on my notebook, using CS2 is enough for me coz I’m not designer like you thanks for your article bang
Brilliant, thanks. Silly of PS to not do this automagically as ImageReady did. Great work-around though!
Thanks a lot for this trick
It’s very useful ^^
Unfortunately doesn’t work for me … I don’t have admin privs on this computer to install QuickTime
@NathanaelB:
No Fireworks either LOL!
wow
wonderful
thanks a lot …. *_^
I’m on mac os x 10.5 and used quicktime pro to save the animated gif as a mov file, and imported it no problems into photoshop cs3.
thanks for the excellent blog. people like you make the internet a pleasure to use.
I just want to know, HOW to prevent a gif from being opened?? is that possible?
@DS:
Aha - there is a flaw in Photoshop CS3 after all
I noticed this as well quite some time ago. Since I use Fireworks regularly, no biggie anyway.
Keep up the good work on the blog!
Thanks for all this info!
I discovered an AMAZING trick in the Preview application that comes with OSX - it will show you the frames of an animated gif! You can then copy and paste or do a Save As… of the frames!
Had to share after discovering this thread and wrestling with some animated gifs in PSD CS3!
I have a problem, PS CS3 is now complaining about missing quicktime, I use the k-lite pack and it worked before, I installed quicktime (I hate it) and still have problems with PS, I’ve installed PS again with no luck, can’t we bypass this annoying thing? what do I need quicktime for if my only need is to open a gif, couldn’t adobe put a warning if we were opening .mov or anything with that codec but let us still use the import video to layers for other format???
@lost:
Thanks, this is useful!
Thanks for this.
Ok… but this doesn’t work for me… On my PC, the file types to open is a pull down window and doesn’t allow me to type anything in that box? Is there not anything you can do to open the GIF animations otherwise?
@Daisy:
DUDE, THANKS! You just saved my life, it works perfect for me when I import as a video to layers!!
Hey been wanting to do this since a long time now.
Thanks for the solution.. Cheers!
ON A MAC:
I just opened the GIF file in Preview and was able to drag and drop the frames right to my desktop.
I can’t believe it was that easy after trying all these other options. Isn’t Photoshop supposed to make my life easier.
Cheers!
Thanks for this tip, however when I opnen the gifs files it changes the timings of the frames. I need to know the right timings otherwise it doesn’t move the same. any tips?..thanks
You are my hero!
thank…:)
Holy hell dude!, nice and quick solution!
Thanks for that, and a happy new year to you while I’m at it
Thanks! Really helped me. I converted GIF to MOV it worked good :).
Thank You for the solution provided for opening a Animated file in Photoshop CS3 as I was having great problem in opening them
Thank you! I was looking in the right direction after all. Almost reinstalled cs2. So thank you!
great thanks
I have downloaded this,but it doesn’t show up on my desktop,how do i open it?
I soooo needed this for a project for work, I just opened it in Fireworks and went to the Frame Tab! Thanks for the input
Thanks! It worked perfectly!
Thanks a lot for this.
It worked like a charm, but for some reason, it didn’t export it back into an animated gif like I wanted to. Could have been just me, since I was doing this on a portable version of CS3
But…but…but…
How do you save it back to an animated gif???
I kiss your feet that worked perfectly for me!!
Man, this post was helpful. Thanks a lot, importing gifs as videos even keeps the correct timing on the animation!! Firework-me this adobe!
awesome ! thanks for this post was looking for this for a while
I love you Brett Dalton!!! Great post, thanks a lot!