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NAME

Tk::Animation - Display sequence of Tk::Photo images

SYNOPSIS

  use Tk::Animation
  my $img = $widget->Animation('-format' => 'gif', -file => 'somefile.gif');

  $img->add_frame(@images);

  $img->start_animation( $period );

  $img->next_image;
  $img->prev_image;
  $img->set_image( 0 .. $#frames );

  $img->pause_animation;
  $img->resume_animation( $period );

  $img->fast_forward( $multiplier );
  $img->fast_reverse( $multiplier );

  $img->stop_animation;

  $img->blank( $boolean );

DESCRIPTION

In the simple case when Animation is passed a GIF89 style GIF with multiple 'frames', it will build an internal array of Photo images.

The add_frame method adds images to the sequence. It is provided to allow animations to be constructed from separate images. All images must be Photos and should all be the same size.

start_animation($period) then initiates a repeat with specified $period to sequence through these images. As for raw repeat $period is in milliseconds, for a 50Hz monitor it should be at least 20mS. If $period is omitted it defaults to 100 milliseconds.

stop_animation cancels the repeat and resets the image to the first image in the sequence.

For fine-grained control next_image and prev_image move one frame forward or backward. set_image randomly positions the animation to a particular frame.

pause_animation pauses the movie and resume_animation continues from the pause point.

fast_forward and fast_reverse speed through the movie either forwards or backwards. $multiplier specifies how much faster the animation moves.

By default Animation leaves the previous movie frame in the animation photo. Many times overlaying subsequent frames produces a composite that looks blurred. The blank method is used to blank the animation photo before displaying new frames. The default is 0 for backward compatibility.

BUGS

The 'period' should probably be a property of the Animation object rather than specified at 'start' time. It may even be embedded in the GIF.

Rather than calling blank manually the default value from the GIF animation itself should be used.