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Scribus => General Discussion => Topic started by: ruteluzio37 on June 26, 2013, 10:35:34 AM

Title: create animation and export to pdf
Post by: ruteluzio37 on June 26, 2013, 10:35:34 AM
Hello everybody!

I need some help! I`m trying to create a pdf with many pages tjat includes images and a lot of text and graphics. On the first page I would like to include an animation of some geometric elements moving on the page. The animation must be read when exporte and open pdf. Is this possible using Scribus? I tried to use java script codes but it did not work. There is any way to do this?

Thanks :)
Title: Re: create animation and export to pdf
Post by: Arran on June 26, 2013, 01:26:52 PM
Hi

Have you ever seen an animation on a printed book?

No?

Scribus is an application for Desktop publishing with predominant output for matters printed.

If you want an animation, you can only present this on an electronic monitor and would have to realise your project's opening page with HTML and CSS, the following pages might then well be pdf's prepared with Scribus.
Title: Re: create animation and export to pdf
Post by: GarryP on June 26, 2013, 01:37:44 PM
I've never tried to create an animated PDF with Scribus so I've no idea if it's possible but before you set your heart on trying it you should be aware of certain limitations with various PDF readers regarding animation.

See the "Prerequisites" section of this page for more info: http://pages.uoregon.edu/noeckel/PDFmovie.html

The page is mostly about using LaTeX but the limitations apply more generally. Essentially you need to think about your audience and what OS/software they have installed and what permissions are given on their machine.
Title: Re: create animation and export to pdf
Post by: GarryP on June 26, 2013, 03:36:24 PM
I've just done a quick test - out of curiosity - inserting an animated GIF into an image frame then exporting as PDF (default settings) and the animation doesn't show when using Adobe Reader 9.5.5 (default settings) on OSX. (I've a feeling that Scribus only handles one animation frame as the actual image.)

Some unofficial "sources" on the web (rollapp.com and linux.about.com, to name two) seem to think that Scribus can do animations while others (such as lists.scribus.net) say that it can't, or couldn't in the past. I think some people might be getting "interactive" mixed up with "animated".

Scribus can create automated presentations with transition effects between pages but that isn't what I'd call "having animated contents" - and these effects only work on a select number of PDF readers anyway.

Paraphrasing what Arran said above, as Scribus is primarily a tool for creating printed material, I would guess that any animation "features" that may be present - either now or in the future - would only be there as a byproduct of something else and probably not entirely intentional.

I'd also go along with what Arran said about using a web page (e.g. an HTML5 canvas) as your "animated invite screen" with PDFs as extra downloadable/viewable content.

I know this doesn't get what you want but you might not have many other options.