Animated Christmas Window

For this tutorial, you will need Paint Shop Pro/Animation Shop.
You can download a trial version Here

You will also need my Selection Files and my Accessory Files
Unzip the selections to your Selections folder in PSP. If you
don't have one, create one now.
Unzip the accessories into a folder on your desktop for easy access.

The Christmas lights wallpaper fill/pattern used on this page and
in my tutorial is from Jane's Wallpaper

If you're ready, let's begin, and remember to SAVE often!

Open a new blank transparent image 400x400

1. Add a new layer and name it frame1. Load my jaframe1.sel
Flood fill with the wood pattern included in the accessories, or
choose a wood pattern of your own. Add an inner bevel with
the settings below.

2. Add a new layer and load my jaframe2 selection. Repeat as
above to the inner bevel using the same settings.
While still on your frame 2 layer, click inside the window so that
marching ants are all around the inside of the frame. (see below)
Add a new layer, naming it sky, and flood fill this layer with
# 0F1725. Selections/Select None. Move the sky layer below
your frame1 layer.

4. With your frame2 layer active, add a new layer, naming it curtain.
Load the jacurtain.sel file.

Open the xmas34.jpg file included in the accessories file. Change
your forground to pattern and select the xmas34.jpg pattern fill,
Scale 100/Angle 0 (see below) and your background to #7B1323
Flood fill with #7B1323. Go to Selections - Contract by 1 then
fill selection with the pattern.

5. Add new layer named tieback and load the jatieback.sel. Flood fill with #7B1323.
Deselect and add 5% uniform noise

6. Highlight your frame2 layer. Add a new layer named candle and open the jacandle.tub
file included in the accessories. Copy and paste as a new selection into the right bottom
part of your window frame. Deselect.

7. Add new layer, name it glow. With your selection tool set to Ellipse/Feather 4, draw a circle
on this layer. Fill with #FFFF94. Move this layer below your candle layer and position behind
the flame. Reduce the opacity on your glow layer to 50%.

8. Open the sparkle1.tub file included in the accessories and copy and paste is as a new
layer wherever you want on the sky. Go to Effects/Sharpen. No need to name this layer.

9. Highlight your frame 2 layer add another new layer, then copy and paste your holly
bough and holly bow included in the accessory files. Or you may decorate the sill as
you please with your own tubes, etc.

10. Highlight your sky layer. Open the cardinal.psp found in the accessories and paste
him as a new layer. Position the bird just at the edge of your curtain as in my image. His
little tail will be hanging down below your window frame, so making sure you're on the
cardinal layer, take your selection tool set at rectangle/feather 0 and draw a small box
around the part of the tail that's hanging down and hit your Delete key to remove it.

Go to Layers/Merge Visible

11. After you merge all visible, edit/copy your image, then edit/paste as new image
to remove the excess canvas. Do a final save of your image and then hit Ctrl+D
twice to duplicate it. You should have three images.

12. Open the first image and add a new layer. With your paintbrush set to Size 1 - Round,
and your foreground color set to White (#FFFFFF), place random dots on the dark
blue (sky) portion of your image. Merge layers visible and save as window1.psp

13. Do the same with the remaining two images, saving consecutively as window2.psp
and window3.psp.

Animating Your Window

Open Jasc animation shop. Click Animation Wizard.

First screen - Check "Same size as the first image frame" - Next

Second screen - Check Transparent - Next

Third Screen - Check "Upper left corner of the frame/with the canvas color
and scale frames to fit - Next

Fourth screen - Check "repeat animation indefinitely" and set your speed
to 50 - Next

Fifth screen - Add your three window.psp images - Next

Sixth screen - Click Finish

Click File/SaveAs - Name your file and click Save
The first screen will show you how to "optimize" your
image for faster loading. Pull the slider down to the first line
as shown below, then click the customize button under the
slider as seen in the screen shot below.

On your next screen, click the partial transparency tab and click on the
color box. Set your color to match the background you will be using.
For all light backgrounds, I use #D5D3D3, and for all dark backgrounds
I use #0F1725, or the exact color of my backgrounds in either case.
Doing this avoids "jaggies" on your finished image.

Click next, etc till you get to Finish.
To view your animation go to the top of animation shop and click View/Animation

If you're happy with the result, save your image and you're done!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you have any questions, please
don't hesitate to Email me.