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How to Make a Virtual Cone Pendulum

Graphics interchange format, or GIF, animations are created using the same concept as making a flip book or a movie. The appearance of motion is created through a series of single frame images that break the action down into parts. The initial image is followed by a second image that is altered to depict a slight shift in the content. This shift is the next part of the sequence needed for the animated GIF to represent movement. The following ̶0;frames̶1; continue the series of small shifts made up of the breakdown of the movements. The use of a GIF program designed to animate images uses the sequence of frames to produce the movement of the GIF -- in this case a virtual cone pendulum.

Things You'll Need

Internet connection
Computer
Drawing program
GIF software

Instructions

- 1
  Open the drawing program and familiarize yourself with the different tools. Practice drawing a cone. Draw a sequence of cones to represent the swinging, back-and-forth motions of a pendulum. Add shadows in appropriate places for each picture to add a sense of depth.
- 2
  Open the GIF program. Follow the individual manufacturer's instructions for the GIF program you are using to create the entire sequence of cone movement images for the pendulum.
- 3
  Try various frame rates. This is the time it takes to move from one frame to the next (frames per second or fps). The more frames per second, the smoother the flow of motion. Select the animation rate from the options provided to you in the program.
- 4
  Complete the steps your program requires to save your animated GIF for its debut on the internet.

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