Animated Avatars and You

[Calibanbutcher]

Now many of you have no doubt noticed a few of the animated avatars on the site.
You may have noticed that the majority of them are terrible.

Souplex is here to help improve your lives, as always.

Rules for making a good animated avatar:
1. The motion should loop well. Otherwise there's that awkward frame where it jumps back.
2. No moving camera. Otherwise it's disorienting when it jumps back.
3. Keep the animation short. It's obnoxious if it drags on for too long.
4. No obnoxious bright flashes.
5. Keep it contained to one shot.
Follow these simple rules and you'll do fine.

Spoiler: An animated avatar that actually gets it right

You're welcome.
Captcha: it is fair

Edit: Really, what you should ask yourself first is; "Should this be animated?" Most animated avatars are animated for no real reason. You're just making an already slow site load slightly slower.

Spoiler: A prime example of an avatar where being animated doesn't add anything

The image moving doesn't add anything. You could achieve the same effect with a still image.

Unless being animated adds something other than being animated, don't do it.

First off:
I ain't gonna let no guy with a static avatar of a ballet-couple tell me what to do, Nuh-Uh.
[sub] Oh no he di'nt[/sub]
(That is a ballet dancer, is it not?)


Second:
My avatar fits most of the rules, hurray.

Then again, your example for a "good" gif-avatar is one that I, personally, dislike very much. I would take the Daystar .gif over that every time

 

[ToastedCorpser4Lunch]

I wish my avatar winked, Charlie Sheen makes me swoon. *blush*
And that it didn't have those white edges but whatevz, croppin is for loosars.

 

[Evil Smurf]

You forgot the rule about how it needs to be a cat avatar.

Where as I do like cats. I don't think it would fit with the name. FYI I LOVE that I could get this name.

It is an awesome name #UptheIrons!

 

[lRookiel]

You forgot the rule about how it needs to be a cat avatar.

Yes Smurf, it bloody well should be a cat avatar.

:3

OT: My avatar is perfect, I need no rules and I'm rather attached etc etc etc.

[sub]Oh and thanks caramel for making mine so awesome[/sub]

 

[Evil Smurf]

You forgot the rule about how it needs to be a cat avatar.

Yes Smurf, it bloody well should be a cat avatar.

:3

OT: My avatar is perfect, I need no rules and I'm rather attached etc etc etc.

[sub]Oh and thanks caramel for making mine so awesome[/sub]

He also made mine.

 

[hazabaza1]

There's ways to disable avatars, don't try to spoil other people's fun with yer rules and shit.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I guess my avatar fit the bill.

Also no offence, who's the OP to judge the quality of an animated avatar? Sure a couple are bad but if they have it as their avatar then so be it.

 

[Yuno Gasai]

I honestly think you should've put a rule in about scaling.

Some animated avatars are horribly cropped/resized, and it really detracts from how lovely the avatar could be otherwise.

I basically never use animated avatars myself (I don't know how to make them, for a start), but I do enjoy looking at them.

 

[lechat]

i am here
you may now lock this thread

 

[Bug MuIdoon]

This thread just makes me wish I had an animated avatar, rather than discouraging me to have one. Anyone want to make me a stylish Manny?

OT: I see no problem with them, what looks good is completely subjective to the person who's avatar it is.

 

[ToastedCorpser4Lunch]

i am here
you may now lock this thread

Nahhw, her legs are like 90% of her body mass, therefore your avatar is invalid. (Seriously, is she like 3 metres tall?)

 

[Revolutionary]

1. The motion should loop well. Otherwise there's that awkward frame where it jumps back. [✓]
2. No moving camera. Otherwise it's disorienting when it jumps back. [X]
3. Keep the animation short. It's obnoxious if it drags on for too long.[✓]
4. No obnoxious bright flashes. [X]
5. Keep it contained to one shot.[X]

You know what, you're not my mum, I made this gif and I'm proud of it.

 

[Legion]

I don't see how the example in the "correct" way to do it is not in breach of the "If it doesn't need to be animated, then don't animate" rule. The image is more or less the same if the avatar didn't show movement. It's still a picture of an anime character rubbing their chest onto another.

I am also unsure of how a thread dedicated purely to telling other people what they should and should not do with their own avatar can have accusations of obnoxiousness in the OP.

Or is this a joke thread? Daystar's reaction makes me feel that it might be.

 

[Sassafrass]

I think my avatar actually sums up what I feel about the entire thread.

 

[Dirge Eterna]

Most animated avatars are animated for no real reason. You're just making an already slow site load slightly slower.

Well, you know what the solution to that is, right?

This:

Curse you! lol I pushed the button and now I have to stay away until it goes away.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

3. Keep the animation short. It's obnoxious if it drags on for too long.

Shit. I guess I shouldn't have made it take 42 minutes for snoic to get to the hot dog stand. My bad.

 

[A Weakgeek]

I got jealous of everyone with fancy animated avatars.

Let me change into something more comfortable...

EDIT: Darn, I cant seem to get mine working.

 

[Andy Shandy]

Well with all the avatars I have (one each week now), I'm pretty sure at least one of them has broken all of those rules.

But I don't really care, as I've received PMs telling me how much they've enjoyed them. Especially Christmas Annie XD

 

[Baron von Blitztank]

Screw the rules, I have Asura constantly punching Augus in the face!

It was the best I could think of for having an Asura's Wrath themed animated avatar and I am not disappointed with the results.