Web Design Handbook « Animation

Animations can be proformed in websites using a varity of methods:

  1. The gif file format, supports multible images in the file which switch from one to the next to create animation.

  2. APNG (Animated PNG) is an emerging technology to create high quality animated graphics. The gif file format is limited to 256 color graphics, PNG is not and contains other elements making for better graphics.

  3. Interactive Javascript, allows for modifing or creating html elements; any property or style of an HTML element can be changed. Page elements can be made invisible, visible, moved, resized, colored, exchanged, ect. This is refered to as dHTML (Dynamic HTML).

  4. Java applets

  5. Interactive flash can be included on the page.

  6. Interactive SVG files are emerging to create flash like graphics in a non propietory format.

  7. Video can be included.

    In addition to these well know methods, other plugins exist to display a large number of proprietary formats (Such as 3d cad drawing, paramiramic photos) many of these plugins are interactive.