Is there a way to create one Gif image from multiple images in Java?

Question

I am trying to set up a simple Java program that creates one single animated gif from multiple other images (jpg). Can anyone give me a hook on how to achieve this in Java? I already searched Google but couldn't find anything really helpful.

Thank you guys!

Answer 1

Here you have an example of a class that creates an animated gif from different images:

Link

Edit: links seems to be dead. Anyway, just to be clear, this code was done by Elliot Kroo.

Edit 2: Thanks to @Marco13 for finding the WayBack Machine link. Updated the reference!

The class provides these methods:

class GifSequenceWriter {
    public GifSequenceWriter(
        ImageOutputStream outputStream,
        int imageType,
        int timeBetweenFramesMS,
        boolean loopContinuously);

    public void writeToSequence(RenderedImage img);

    public void close();
}

And also a little example:

public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
  if (args.length > 1) {
    // grab the output image type from the first image in the sequence
    BufferedImage firstImage = ImageIO.read(new File(args[0]));

    // create a new BufferedOutputStream with the last argument
    ImageOutputStream output = 
      new FileImageOutputStream(new File(args[args.length - 1]));

    // create a gif sequence with the type of the first image, 1 second
    // between frames, which loops continuously
    GifSequenceWriter writer = 
      new GifSequenceWriter(output, firstImage.getType(), 1, false);

    // write out the first image to our sequence...
    writer.writeToSequence(firstImage);
    for(int i=1; i<args.length-1; i++) {
      BufferedImage nextImage = ImageIO.read(new File(args[i]));
      writer.writeToSequence(nextImage);
    }

    writer.close();
    output.close();
  } else {
    System.out.println(
      "Usage: java GifSequenceWriter [list of gif files] [output file]");
  }
}

Props to Elliot Kroo for this code.