Animated Blind Tutorial

Have fun!

Open a new image 400x400 (Transparent)....Click OK....(add a background colour if it helps you to see what your doing....you can get rid of that later if it's not required).

Choose the foreground colour you would like for your window frame and turn the background colour OFF.

Next click on the Preset Shapes Tool and choose Rectangle....Line Width 20....Antialias and Vector boxes checked.

Draw your window frame....When your happy with your shape....Convert that layer to Raster and Re-name the layer Window Frame

Using the Magic Wand select your Window Frame....ants should now be running round your frame

Go to Effects....3D  Effects....Inner Bevel....Choose the settings which gives your window frame it's best look....Click OK

Go to Select....Select None

Now for the Slats

Turn your background colour ON....Using your Preset Shapes Tool again....Line Width 1....Antialias and Vector checked....Draw a long thin Slat that's slightly narrower than your Window Frame

Holding the Ctrl button....slightly move the top of the Slat inwards so that the top edge is slightly shorter than the bottom....Convert the layer to Raster and Re-name Blind.

Use the Magic Wand again and select the Blind....Go to Effects....3D Effects....Inner Bevel....I have used these settings (or use your own)

Click OK

Leave the Blind selected....Go to Effects....3D Effects....Drop Shadow.....I've used these settings

Click OK

Select....Select None

Zoom in so you can see clearly....Your going to add the Blind Ties now.

Change your Foreground/Background colours to the colour you want your Ties to be (I'm using Red)

Click on your Draw Tool....Line Width 3....Single Line.

Draw a single line 1.5 times the height of your Blind....Select None....With your Mover Tool move the Tie into position on the Blind (The top of the Tie should be hanging over the top of the Blind)....Go to Edit....Copy....Paste as New Layer....and move the second Tie into place at the other end of the Blind.

Rename the two Tie layers

Move both the Tie layers down so that they sit just above The Blind layer....Turn OFF all layers apart from the Blind and Ties....Merge Visible the Blind and Ties layers.

Turn all layers back on

Using your Selection Tool....Select the now merged Blind and Ties....Go to Edit....Copy and Paste as New Layer....Select None and move into position (leaving a slight gap between the blinds)....Repeat Paste as New Layer until your window frame is covered....like this

Turn OFF all layers apart from the Blinds.....Merge Visible all the Blinds.

Turn all the layers back ON

Use whatever colour Foreground/Background you like for the Pelmet

Using the Preset Shapes again (Rectangle)....Draw a long narrow rectangle (wider than your window frame) for your Pelmet....Convert to Raster....Use the Magic Wand and select the Pelmet....Go to Effects....3D Effects....Inner Bevel....I have used these settings.

Click OK

Select None

I've now added a background colour so you can see the effects more

Change Foreground/Background colours back to the colour of your Ties

With the Draw Tool....Line Width 3....Single Line....Draw one short line from the middle of your Pelmet down....Convert to Raster....Rename to Pull....Draw a long second line....Convert to Raster....Rename Pull 2....It should now look something like this when you've put both line layers below the Pelmet layer

Using the Preset Shapes Tool again find one of the 3D balls....Check all the boxes including Retain Style....Draw a small ball for the end of the  Short Pull....Select None....Edit...Copy and Paste as New Layer....move second ball into position on the long Pull....It should now look like this

DON'T merge the Pulls and Balls or your balls will become deformed as you animate them

Now for the Animating

We now have to save this picture as it is (Don't touch a thing....LOL) in an Animation Folder....If you don't have one make a new folder on your desk top (so you can find it easily) and name it Animation Folder

Go to File....Export....JPEG Optimizer or Gif....Click OK and save it in your Animation Folder as Image 1

Next click on your merged Blinds layer with your Mover Tool....Click on your Deformation Tool and move the bottom of your Blinds up....like this

Zoom Right In now....so you can see clearly

Click back on the Mover Tool

Click on the Short Pull with the Mover Tool then click the Deformation Tool....Lengthen the short Pull to just above the halfway mark of the window....Click back on the Mover Tool and move the ball down to the end of the pull....(Try to get the ball in the same position as it was before on the Pull or your Balls might  jiggle in the animation

Do the same with the Long Pull only reverse it (make it shorter....LOL) just below the halfway mark of the window

Go to File....Export....JPEG Optimizer or Gif and save it as Image 2 etc....

Repeat the three processes (Blinds and Pulls) and save each time.... until your Blind is up as high as you want it and the Pulls are the opposite way round.

It should of taken about 4-6 saves (depending on the size of your window, maybe more)

Now Minimize your work ( leaving the PSP open).

Go to File....Jasc Software Products....Launch Animation ( a new window has now opened).

Go to File....Open....then find your Images in your Animation Folder.

Click on Image 1 and Open....Click on the maximize button (Next to the Close button) so that it opens the animation out....There should be a Blue Line around your Image (which means it has been selected).

Now go to Animation....Insert Frames....From File....Add File....Click on Image 2....Open....Click OK

Image 2 should now be in front (to the left) of Image 1....Both should have a blue line around them....Click on the Left Image (Image 2)....There should now only be a blue line round Image 2....Like this

Go back to Animation....Insert Frames etc....and repeat the process until you have all your images in the Animation (don't forget to select the left frame after each frame is added or you'll end up with too many frames).

Next go to Edit....Select All

Now go to Animation....Reverse Frames....They should now look like this

Click on Image 1 (with the Blinds closed) to select that frame ( It should now have a blue line around it....as above)

Go to Animation....Frame Properties.... and changed the Display Time to 100....Click OK.

Click on Image 2 so that it Deselects Image 1 (No blue line)....Holding the Ctrl Button....Click on each of the other Images 3,4,5 (NOT the last image with the blinds fully open) etc so that they are now selected.

Go to Animation....Frame Properties....change the Display Time to between 15- 20 (the higher the number the slower the speed)....Click OK.

Do the same for the last image and change the Display Time to 75

Go to Edit....Select All.

Now go to View.... Animation.

Your Animation should now be playing in a new window....If your happy with the speed of each part of your animation....Then we will go to the next process....If your not happy with the speed of any of it....Fiddle with the Display Time until you are.

Ok your happy with your Animation....Close the Animated window (Don't worry your animation in the frames are still there).

With it still all selected....Go to Animation....Animation Properties....Click on the Looping Tab....Click the Repeat Animation Indefinitely....Then OK

View Animation again (if your really happy with it) we can now save

While the Animation is running....Go to File....Save As....Name your Animation and choose where you want it... ie:- Desktop....Then Next....Next....Next....Finish.

Hopefully I have explained everything properly and your animation will now be working great.

If you have any problems....give me a shout.