Re: animated gif problem

Dear Elizabyth,

I think I figured it out:  I tested out the site and the animation appears
ok in Netscape 3.04 and IE5, but in Netscape 4.08 the rollover effect only
shows the last frame of the animation.  In all of these browsers the image
alone without any html/javascript only repeated once (not sure how you did
it.. but the browsers didn't repeat the animation... or I didn't wait around
long enough).  So my conclusion is that when Netscape 4.08 preloads the
animated gif, it also 'plays' the animation, and after it has played it
(although the user has yet to see it), it stays on the last frame.  So when
the user puts his mouse over the image, he sees the animated image but still
on the last frame.  The other two browsers however, restart the animation
each time the javascript rollover changes the image(s) src(s) to the
animated ones.  So the effect is that IE5 and Netscape 3.04 restart the
animation while Netscape 4.08 plays through it when it first preloads and
then only shows the last frame since your animation stops there.

I'd recommend having the animation loop so that Netscape 4.08 viewers will
see an animation, although it may pick up half way into the animation since
it doesn't restart the animation.  Does that make sense?  I think I'm mostly
right, anyone willing to correct me?

My good deed for the wee hours of the morning,
- Charlie Huckel


> Hi there,
>
> I've got an interesting dilemna. I have a client who is dead set on
> having an animated gif rollover effect on the navigational buttons on
> his site. The problem seems to be that the animated gif effect works
> great....in IE5 only. It doesn't work in anything else that I've
> tried--NN3, 4, 4.6, IE 4....... my client is convinced this is my fault,
> that my javascript sucks, so he has provided me with one of his
> own...still no luck. Any suggestions? (I've already suggested Flash, so
> don't go there--he's adamently against using Flash on this particular
> site).
>
> Anyway, for what it's worth, the URL is:
> http://www.4-monkeys.com/14karat/
> (I take no responsibility for anything else that is on the site
> design-wise--so please no comments on that)
>
> Cheers,
>
> Elizabyth Burtis-Lopez
> 4 Monkeys Web Design
> http://www.4-monkeys.com

HWG: hwg-graphics mailing list archives, maintained by Webmasters @ IWA