Adding animation to iBook Author

Question

Level 1

8 points

Adding animation to iBook Author

I hope someone can help me.

I am creating a children's picture book in iBook Author. I want to add animation which I created in Hype 2.5.1 and converted it into a widget. I can add the widget OK and the animation works but the background is white so my page layout does not show.

1. Is there anyway to make the background transparent?

2. Do I have to create the entire page in Hype and import the whole thing into iBooks Author as a widget?

3. Is there a way I can add the animation as an animated .gif.

This animation part is new to me and I am having difficulty sorting it out. I know it can be done because I've purchased some other books to see how other people are handling it and their animation works without the white background. I just don't know how to do it.

Please - any suggestions???

OS X Mavericks (10.9.2), i just purchased my MAC

Posted on Mar 1, 2014 8:25 AM

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Answer 1

vinnyvg

Level 4

1,880 points

Mar 1, 2014 4:04 PM in response to catonpub

There have been a number posts asking this same question... did you try a search of this discussion group?

I found this.... but there are more.....

https://discussions.apple.com/search.jspa?resultTypes=&dateRange=all&peopleEnabl ed=true&q=animated+gif+in+animation&containerType=&container=&containerName=iboo ks+author&username=&rankBy=relevance&numResults=15

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Answer 2

catonpub Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 2, 2014 9:49 AM in response to vinnyvg

Thanks for pointing me in this direction. I did read about the .gif problems after I posted the question and your reply does answer that part but I still have questions about using Hype and iBooks Authors (my first two points). Do you know anything about that?

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Answer 3

vinnyvg

Level 4

1,880 points

Mar 2, 2014 2:07 PM in response to catonpub

I do not use Hype, so left it for other who do to offer a solution, alternatively, contact Hype support, they should know!

2. Is still Hype related...so as above.

Have you experimented with the widget in a test book?

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Answer 4

catonpub Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 2, 2014 3:21 PM in response to vinnyvg

HI,

Yes I've contacted Hype directly and am waiting for an answer.

I have tried it the widget in a test book and that is when I discovered that it gives a white background and not a transparent one.

What do you use to create your widgets?

Thanks again. I'll wait for Hype to answer. I was just hoping others had similar problems and found a solution.

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Answer 5

vinnyvg

Level 4

1,880 points

Mar 2, 2014 6:48 PM in response to catonpub

What do you use to create your widgets?

I only use the basics, Gallery,Pop Over and Scrolling Sidebar!

I have no use for the others and see no point in adding gizmo's just because they are there!

BUT, my books are predominently Photo/Travel/History related and I use what I need that fits the layout and book theme.

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Answer 6

patixa

Level 3

627 points

Mar 2, 2014 6:49 PM in response to catonpub

Widgets are displayed in their own view so transparency is not possible (to the best of my experiential knowledge). I suspect what you thought was transparency was a screenshot of that page used as the widget's background image. (Painful to update, sure, but it works!) Alternatively, a "page" could be simulated by the HTML widget. A recent title I was reading skinned the widget to look like the book so the widget's simulation felt like it was inline.

Many folks have successfully used Hype to create HTML widgets for iBooks Author titles, so I don't see why you couldn't use Hype for what you need.

Finally, recommended image types are JPEG and PNG. I don't know why GIF wouldn't work, but a simple experiment would tell you whether it would work for you.

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Answer 7

Nov 10, 2015 12:01 PM in response to catonpub

1.

No, you can't. Patixa's solution is a good idea, take a screenshot from the page and use it in hype as a background.

2.

yes, you should make hype canvas 2048x1496 px (fullscreen without the upper bar) and you can launch it on iBooks author as a entire page automatically, or launched trough a thumbnail or button by user.

3.

yes, but a gif is used in iBooks As a movie, always need a user touch. I think better tu use video, gif will not autoplay.

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