[Gimp-user] Animated GIF for the Web

["Hakan" <agents meddatainc com>]

I am trying to develop an animated GIF to use as a web-ad, I have read
the docs and googled but still having problems :-(

The ad (portrait format) is very simple: a background logo at the
bottom of the ad, and three different text messages which rotate. I
thus created a bottom layer with the logo covering the bottom third; a
second layer with nothing but the first text message on the upper
2/3rds, another layer with the second text message also in the upper
2/3rds and finally a layer with the third text message in the upper
2/3rds. While the logo at the bottom should be displayed at all times
the three different text messages are shown one at a time.

After reading the docs I then expanded each layer with a text message
to be as large as the ad itself. My next step was to try to create a
layer mask - for each of the three layers with the text messages, said
layer mask to cover only the lower 1/3 where it would be transparent.

This is where I ran into problems, no matter what I tried, I could not
accomplish this. There must be something very basic I have yet to
understand!

Last, in order to create the animated GIF, I exported all four layers
using "replace" in the dialog box. I also experimented with "combine"
to no avail. No matter what I tried, I either ended up with an animated
GIF where the logo and the three different text messages over time
became overlaid, or, an animated GIF where only one thing was shown at
one time.

What have I missed? Thanks.