GifCreator

A simple and lightweight Node.js server-side GIF rendering tool. This tool utilizes FFmpeg to compose GIF images, offering easy operation and fast production, making it suitable for applications that require quick GIF animation generation.

Installation

Install this module via npm:

$ npm install gifcreator

About ffmpeg

Please note that this package relies on ffmpeg, so you need to install ffmpeg before using it.

The methods for installing FFmpeg on various Linux distributions differ slightly. Here are the installation steps for some common Linux distributions:

• How to Install and Use FFmpeg on CentOS https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-install-ffmpeg-on-centos-7/
• How to Install FFmpeg on Debian https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-install-ffmpeg-on-debian-9/
• How to compiling from Source on Linux https://www.tecmint.com/install-ffmpeg-in-linux/
• How to Install FFmpeg on Windows https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/how-to-install-ffmpeg-on-windows/

Usage Example

Creating a GIF Animation

The following example demonstrates how to use the GifCreator class to create a GIF animation with multiple frames and add images from a file path pattern.

const path = require('path');
const { createCanvas } = require('canvas');
const GifCreator = require('gifcreator');

function createGif() {
  const width = 500;
  const height = 500;
  const gifCreator = new GifCreator(width, height, true);
  const outputPath = path.resolve(__dirname, 'output.gif');
  gifCreator.setOutput(outputPath);
  gifCreator.setRepeat(true);
  gifCreator.setQuality(10);
  gifCreator.setFrameRate(18);
  gifCreator.on('success', () => {});

  for (let i = 0; i < 50; i++) {
    const canvas = createCanvas(width, height);
    const ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');

    ctx.fillStyle = 'blue';
    ctx.beginPath();
    ctx.arc(50 + (i % 50) * 8, 250, 30, 0, Math.PI * 2);
    ctx.fill();
    ctx.save();
    ctx.translate(250, 250);
    ctx.rotate((i * Math.PI) / 40);
    ctx.fillStyle = 'red';
    ctx.fillRect(-50, -50, 100, 100);
    ctx.restore();
    gifCreator.addFrame(canvas);
  }

  gifCreator.start();
}

Other uses

GifCreator also supports image input and video input, for example:

const imagePattern = path.resolve(__dirname, 'images', 'h%d.png');
gifCreator.addImage(imagePattern);
// or
const video = path.resolve(__dirname, 'video.mp4');
gifCreator.addVideo(video);

API and Documentation

Constructor

new GifCreator(width, height, verbose = false)

• width: number - The width of the output GIF.
• height: number - The height of the output GIF.
• verbose: boolean (optional) - If true, enables verbose logging. Default is false.

Methods

setOutput(outputPath)

Sets the output path for the GIF.

• outputPath: string - The file path where the GIF will be saved.

setRepeat(repeat)

Sets the repeat option for the GIF.

• repeat: boolean - If true, the GIF will loop indefinitely. If false, it will not loop.

setDelay(delay)

Sets the delay between frames in the GIF.

• delay: number - The delay in milliseconds.

setFrameRate(frameRate)

Sets the frame rate for the GIF.

• frameRate: number - The frame rate in frames per second.

setTransparent(color)

Sets the transparent color for the GIF.

• color: string - The color to be made transparent in the GIF.

setQuality(quality)

Sets the quality of the GIF.

• quality: number - The quality level (1-31, where 1 is the best quality).

setFfmpegPath()

Sets the path for the FFmpeg executable.

addFrame(imageData)

Adds a frame to the GIF.

• imageData: Buffer or Canvas - The image data for the frame.

addImage(imageFiles)

Adds images to the GIF.

• imageFiles: string - The file path(s) of the images.

addVideo(videoPath)

Adds a video to the GIF.

• videoPath: string - The file path of the video.

start()

Starts the FFmpeg process to create the GIF.

destroy()

Destroys the FFmpeg command and cleans up resources.

Events

success

Emitted when the FFmpeg process finishes successfully.

error

Emitted when there is an error during the FFmpeg process.

• Parameters:
  • err: Error - The error object.

Contributing

GifCreator is an OPEN Open Source Project. This means that: Individuals making significant and valuable contributions are given commit-access to the project to contribute as they see fit.

License

MIT LICENSE