# Recommend free GIF de-composition software? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 3, 2016, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-free-gif-de-composition-software/742045 "2016-01-03T05:44:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2016, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-free-gif-de-composition-software/742045/1 "2016-01-03T05:44:50Z")
So I’ve got a GIF animated file, and want to break it up into the still picture elements. What’s a good GIF composer/decomposer, pref’ably free? (Why, yes, he said guardedly, porn might have something to do with it.) I do grok that some GIF files work with “differences” instead of complete images. i.e., instead of image1/image2/image3, it starts with image1, and then adds only those parts of image2 that differ from image1. So there isn’t any actual “image2” sitting there. If that’s the case, I might be out of luck. Ah, technology! ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2016, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-free-gif-de-composition-software/742045/2 "2016-01-03T09:38:46Z")
I’d assume GIMP can do it, since Photoshop can. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2016, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-free-gif-de-composition-software/742045/3 "2016-01-03T12:00:36Z")
Yes; I use Gimp for many tasks. I wish I had the time to learn it properly as I find many very simple tasks seem very difficult in Gimp. The other day, just creating a montage, I was doing “Merge Layers ; Remove Alpha Channel” after every step. :smack: > [@Trinopus](#): > > I do grok that some GIF files work with “differences” instead of complete images. i.e., instead of image1/image2/image3, it starts with image1, and then adds only those parts of image2 that differ from image1. So there isn’t any actual “image2” sitting there. If that’s the case, I might be out of luck. Merge Layers 1 & 2 to create Image 2; then 2 & 3 for 3; and so on. GIMP has a programming interface to facilitate such tasks, _ **but if you figure out how to use it please let me know.** _ ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-free-gif-de-composition-software/742045/4 "2016-01-03T16:04:28Z")
If you’re on Windows, you can use [IrfanView](http://www.irfanview.net/). (I’m using version 3.99.) Open the GIF, then in the Options menu select “Extract all frames”, select a directory and file format for the images. ---
**Author:** ![mistymage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mistymage/32/459_2.png) [@mistymage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mistymage)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2016, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-free-gif-de-composition-software/742045/5 "2016-01-03T17:20:16Z")
ImageMagick [http://transloadit.imagemagick.org/MagickStudio/scripts/MagickStudio.cgi](http://transloadit.imagemagick.org/MagickStudio/scripts/MagickStudio.cgi) Choose your file, click view. Next page should show your gif (may or may not be moving). Choose the Output tab at the top. Choose jpg or gif\* and tick single file and click Output Next page should have every file and you can right click save the ones you want to keep. \*use gif if the moving gif has transparent parts. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-free-gif-de-composition-software/742045/6 "2016-01-03T23:59:55Z")
**Rigamarole** and **septimus** : I’m one of those guys who has been defeated by GIMP. I was able to install it, and draw some lines and circles… Then I had to buy a tutorial book… And then I gave up. The interface is too darn user-unfriendly. **Hercles** and **mistymage** : Thank’ee kindly! I’ll try these and see what happens! Mil milion gracias! ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-free-gif-de-composition-software/742045/7 "2016-01-04T00:53:45Z")
Follow-Up: IrFanView did the trick! (Now I’m going to try ImageMagick too!) ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-free-gif-de-composition-software/742045/8 "2016-01-04T00:54:17Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > I’d assume GIMP can do it, since Photoshop can. Yes, GIMP does this. I use it all the time to both generate animations and break apart existing ones. The OP will need GAP as well if his version of GIMP doesn’t have it already. GAP is the GIMP Animation Package and is needed to work with animations. ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-free-gif-de-composition-software/742045/9 "2017-07-16T14:47:09Z")
NM - put this reply in the wrong message. Sorry about that.