Making an animated locket in PSP

Making an animated locket in PSP

Open a new image with a transparent background (say 500 x 500).

Use the preset shapes tool to draw a shape with just an outline - set to 10 - and no fill. Set the outline to white. Here we used the elipse preset with retain style and Create as vector turned off, line width set to 10.

Use the magic wand to select the white line. Then use Effects-Texture Effects-Sculpture with the following settings (The pattern is Gold Foil).

Rename layer 1 as locket1 then duplicate the layer twice and rename these Locket2 and Locket3. Set Selection to None and move Locket2 to the right leaving a small gap, then move locket3 to the right of locket2.

Now it's time to make a hinge. Create a new Raster layer. Zoom in on the point between locket1 and locket2 and draw a rounded rectangle with no outline and a white fill.

Select the white hinge and apply the sculpture effect again but with smoothness set to 90.
Then put 2 small black rounded rectangles to complete the hinge. Rename the Layer as Hinge1, duplicate it and name the duplicate as hinge2 then position it.

Now duplicate Locket1 and call it locket4 and move it down - do the same with locket3 and call it locket 5. The last piece is the edge on view of the cover and is made in the same way as the hinge (without the black lines). Create a new layer and draw a white rounded rectangle shape the same height as Locket4 then apply the sculpture effect to it with smoothness set to 60.

Now the fun starts - making the cover and back view and then adding the pictures. Open the picture that you want as the cover, copy it then click on your lockets and paste as new layer. On the layer palette drag the new layer down until it is below locket4. Now double click the deformation tool and resize the cover picture to fit inside locket4.

Now select the locket4 layer and using the magic wand tool click on the space inside the locket4 shape. Now you need to increase the size of the selection so click Selection-Modify-Expand and set the expansion to 1 then click OK. Next select the layer with the cover picture - click Selection Invert then press the delete key and then Click Selection None.
Hide all layers except Locket4 and the picture layer. Click on the locket4 layer and then right click and Merge visible then rename the merged layer as Cover.

Click on Locket5 layer and use magic wand to select the inside area then expand the selection by 1 (as before) and floodfill with the gold foil pattern. (Foreground pattern).
Now rename Locket5 as Backplate.

Finally add three pictures behind Locket1, Locket2 and Locket3 respectively (as with Cover) and after merging them rename them locket1, locket2 and locket3.

Now Merge Locket2 with the hinges and rename the merged layer as locket2.

You now have all the elements of the animation so Save the file.

Next you need to build the animation. Save the file again using Save As and call it locketAni

Now Click the Cover layer, select the cover, cut it and paste as new image. Do the same with Edge and Backplate.

Now Crop the locket Ani and you get the following files.

It starts looking a lot more complicated than it is now - you are going to create 9 animation frames. Each time you need to make duplicates of the 3 locket parts (and hide the originals) and after adjusting them they are merged to form an animation frame.So make duplicates of the three parts, hide the originals, and click on Copy of Locket1 layer and Merge Visible then rename this as Frame 9, Hide this layer and un-hide the 3 locket parts.

You need to build the frames in reverse order so that the animation ends with the locket fully open. Select the locket3 layer and use the distortion key. Use the middle tag on the right side of the distortion frame and drag it to the left until you reach the centre of locket3 then release it and Accept the change.

So make duplicates of the three parts, hide the originals, and click on Copy of Locket1 layer and Merge Visible then rename this as Frame 8, Hide this layer and un-hide the 3 locket parts.

Now select the edge picture copy it select the lockets animation and paste as new layer - move the edge over the right hand hinge and delete the Locket3 layer.

Make duplicates of the three parts, hide the originals, and click on Copy of Locket1 layer and Merge Visible then rename this as Frame 7, Hide this layer and un-hide the 3 locket parts drag the latest frame down to just above the last one.

Now delete the Edge layer and select the backplate picture - copy it and then paste it as a new layer on the animation and move it to exactly cover the centre locket part.

Here we step out of sync slightly. Make duplicates of the three parts, hide the originals, and click on Copy of Locket1 layer and Merge Visible then rename this as Frame 5, Hide this layer and un-hide the 3 locket parts drag the latest frame down to just above the last one.

Next we do frame 6 - select the backplate layer and use distort. move the left side of the distort to the centre.

Make duplicates of the three parts, hide the originals, and click on Copy of Locket1 layer and Merge Visible then rename this as Frame 6, Hide this layer and un-hide the 3 locket parts drag the latest frame down to just above Frame 7.

Now click on the backplate picture - copy it - click on locket picture and paste as new layer. Now move the backplate to exactly cover locket2. You can now merge the locket2 layer with the backplate layer (hide locket1 first) and rename the merged layer as backplate.

The picture looks the same as layer 6 so we need to use the deform tool on locket1 and drag the left side in to the centre.

Make duplicates of the two parts, hide the originals, and click on Copy of Locket1 layer and Merge Visible then rename this as Frame 4, Hide this layer and un-hide the 2 locket parts drag the latest frame down to just above Frame 5.

Now copy the edge picture and paste it as a new layer moving it over the left hinge - and delete the locket1 layer.

Make duplicates of the two parts, hide the originals, and click on Copy of Backplate layer and Merge Visible then rename this as Frame 3, Hide this layer and un-hide the 2 locket parts drag the latest frame down to just above Frame 4.

Again we go out of synch. Copy the cover picture and paste as new layer moving it over the backplate. Delete the layer with the edge on it.

Make duplicates of the two parts, hide the originals, and click on Copy of Backplate layer and Merge Visible then rename this as Frame 1, Hide this layer and un-hide the 2 locket parts drag the latest frame down to just above Frame 3.

Select the cover layer and use the deform tool to drag the right side to the middle. Merge the two layers - rename the merged layer as Frame 2 and move it above Frame 3.

Now make all the frames visible, reverse their order so that Frame 9 is at the top and Frame 1 is at the bottom, and save the PSP file - then go to Animation shop and open the psp file, then you can add shadows and text and save your animation GIF file.

You can use alternative locket shapes