Hi everyone,
I was trying to follow this GIMP tutorial for basic animation in GAP and installed this version of GAP, and added plugins and scripts to my GIMP, however some features from the tutorial are missing which seem quite important.
The missing features include “plug-in-gauss-rle2”, and “apply varying”.
Possibly related: Is there an official GIMP page to download the most recent version of GAP or is normal to have to download it from sourceforge?
GAP is a plug-in. It is not part of standard Gimp and has its own development history (and own developers), so it is perfectly normal that you don’t find it on the Gimp site.
AFAIK GAP hasn’t been updated for a while, however plug-in-gauss-rle2 is a “standard” plugin and should be available in your Gimp installation (try Filters > Script-fu > Console > Browse... and enter gauss in the search bar:
(yes, gauss-rle2 is also a plugin, but it’s a standard plugin)
PS: The tutorial is 20 years old, so must have been written for Gimp 2.0. Even if old tutorials still work, there are often much better ways.
Is it normal to download GAP from sourceforge ? If you used say linux 'buntu then there is a version 2.6 package available in the repository.
If you want to compile it yourself Index of /pub/gimp/plug-ins/v2.6/gap
For Windows users, this (ancient version) was the one to use GAP-2.6 for Gimp 2.6-Windows by photocomix-resources on DeviantArt
The Windows version you downloaded is a ‘up-dated’ compile from 2011 and on the gimp-forum page I put this note
How much of GAP now works is debatable. Expect some functions not to work.
As Ofnuts points out there is a plug-in-gauss-rle2 but in Gimp 2.10 it is GEGL compatibility plugin. Sometimes you can get an old Gimp 2.8 version installed in Gimp and working. Not really worth the effort.
For a simple animation, where the same effect is applied to several layers, there are scripts/plugins One that is usable is the Gimp g’mic plugin. For example apply a filter to visible layers only.
To make animations in Gimp you need a few extras, apply a background to all layers is a favourite.
However not difficult, a remake of that old animation.
Thank you OfNuts and rich2005.
I found the gauss-rle2 although I am not familiar enough with Script-fu coding to use it. The Gimp g’mic plugin is really versatile and easy to use actually, I downloaded it to try. It does not seem to allow varying effects in the same way as the “varying” animation layers do but I manually applied it to each layer instead. This was the animation I ended up making.
(Edit I tried uploading it but for some reason it’s not displaying on the webpage. 
)
I realize that tutorial is 20 years old, but I am trying to re-create old-web graphics from the late 1990s to early 2000s so in theory I thought it made sense to try follow it. 
@anon89615709 Welcome to the forum!
Current times require current methods. It is like making a period film and trying to use disused/rare materials and techniques. Sure, it could work but it will take a lot more work and may not end up being that great (i.e., good quality for today’s sound/projection/screen/colour technology).
I would also recommend G’MIC, partly because I don’t know how to make plugins for GIMP. If you need any assistance with G’MIC, make a new thread in its category.
PS - not all GIFs work. I don’t know the specs the forum requires.
