gif2apng.sf.net gif2apng.sf.net
gif2apng is a simple command-line program that converts GIF animations into Animated PNG format. It disproves the common misconception that APNG files must be huge, as it actually creates APNG files smaller than the original GIF files. The program is very easy to use.
Command line: gif2apng.exe anim.gif [anim.png]
| GIF Animation | APNG Animation |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| size = 280226 | size = 227776 |
As you see here, the conversion process created grid.png file that is smaller than the original grid.gif. The exact filesize difference depends on the type of animation, but the average savings are approximately 20%.
I had to disable the use of BLEND_OVER operations in the versions 1.0 - 1.1, because buggy Firefox cannot handle them correctly in 8-bit APNGs. It's a shame, because BLEND_OVER could be used to make filesizes smaller, in some cases significantly smaller. It should be fixed in Firefox 3.7 so when it's out, and enough people updated, I will turn those optimizations on.
gif2apng is licensed under LGPL, its C source code is quite small (it uses zlib library for compression), and the binaries are available for Windows and Linux. Hopefully it can be compiled for other platforms too.
If you are not familiar with command-line interface, drag-and-drop your GIF into gif2apng.exe:
You are welcome to leave the comments and suggestions at the Main Forum. You don't need to register.
secret bonus from http://photobucket.com/apng gallery:
