Category: AutoDraw

Day 12 of Google: Creating Your own GIF with AutoDraw, Photos, and Slides

For day twelve of Google, we are going to look at how AutoDraw, Google Photos and Google Slides can be used to help create your own GIF for a presentation.

GIF files and bitmojis have appeared in text messages/group chats for awhile now. I am noticing that more and more people are including these in presentations now. In most cases, gifs that are used are ones that have been found online. Well, with the help of three applications, you can create your own GIF. What makes this process even easier is the fact that Google Photos is now an option for inserting images into a Google Slide presentation.

Below is an example of something that was created in AutoDraw, uploaded into Google Photos to create a ‘GIF’. This file can then be inserted into any location that allows for images. Below will walk you through the process…

Step 1: AutoDraw
I have written an earlier blog post on Google AutoDraw. AutoDraw is a great way for students to create their own visual with the help of artificial intelligence. I for one am not a great drawer. I can use all the help that I can get with my drawings. This is also a great way to get ‘free to use’ images.

  • Create what you want to turn into a GIF. My example will be a basketball moving as if it is being thrown in the air. 
  • After my image is all set, take a screenshot
  • Move items that you ‘drew’ (in my case, I will move the basketball)
  • Take another screenshot
  • Repeat step 3 and 4 until you have all the necessary screenshots 

Step 2: Google Photos

Next, we will use Google Photos (photos.google.com). The reason behind this is so that it will automatically create the GIF for us. Google Photos calls this an animation.

  • Once in Google Photos, choose upload on the top right corner
  • Upload all of the screenshots (or images you want to eventually make into a GIF file)
  • On top right corner, select the plus button and choose animation
  • Select all images you want to be part of the gif ‘animation’

Step 3: Google Slides (or Docs, Drawing)

Next, you will want to open the application that the GIF file should be placed – in this case Google Slides. With Googles latest feature, it is even easier to add images.

  • Open up Google Slide presentation
  • Go to slide you want the image to be located on
  • Under the insert menu, choose Image followed by Photos. Google will search your Google Photos and you will select your GIF file.
And that is my Spiel…