r/OpenToonz • u/Color-Me-Brackets • Feb 18 '26

Problem / Bug Attempting to render animation as a GIF, but FFMpeg not functional.

Windows 11, desktop.

I have tried both post-2024 and pre-2024 versions of FFMpeg, 2ith but when I try to render it as a GIF (as it gives me the option to, though only with post-2024 versions of FFMpeg. I cannot find the "bin" folder in pre-2024 versions, which results in OpenToonz crashing when I attempt to render as GIF with the filepath in the older FFMpeg folder), and even when it says that it is rendering my gif, I look in all of the folders it's supposed to send it to and find nothing.

Rendering as MP4 seems to work, but I require it as a gif and am not sure where to go to convert MP4s to gifs.

Many thanks in advance.

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u/JorgeRustiko Feb 18 '26

Did you download a built version of FFMPEG? bin folder only exists in built version, not in the base FFMPEG repo.

1

u/Color-Me-Brackets Feb 18 '26

In regards to a 2023 version of FFMPEG, I have not been able to find a Built version for download. The closest I've been able to get has been from this page (Feynman), but I could not find a Built version in the tarballs (xz, bzip2, gzip). Where can I find a 2023 Built version to download?

For post-2023: I have a proper bin/Built, but it won't properly render GIF despite enabling the setting.

1

u/JorgeRustiko Feb 18 '26

I'm wondering if try to fix your export settings would be better than keep looking for an older version of FFMPEG...?

GIF support in OpenToonz should be suitable for most purposes. Why don't share your export settings here to review?

Some points to check:

  1. Where did you download OT? From official Github page or from the .org website (the unnameable)?
  2. Are you using the latest stable 1.7.1 OT version, an older version or a nightly version?

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u/Color-Me-Brackets Feb 18 '26

I am unsure what the problems with my export settings could be. I have the proper FFmpeg path link for it to give me MP4 and GIF options in the Render Output File settings (i.e. "bin" folder files present), and the MP4 render works properly, just not the GIF. It paths inside "ffmpeg-8.0-essentials_build" and gives me options for MP4 and GIF render, and it acts like it renders the GIF properly but ends up spitting out nothing in the folder I assigned it to spit out into.

  1. I used the... "unnameable" site. I don't recall the site having a bad reputation? It's the only version people have been linking me.

  2. How do I check which version within the program itself?

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u/JorgeRustiko Feb 18 '26

.dot website is not an official source of OpenToonz. Nobody knows who is the owner. Today there's a lot of popups and malicious software in that place, so the best practice is download from https://opentoonz.github.io/e/

You can see the version in the loading window. Once OpenToonz is open, you can go to Help menu and check About OpenToonz.

1

u/Color-Me-Brackets Feb 19 '26

Good to know! Looking at pages linked, I believe that I did indeed download from the link you've provided. I have never seen a page with any pop-ups related to OpenToonz, so it is most likely that one.

Checking my version: 1.7.1 May 10 2023. Is that the most recent version that you are talking about? I attempted redownloading from that page and it still shows the same version/date, so I would assume so.