How to convert pstricks animation to GIF file?

Assume that you want to create an animation as follows.

Step 1:

Create a PDF file consists of at lease 2 pages. Compiling the following input file with either latex-dvips-ps2pdf or xelatex produces a PDF file with 30 pages. Each page represent one frame.

% input.tex
\documentclass[pstricks,border=0pt]{standalone}
\usepackage{pstricks-add,fp}

\FPeval{Size}{3.00}
\FPeval{N}{30}
\FPeval{Delta}{round(Size/N:2)}

\begin{document}
\multido{\r=\Size+-\Delta}{\N}
{
    \begin{pspicture}(-\Size,-\Size)(\Size,\Size)
        \psframe*[linecolor=yellow](-\Size,-\Size)(\Size,\Size)
        \pscircle*{\r}
    \end{pspicture}
}
\end{document}

Step 2:

Install ImageMagick.

Step 3:

Install Ghostscript. Without it you cannot rasterize vector files (PDF, EPS, PS, etc.) with ImageMagick.

Step 4:

Convert the PDF to GIF using the following command:

convert -delay <integer> -loop 0 -density <integer> -alpha <on,off,remove> input.pdf output.gif

Remarks:

• -delay <integer> specifies the delay between 2 consecutive frames in 1/100 second.

• -density <integer> specifies the resolution.

• -alpha <on,off,remove> specifies whether or not you enable, disable or remove the alpha channel.

---

Another example:

\documentclass[border=0pt,pstricks]{standalone}
\usepackage{pst-coil,pstricks-add}
\usepackage[nomessages]{fp}
\newcommand\const[3][6]{%
    \expandafter\FPeval\csname#2\endcsname{round(#3:#1)}%
    \pstVerb{/#2 \csname#2\endcsname\space def}%
}
\newcommand\Const[3][7]{\begingroup\edef\temp{\endgroup\noexpand\const[#1]{#2}{#3}}\temp}

\Const{CoilArm}{0.250}
\Const{CoilWidth}{0.300}
\Const{CoilTurn}{50/3}
\Const{DeltaY}{0.5}
\Const{Amplitude}{1.5}
\Const{FPS}{25}% frame rate must be synced with the convert's delay!
\Const{Vx}{2}% propagation speed
\Const{Period}{1}% second

\def\Y#1{-\DeltaY-\Amplitude*cos(2*\psPi*#1/\Period)+2}

\psset
{
    coilarm=\CoilArm,
    coilwidth=\CoilWidth,
}


\newcommand\System[4][0]{% #1: box, #2: x, #3: y, #4: label
    \uput[90](#2,4.25){#4}
    \Const{CoilHeight}{(4-(#3)-2*CoilArm)/(CoilWidth*CoilTurn)}
    \pszigzag[coilheight=\CoilHeight,linejoin=2](#2,4)(#2,#3)
    \ifnum#1=1
    \bgroup
        \psset{origin={#2,#3}}
        \psframe[dimen=inner,fillstyle=solid,fillcolor=black](-0.5,0)(0.5,-1)
        \psdot[linecolor=yellow](0,-0.5)
    \egroup
    \fi
}

\Const{DeltaTime}{1/\FPS}
\Const[0]{TotalFrames}{\FPS*\Period}

\begin{document}
\multido{\n=0.000+\DeltaTime}{\TotalFrames}{%
\begin{pspicture*}[showgrid=false](-1.5,-2)(3.5,5)
    \psframe[fillstyle=vlines,hatchsep=2pt,hatchwidth=0.5\pslinewidth,hatchcolor=gray,hatchangle=45](0,4)(2,4.25)
    \Const{Yn}{\Y{\n}}%
    \System[1]{1}{\Yn}{}
    \psplot[algebraic,linecolor=red,plotpoints=1000]{-1.5}{3.5}{\Y{((-\Vx*\n+x-1)/\Vx)}-0.5}
\end{pspicture*}}

\end{document}

Use convert -delay 4 -loop 0 -density 200 -alpha remove shm.pdf shm.gif. The -delay 4 represents the rate of 25 frame per second. The formula is FPS = 100 / DELAY.

Just in case you need a PDF animation then use the following template.

% this filename is main.tex
% compile it with pdflatex -shell-escape main

\documentclass[preview]{standalone}

\usepackage{filecontents}

\begin{filecontents*}{temporary.tex}
% put you compilable PSTricks input file here!
\end{filecontents*}


\usepackage{animate}

\immediate\write18{latex temporary}
\immediate\write18{dvips temporary}
\immediate\write18{ps2pdf temporary.ps}

\begin{document}
\animategraphics[controls,autoplay,loop,scale=1]{<frame rate>}{temporary}{}{}
\end{document}

For example,

% this filename is main.tex
% compile it with pdflatex -shell-escape main

\documentclass[preview]{standalone}

\usepackage{filecontents}

\begin{filecontents*}{temporary.tex}
\documentclass[border=0pt,pstricks]{standalone}
\usepackage{pst-coil,pstricks-add}
\usepackage[nomessages]{fp}
\newcommand\const[3][6]{%
    \expandafter\FPeval\csname#2\endcsname{trunc(#3:#1)}%
    \pstVerb{/#2 \csname#2\endcsname\space def}%
}
\newcommand\Const[3][3]{\begingroup\edef\temp{\endgroup\noexpand\const[#1]{#2}{#3}}\temp}

\Const{CoilArm}{0.250}
\Const{CoilWidth}{0.300}
\Const{CoilTurn}{50/3}
\Const{DeltaY}{0.5}
\Const{Amplitude}{1.5}
\Const{FPS}{25}
\Const{Vx}{2}% propagation speed
\Const{Period}{1}% second

\def\Y#1{-\DeltaY-\Amplitude*cos(2*\psPi*#1/\Period)+2}

\psset
{
    coilarm=\CoilArm,
    coilwidth=\CoilWidth,
}


\newcommand\System[4][0]{% #1: box, #2: x, #3: y, #4: label
    \uput[90](#2,4.25){#4}
    \Const{CoilHeight}{(4-(#3)-2*CoilArm)/(CoilWidth*CoilTurn)}
    \pszigzag[coilheight=\CoilHeight,linejoin=2](#2,4)(#2,#3)
    \ifnum#1=1
    \bgroup
        \psset{origin={#2,#3}}
        \psframe[dimen=inner,fillstyle=solid,fillcolor=black](-0.5,0)(0.5,-1)
        \psdot[linecolor=yellow](0,-0.5)
    \egroup
    \fi
}

\Const[3]{DeltaTime}{1/\FPS}
\Const[0]{TotalFrames}{\FPS*\Period}

\begin{document}
\multido{\n=0.000+\DeltaTime}{\TotalFrames}{%
\begin{pspicture*}[showgrid=false](-1.5,-2)(3.5,5)
    \psframe[fillstyle=vlines,hatchsep=2pt,hatchwidth=0.5\pslinewidth,hatchcolor=gray,hatchangle=45](0,4)(2,4.25)
    \Const{Yn}{\Y{\n}}%
    \System[1]{1}{\Yn}{}
    \psplot[algebraic,linecolor=red,plotpoints=1000]{-1.5}{3.5}{\Y{((-\Vx*\n+x-1)/\Vx)}-0.5}
\end{pspicture*}}

\end{document}
\end{filecontents*}


\usepackage{animate}

\immediate\write18{latex temporary}
\immediate\write18{dvips temporary}
\immediate\write18{ps2pdf temporary.ps}

\begin{document}
\animategraphics[controls,autoplay,loop,scale=1]{25}{temporary}{}{}
\end{document}

And compile it with pdflatex -shell-escape main.