Creating GIFs with Processing and Peek

Processing is a flexible software sketchbook and a language for learning how to code within the context of the visual arts.
processing.org

To make it short: It's basically Java, bundled with an lightweight IDE so you don't have to jump through any hoops.

The only thing missing is a nice way to starting it, but that is easily done like so:

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Value=1.0
Type=Application
Name=Processing
GenericName=Processing
Comment=Processing
Icon=/path/to/processing-3.3.5/lib/icons/pde-256.png
Exec="/path/to/processing-3.3.5/processing" ""
Path=/path/to/processing-3.3.5/

Now: Processing requires the functions "setup" and "draw" to do something. Aside from that, you are free to add files ("new Tab") - no include statement necessary. The tutorials and the reference are quite good in explaining what and how can be done.

After some playing around, you may end up with a small thing like this:

void setup() {
    size(512,512);
    noStroke();
    colorMode(HSB, 360, 100, 100);
}

void draw() {
    background(#2C2F34);
    float w = (millis()/10) % 360.0;
    float r = 128.0;

    float x = width/2 + r * cos(radians(w));
    float y = height/2 + r * sin(radians(w));

    float size = 32 + 16 * sin(radians(w));
    color c1 = color(w, 100, 100);

    fill(c1);
    ellipse(x, y, size, size);
}

If you can't imagine what that looks like: me neither. Not everyone will have Processing either, so let's gif that result with Peek. There is really not much more to explain for me; Installing and using Peek is quite easy.

Oh, you may be asking how to record the gif so it loops properly: Timing. No, really. Other than starting and stopping just at the right time, I've got no clue (yet) how to properly edit gifs.

GIMP is absolutely useless. You can make a winking smiley or such with GIMP, but any animation with more than 10 Frames is nothing you ever want to do.

Gifsicle might be an option if I discover a gui for it. At least a preview function would be nice... Might have to do it myself, someday.