How to Move Matrix Codes in GIF

The Matrix code resembles a shower of text, constantly streaming.

In 1999, "The Matrix" created a fantasy world for computer hackers and used a theme of downward streaming green text to show how the code moved in the Matrix. With a GIF, you create an illusion of the text moving by using multiple frames and different vertical lines of digits. To make a GIF animation of streaming text, you need an image editor and access to a GIF creation website or software.

Instructions

Creating the Frames

1. Open an image editing program to create your base Matrix pictures. You need to create at least three to five frames to move text appropriately in a GIF file.

2. Find a reference photo for your Matrix text. Open the photo in a separate window to view as you work.

3. Open a new blank document in your image editor. Save the document with the filename "Frame1." Fill the background with black. Select a bright green similar to the Matrix text. Create small vertical lines of Matrix text using characters, numbers and letters. Create three or four vertical lines of text that go from the top of your document to the bottom. These lines must be parallel to one another. In addition, vary the size of your vertical text if you want to mimic the code in the movie, which had multiple vertical lines of small and large text with different types of characters.

4. Rasterize each layer of text. This option usually appears in the "Layers" menu, or right-click the text box in the document and choose "Rasterize."

5. Click on a selection tool and select a part of one vertical line. For example, select a string of five characters. Press "CTRL" and "X" to cut from the layer and paste or press "CTRL" and "C" to copy from the layer and paste. Move the selection into a blank spot of your picture parallel to the other vertical lines of texture. Continue filling up your picture until you have several lines of vertical code with the black background showing through.

6. Create blank space in your vertical lines by coloring over the text with black. The Matrix text constantly moves in streams. The blank spaces allow you to move the text down and create an illusion of movement in the next frames you create.

7. Finish the first frame and save. Create a new document and save as "Frame2." Fill with black. Copy and paste your first frame into the second document. Move the text down in the frame by copying and pasting the text at just a pixel or two below its previous location. Color over the previous line of text with black.

8. Add in new vertical lines above the ones you push down in the frame. Continue to move these lines down as you create the next frames. Once finished creating all of your frames, zoom out and align the picture windows vertically.

9. Click on the Brush Tool and select white as your foreground color. Set the opacity to between 30 and 50 percent. In each frame, use the brush tool to highlight a certain piece of code in every other vertical line. The original Matrix code showed that some pieces of code were lighter than others as if a beam of light moved through the text. Select the highlighted piece of code and add a glowing edges effect. In some image editors, this effect is under "Filters."

10. Save each of your frames as a GIF file.

Making the GIF

1. Visit an online GIF maker such as Picasion, Create a Gif or Gifka.

2. Click on "Choose File" and select each frame in the correct order to stream the text you created in the image editor.

3. Select a speed. Normal to fast works well for streaming Matrix text.

4. Click on the "Create Animation" button to finish making the .GIF and upload online. Download the GIF file to your desktop or paste the GIF's URL to your friends to share.

References

• Eyes on Design: Matrix Text Effect

Resources

• Picasion
• Gifka
• Create a Gif
• Matrix Text