In this new roundup of visual communication tools find online tools that can help you convert your presentations into Flash files easily, create full web-based slideshows, as well as preparing animated GIFs or adding effects to your existing pics.

Photo credit: Hypermania

In this visual communication tools guide (we have abandoned the Picnic from our series title, because it confused too much the search engines) these the tools I and Robin have collected for you this week:

1. PowerFlashPoint: Convert PowerPoint presentations into highly compressed Flash files
2. MagToo: Create image slideshows easily with all of your images
3. Snippy: Capture any region of your screen in free-hand or rectangular mode
4. Gifmake: Upload GIF, JPG and PNG images and create animated GIFs
5. PicShadow: Add a dropdown shadow to any picture with no photo editing skills
6. TextAnim: Animate text pictures with many options and export them in GIF format
7. FX Effect Generator: Easily create high quality Flash movies online
8. InfiniTube: Type a keyword and turn your PC into a YouTube TV channel

Here all the details:

Visual Communication Tools

1. PowerFlashPoint
   
   PowerFlashPoint is a PowerPoint plug-in that automatically converts your PPT presentations into a highly compressed Flash presentation. Completely integrated within Microsoft's own product, this plug-in will let you export your presentation slides, audio narration, and transitions effects into a high quality Flash movie that you can easily publish on the web. The service is free to try, $199 to buy.
   http://powerflashpoint.com/






2. MagToo
   
   MagToo is an online image slideshow creator. You can upload any file from your PC or URL, or simply browse it from your Flickr, Facebook, PhotoBucket, and start creating your slideshow in simple steps: select the style, background and theme color, music base, size and, when finished, you can get your HTML embedding code to share your slideshow. Plus, you can also create 360 degrees panoramas, all for free and without registration.
   http://www.magtoo.com/







3. Snippy
   
   Snippy is a lightweight screen capturing application for Windows. With this 84kb software, you can cut out any part of your screen just by clicking on the taskbar button, dragging a free-hand or rectangular area and then pasting it in any photo editing application. The software is a standalone exe application, which doesn't even need to be installed. Free.
   http://www.bhelpuri.net/Snippy/default.htm







4. Gifmake
   
   Gifmake is a free image tool that allows you to create animated GIFs from your JPG, PNG and GIF images. To create one, just upload all the pictures that will compose the sequence, select the order, select the delay time (in milliseconds), enter the size dimensions of the final image and click generate. You can then download your creation and use it as you want. Free to use, no registration needed.
   http://gifmake.com/








5. PicShadow
   
   PicShadow is a web based image editing application that anyone can use to add a dropdown shadow to any picture. Upload a picture from your computer or paste its URL into the box, select the distance and grade of the shadow, choose a background color and decide whether you want to resize your picture or not. After you click generate, you will be able to download your new picture in GIF format. Free to use.
   http://picshadow.com/








6. TextAnim
   
   TextAnim is a free application that you can use to create animated text pictures and logos. To start just type a text, select a font type and size, choose the background color, pick the shadow orientation and animation delay, select a texture and click generate. Your picture will be then ready for download in GIF format. Free to use.
   http://textanim.com/

Video Publishing Tools

1. FX Effect Generator
   
   FX Effect Generator is a web based service that lets you create Flash movies online. You create high quality Flash content easily, such as image slideshows, banners, video sequences (for example with YouYubr videos), text animations and more. When you are finished, just click preview to see what you created and then publish to embed the movie anywhere on the web. Free to use, no registration needed.
   http://www.effectgenerator.com/






2. InfiniTube
   
   InfiniTube is a web based service that turns your Pc into a YouTube television. After you type a URL into the box and click go, an endless playlist of videos will be created, and it will start playing all the videos containing that keyword. You can play/pause, repeat, skip and even randomize videos between the created playlist. InfiniTube is completely free to use, with no registration needed.
   http://www.infinitube.net/

Originally written by Nico Canali De Rossi and Robin Good for Master New Media and first published on August 10th 2008 as "Visual Communication And Video Publishing - Selected Tools And Web Services - Sharewood Picnic Aug03 10"