Convert part of a connected video into a browser-generated 256-color GIF with controlled frame rate, width, duration, and looping.
Where: Flowgen → Add → Video & Motion → AI Edit → Video to GIF
Key ideas
- Video to GIF is one graph step: Convert part of a connected video into a browser-generated 256-color GIF with controlled frame rate, width, duration, and looping.
- Typed sockets: Inputs: Video / video_in — one readable video asset.. Outputs: GIF / video_out — the generated animated GIF asset.. Settings stay on the node rather than masquerading as extra wires.
- Card and Properties agree: The compact card and selected-node Properties sidebar expose the same persisted controls: FPS: 5–30, default 12.; Width: 128–1280 px, default 480; never upscales.; Maximum frames: 8–240, default 120.; Trim start/end: 0–600 seconds.; Loop..
- Execution behavior: This operation runs in the browser after an explicit Run. Stop/cancellation is available while decoding and encoding; changing settings does not silently re-encode.
- Cost and privacy boundary: It calls no generation provider and charges no Sparks/Flowies. Processing happens in the open browser, so it cannot execute in a headless/server-only flow and the source must be readable by the page.
- Video to GIF card: PureOpNode uses the authored shared-card path. Trim, resize, sample, and encode a video as a looping GIF locally.
- Properties sidebar: Card-owned operation controls; common properties shell
- Opened surfaces: GIF preview; download
Steps
- Connect a video.
- Set Trim start/end around the useful moment.
- Choose FPS and Width for motion/detail.
- Set Maximum frames to cap work and file size.
- Choose whether it loops, then click Run.
- Review timing, banding, and size before using GIF downstream.
Inputs
- Video / video_in — one readable video asset.
Outputs
- GIF / video_out — the generated animated GIF asset.
Controls
- FPS: 5–30, default 12.
- Width: 128–1280 px, default 480; never upscales.
- Maximum frames: 8–240, default 120.
- Trim start/end: 0–600 seconds.
- Loop.
Important behavior
- Unlike the other pure operations, conversion starts only when Run is clicked.
- When the requested span exceeds Maximum frames, frames are sampled evenly across it.
- GIF has a 256-color palette and can be much larger than a modern video at comparable quality.
MCP authoring
- Create with create_node { type: "videoToGif" }.
- Connect exact handles with connect_nodes when the node has more than one input or output.
- Set the complete control bag described by this article before run_node; set_props shallow-merges node data, so replacing a nested bag requires every value you want to keep.
Video to GIF controls and presets
- Add path: Flowgen → Add → Video & Motion → AI Edit → Video to GIF.
- Card: PureOpNode.
- Properties: Card-owned operation controls; common properties shell.
- Controls: FPS; Width; Maximum frames; Trim start/end; Loop.
- Opened surfaces: GIF preview; download.
Tips
- Test the operation on one representative asset before placing it inside a List iteration.
- Keep the untouched source upstream so the operation can be changed or bypassed later.
- Judge edges and color at the intended delivery size as well as at full preview size.
Limitations and important notes
- GIF is limited to 256 colors and has no efficient photographic compression.
- The width setting will not enlarge a smaller source.
- Headless/server-only Flowgen runs cannot perform this browser operation.
Troubleshooting
The animation skips moments
Raise Maximum frames or lower FPS/shorten the trim span; long requests are sampled evenly when capped.
FAQ
Does this open the full Image Editor?
No. This is a focused Flowgen node. Use Image Editor when you need layers, selections, paint, paths, or several edits in one document.
Can I use it in a List iteration?
Yes. Wire the current row field into the typed input, collect the exact output handle, and test one row before scaling the run.