Yet another blog

In order to show GIF images in Blackberry applications you have to disable exporting all images to png format. This can be done from JDE by right clicking the project and going to properties. In resources tab select “Don’t convert image files to png”.

Now add the gif image in the project. And add this class with your project.

/*   
* AnimatedGIFField.java  
*  
* © <your company here>, 2003-2008  
* Confidential and proprietary.  
*/ 
import net.rim.device.api.ui.UiApplication;   
import net.rim.device.api.system.GIFEncodedImage;  
import net.rim.device.api.ui.Graphics;  
import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.BitmapField; 
  
//A field that displays an animated GIF. 
  
public class AnimatedGIFField extends BitmapField 
{  
  private GIFEncodedImage _image;     //The image to draw.  
  private int _currentFrame;          //The current frame in                                        the animation sequence.  
  private int _width;                 //The width of the image                                        (background frame).  
  private int _height;                //The height of the image                                        (background frame).  
  private AnimatorThread _animatorThread; 
  
    public AnimatedGIFField(GIFEncodedImage image) 
  {  
      this(image, 0);  
  } 
  
    public AnimatedGIFField(GIFEncodedImage image, long style) 
  {  
      //Call super to setup the field with the specified style.  
      //The image is passed in as well for the field to  
      //configure its required size.  
      super(image.getBitmap(), style); 
  
        //Store the image and it's dimensions. 
      _image = image;  
      _width = image.getWidth();  
      _height = image.getHeight(); 
  
        //Start the animation thread. 
      _animatorThread = new AnimatorThread(this);  
      _animatorThread.start();  
  } 
  
    protected void paint(Graphics graphics) 
  {  
      //Call super.paint. This will draw the first background  
      //frame and handle any required focus drawing.  
      super.paint(graphics); 
  
        //Don't redraw the background if this is the first frame. 
      if (_currentFrame != 0)  
      {  
          //Draw the animation frame.  
          graphics.drawImage(_image.getFrameLeft(_currentFrame), _image.getFrameTop(_currentFrame),  
              _image.getFrameWidth(_currentFrame), _image.getFrameHeight(_currentFrame), _image, _currentFrame, 0, 0);  
      }  
  } 
  
    //Stop the animation thread when the screen the field is on is 
  //popped off of the display stack.  
  protected void onUndisplay()  
  {  
      _animatorThread.stop();  
      super.onUndisplay();  
  } 
  
    //A thread to handle the animation. 
  private class AnimatorThread extends Thread  
  {  
      private AnimatedGIFField _theField;  
      private boolean _keepGoing = true;  
      private int _totalFrames;     //The total number of                                        frames in the image.  
      private int _loopCount;       //The number of times the                                      animation has looped (completed).  
      private int _totalLoops;      //The number of times the animation should loop (set in the image). 
  
        public AnimatorThread(AnimatedGIFField theField) 
      {  
          _theField = theField;  
          _totalFrames = _image.getFrameCount();  
          _totalLoops = _image.getIterations(); 
  
        } 
  
        public synchronized void stop() 
      {  
          _keepGoing = false;  
      } 
  
        public void run() 
      {  
          while(_keepGoing)  
          {  
              //Invalidate the field so that it is redrawn.  
              UiApplication.getUiApplication().invokeAndWait(new Runnable()  
              {  
                  public void run()  
                  {  
                      _theField.invalidate();  
                  }  
              }); 
  
                try 
              {  
                  //Sleep for the current frame delay before  
                  //the next frame is drawn.  
                  sleep(_image.getFrameDelay(_currentFrame) * 10);  
              }  
              catch (InterruptedException iex)  
              {} //Couldn't sleep. 
  
                //Increment the frame. 
              ++_currentFrame; 
  
                if (_currentFrame == _totalFrames) 
              {  
                  //Reset back to frame 0 if we have reached the end.  
                  _currentFrame = 0; 
  
                    ++_loopCount; 
  
                    //Check if the animation should continue. 
                  if (_loopCount == _totalLoops)  
                  {  
                      _keepGoing = false;  
                  }  
              }  
          }  
      }  
  }  
}

This class will create a custom field type object. You can add it with a Screen type objects.

The following code will add a GIF image with a Screen type object

 
AnimatedGIFField testanimated= new AnimatedGIFField((GIFEncodedImage)(GIFEncodedImage.getEncodedImageResource( "loading2.gif" )),AnimatedGIFField.FIELD_LEFT); 
      //add(answer);  
      add(testanimated);
  

You are done. Let me know if you found any difficulties adding it.