Technical Book Animated Diagrams

jonpiper · May 12, 2013

I would like to include a couple of animated diagrams in a book that explains what the economy is and how it works. Is anyone familiar with such diagrams and how they are created?

Has anyone proposed or completed a book with animated diagrams? Who creates the animation? Do I just draw the diagram and describe what the diagram should do?

Wendy Jenae · May 17, 2013

I'm a bit confused.

When I think "animated", I think of a series of drawings that are pieced together to create a moving picture.

If you're putting a diagram in a book, wouldn't it be a static image and not something animated?

If you are referring to an illustrated diagram--as in an image that someone has drawn--then I would suggest going to a Web site like Elance.com and posting a job there explaining that you're looking for an illustrator or graphic artist to create an illustration.

I have worked with graphic artists to create one-of-a-kind illustrated graphics. I found, the best way to convey my vision for the graphic was to either draw a rough sketch or to find other graphics that were similar to what I wanted and explained the same features I wanted and what I needed to be different.

veinglory · May 17, 2013

Given that the key formats for ebooks (as sold by the major ebook retailers) do not support animation you would be drastically reducing your market reach by insisting on this feature.

jonpiper · May 18, 2013

Wendy Jenae said:
I'm a bit confused.

When I think "animated", I think of a series of drawings that are pieced together to create a moving picture.

If you're putting a diagram in a book, wouldn't it be a static image and not something animated?

To illustrate what I mean, here's a link to an animated diagram I found when I googled animated diagrams in books. http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es1103/es1103page01.cfm

My proposed book contains a static diagram illustrating fourteen major flows of money, e.g., government spending, taxes, and incomes between sectors of the economy. I would like my diagram to become animated in the sense that the various flows would actually move.

The reader could increase or decrease any of the flows and the diagram would show the effects of these changes on the other flows.

If a picture is worth a million words, an animated picture is worth a hundred million words.

jonpiper · May 18, 2013

veinglory said:
Given that the key formats for ebooks (as sold by the major ebook retailers) do not support animation you would be drastically reducing your market reach by insisting on this feature.

I didn't realize that; however, I understand that many textbooks and technical books contain animated diagrams, probably CD or DVD versions.

I guess I'll have to do some research. I was hoping someone here is familiar this.

alleycat · May 18, 2013

You can create animated images using the gif file format. You can do it with free software such as GIMP (I can tell you exactly how if you'd like).

It sounds like the diagrams you need are fairly simple.

veinglory · May 18, 2013

I am sure some do. But in the course of my work I have yet to come across one. If you can find one that is a good seller I suggest you do what they did. In my experience people do not by ebooks on disk. One of my publishers offered this option but discontinued it due to lack of demand.

JournoWriter · May 18, 2013

You want to think about interactive diagrams, not animated. One option: Find a web programmer and create the interactives on the book's website as a bonus feature.

The reader could increase or decrease any of the flows and the diagram would show the effects of these changes on the other flows.

Wendy Jenae · May 18, 2013

One option: Find a web programmer and create the interactives on the book's website as a bonus feature.

That's an excellent idea. The illustrations could really come to life on a Web site and have much more impact if they were interactive and on the Web.

The important thing is to have your book be in formats that many people can easily access.

If you give bonuses on a Web site, they will check them out.

Deleted member 42 · May 19, 2013

You could certainly do this in Apple's iBooks Author, but that would limit your book to the iPad.

ePub as a file format can handle annotations in the form of mp3 files; you'd need to have stringent QA for each vendor and customize the file for each vendor/retailer/platform.

The irony of this is we did this all the damn time with HyperCard at Voyager.

jonpiper · May 19, 2013

Thanks, everybody for your inputs.

JournoWriter, you're right when you said, "You want to think about interactive diagrams, not animated."

I want the reader to interact with the diagram and cause the diagram to change.

So, for my proposal, what does everyone think about my including a static diagram and describing what the diagram shoud do rather than including a working interactive diagram--which is beyond my ability to create?

Wendy Jenae · May 19, 2013

So, for my proposal, what does everyone think about my including a static diagram and describing what the diagram shoud do

Why not have a series of static diagrams (2-4) showing the unfolding of the process you're illustrating?

jonpiper · May 20, 2013

Wendy Jenae said:
Why not have a series of static diagrams (2-4) showing the unfolding of the process you're illustrating?

Good idea. That could work, along with the written description, for the proposal.

SophieB · May 25, 2013

Before you put all sorts of work into your book, remember that just because the epub standards say something is POSSIBLE with HTML5 or scripting doesn't mean all e-readers support it. You don't want to go to all the trouble and then realize that a lot of your audience won't benefit or, worse, be frustrated by the missing piece.
There's a good overview here :
http://www.jedisaber.com/eBooks/Introduction.shtml
OReilly labs has a list of other resources:

Technical Book Animated Diagrams

jonpiper

Wendy Jenae

Autonomous & Nocturnal

veinglory

volitare nequeo

jonpiper

jonpiper

alleycat

Still around

veinglory

volitare nequeo

JournoWriter

Just the facts, please

Wendy Jenae

Autonomous & Nocturnal

Deleted member 42

jonpiper

Wendy Jenae

Autonomous & Nocturnal

jonpiper

SophieB

Novels with a side of science.