animate.im6

animate.im6 [options] image-files...

-delay
    Sets the delay between frames in 1/100ths of a second. E.g., -delay 20 for 0.2 seconds.

-loop
    Specifies the number of times the animation will loop. A value of 0 means infinite looping.

-dispose
    Defines how the previous frame is treated before displaying the next one (e.g., None, Background, Previous).

-geometry
    Sets the initial size and position of the animation window (e.g., -geometry 640x480+10+10).

-backdrop
    Displays the animation on the X server root window (desktop background).

-verbose
    Prints detailed information about the image sequence being animated.

-window
    Displays the image in a specified X window by its ID.

-help
    Displays a summary of command-line options.

-version
    Prints the ImageMagick version number.

The animate.im6 command is a utility from the ImageMagick 6 software suite, designed to display a sequence of images as a continuous animation on an X Window System display.

It is commonly used to preview multi-frame image formats like GIFs, or to quickly view a series of individual image files as a slideshow or animation. Unlike ImageMagick's display command which typically handles single images, animate.im6 focuses specifically on temporal sequences.

Users can control various aspects of the animation, such as the delay between frames, the number of times the animation loops, and how frames are disposed. The .im6 suffix signifies that this is the version of the command specifically from the ImageMagick 6 distribution, distinguishing it from newer versions (like those consolidated under the magick command in ImageMagick 7). It's an invaluable tool for developers and graphic artists working with animations, offering a quick visual check of their work directly from the command line.

The animate.im6 command requires an active X Window System display environment to function, as it is a graphical utility. It cannot be used on headless servers or environments without a graphical interface.

Being part of ImageMagick 6, its behavior and available options might slightly differ from newer ImageMagick 7 installations, where the functionality is often accessed via magick animate.

As a graphical utility, animate.im6 must be run in an environment with an active X Window System display. It will not work in command-line-only or SSH sessions without X forwarding enabled.

The .im6 suffix explicitly indicates that this command belongs to the ImageMagick 6 branch. Newer systems might primarily use ImageMagick 7, where the equivalent functionality is often accessed through the unified magick command (e.g., magick animate).

The animate utility has been a core component of the ImageMagick software suite since its early days, providing an essential way to preview image animations. The .im6 suffix became common with the release of ImageMagick 7, which introduced a consolidated magick command and often installed its binaries alongside previous ImageMagick 6 versions. This naming convention (command.im6) allows systems to maintain compatibility with scripts or workflows dependent on ImageMagick 6 while also leveraging the capabilities of ImageMagick 7.

display(1), convert(1), identify(1), magick(1)