gif-for-cli is a command-line utility that converts animated GIFs and short videos into moving ASCII artwork. It uses text characters and ANSI escape sequences to reproduce the frames of the original media directly in a terminal.
The program is useful for decorative terminal displays, animated login messages and demonstrations of character-based graphics. Its output can be adapted to the available terminal dimensions, while different rendering modes allow it to take advantage of colour-capable terminals.
gif-for-cli also supports retrieving animations through the Tenor GIF service, although this integration may no longer function reliably. The project’s source repository has been archived by Google.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Converts animated GIFs and short videos into animated ASCII artwork.
- Supports local files and remote media URLs.
- Queries the Tenor GIF API using search terms or GIF identifiers.
- Automatically detects the terminal’s colour capabilities.
- Supports monochrome, 256-colour and truecolour output.
- Uses ANSI escape sequences for animation and colour rendering.
- Allows the output width and height to be adjusted.
- Supports continuous playback or a specified number of animation loops.
- Caches generated ASCII artwork to avoid unnecessary conversion.
- Exports converted animations as GIF files.
- Cross-platform support – runs on Linux and macOS.
Website: github.com/google/gif-for-cli
Support:
Developer: Google
License: Apache License 2.0
gif-for-cli is written in Python. Learn Python with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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|---|---|
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Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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