XCF to 3G2

How to Convert XCF to 3G2 Online

1. Upload Your XCF Files: Drag and drop or click "Add Files" to select GIMP project files (.xcf). Flatten layered projects in GIMP first (Image → Flatten Image, then re-save the .xcf) — a multi-layer XCF is read as a multi-page image and a single layer is encoded, not the merged canvas. Batch upload is supported — every file becomes one rendered frame, sequenced into the output video.
2. Pick Merge strategy and Image Duration: Choose "Merge images" to combine all uploads into one 3G2, or "Video per image" to emit a separate file per XCF. Set Duration (default 5 seconds per frame) — 3 seconds suits MMS thumbnails, 5–10 seconds suits a slideshow. Pick a Background Color (default White) for canvas areas the image does not cover after letterboxing.
3. Tune Quality Preset and Video resolution (optional): Quality Preset defaults to "Very High (Recommended)" — drop to High or Medium to shrink files for legacy phones. For finer control switch to Constant Quality (CRF), Constraint Quality, Constant Bitrate, or Variable Bitrate. Pick a Preset Resolution (176×144 QCIF for MMS, 320×240 QVGA for older feature phones, 480p for newer CDMA handsets) or enter custom Width × Height.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. Encoding runs on our servers — no sign-up, no watermark, files are deleted automatically after a few hours.

Why Convert XCF to 3G2?

XCF (eXperimental Computing Facility) is GIMP's native project format, released December 15, 1997 and named after UC Berkeley's eXperimental Computing Facility where GIMP began. It preserves layers, masks, channels, paths, guides, selections, and transparency — everything you need to keep editing — but no general-purpose video player or phone reads it. 3G2 is the 3GPP2 mobile container (initial spec January 2004) built for CDMA2000 networks; it shares the same ISO base media structure as 3GP but is tuned for narrower bandwidth and uses CDMA-family audio codecs (EVRC, QCELP, SMV).

Converting XCF to 3G2 turns your GIMP work into a video clip a legacy CDMA-era phone or archival player can decode:

• Restoring a CDMA-era device or museum exhibit — A working RAZR, LG Chocolate, or BlackBerry running on a vintage carrier emulator only accepts 3GP/3G2; 3G2 with H.263 or MPEG-4 Part 2 video at 176×144 plays natively.
• MMS-format slideshow archive — MMS payloads historically capped near 300 KB and were often delivered as 3G2 on Verizon and Sprint. Re-encoding old design comps into 3G2 keeps the bitstream era-accurate for archival reproduction.
• Lightweight handset demo or kiosk loop — 3G2 at QCIF/QVGA stays under 1 MB per minute, useful for embedded ARM kiosks or older infotainment systems that ship with 3GPP2 decoders but not modern HEVC.
• Animation reels from layered art — Stack multiple XCFs (one per keyframe), choose "Merge images" with a 1/2-second to 2-second Duration, and you get a hand-paced animation sequence in a phone-friendly container.
• Preserving GIMP work in a deliverable container — Recipients who do not have GIMP cannot open .xcf; rendering to 3G2 produces a self-contained file that any 3GPP2-compatible player handles without exporting to PNG/JPG first. Flatten the project in GIMP before uploading and the clip matches your canvas.

For most modern use cases (smartphones, web embed, social), XCF to MP4 is the better target. Pick 3G2 only when the destination genuinely needs a 3GPP2 container.

XCF vs 3G2 — Format Comparison

3G2 vs 3GP — Container Quick Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Will 3G2 still play on a current Verizon phone?

No. Verizon retired its 3G CDMA network on December 31, 2022, and modern Verizon LTE/5G handsets do not ship with mandatory 3GPP2 decoders. The 3G2 file still plays in VLC, MX Player, and most desktop video players because they include MPEG-4/H.263 decoders, but native phone playback on the original target hardware is now an archival/legacy use case rather than a delivery format.

Are GIMP layers, paths, and masks preserved in the 3G2?

No — and they are not merged for you either, which is the part worth knowing. 3G2 stores flat frames, and a multi-layer XCF is read as a multi-page image, so a single layer is encoded rather than the composite GIMP shows on canvas. The other layers' artwork is missing from the frame and the regions they covered arrive transparent, which in a container with no alpha channel means they fall back to the Background Color you select (default White). Flatten in GIMP before uploading — Image → Flatten Image, then re-save the .xcf — and the frame matches your canvas exactly; a single-layer XCF is already fine as-is. Keep the layered original as your editable master.

What resolution should I pick for a CDMA-era device?

For genuine MMS or 2G/3G feature-phone targets, use 176×144 (QCIF) — that is the historical floor for 3GPP/3GPP2 video. For early-2000s CDMA smartphones (Treo 700w, BlackBerry 8830, original Droid era), 320×240 (QVGA) is safer. Newer 3G2-compatible Android handsets handle up to 480×854 or 854×480 without trouble. Anything above 720p defeats the format's purpose — at that point use XCF to MP4.

Should I pick H.263, MPEG-4 Part 2, or H.264 for 3G2?

H.263 has the broadest legacy compatibility — every CDMA2000 handset that decoded video at all decoded H.263 baseline. MPEG-4 Part 2 (Simple Profile) covers most mid-2000s phones. H.264 Baseline plays on newer handsets but is not guaranteed on early CDMA devices. xConvert defaults to a profile compatible with most 3GPP2 hardware; switch only if you know your target's spec sheet.

Why is the output White around my image?

3G2's video frame is rectangular at fixed aspect ratios (4:3 for QVGA/QCIF, 16:9 for 480p). When your XCF aspect does not match, the encoder letterboxes/pillarboxes the canvas — the leftover area uses the Background Color you selected. Pick a color that matches your design, or pre-crop the XCF in GIMP to the target aspect (4:3 = 1.333, 16:9 = 1.778).

Can I sequence multiple XCFs into an animated slideshow?

Yes. Upload all the frames you want, set Merge strategy to "Merge images," and pick an Image Duration (1/24 second up to 10 seconds per frame). Order follows upload order. For an actual hand-animated look, use 1/12-second or 1/24-second Duration; for a presentation-style slideshow, 3–5 seconds reads better.

Is 3G2 the same as 3GP — can I just rename the file?

No. They share the ISO base media file structure but the brand atoms (ftyp) differ (3g2a/3g2b/3g2c vs 3gp4/3gp5/3gp6), and 3G2 supports CDMA-family audio (EVRC, QCELP, SMV) that 3GP does not. Renaming may work in lenient players (VLC, MX Player) but fails on strict 3GPP2 decoders. If you need 3GP specifically, convert to 3GP rather than renaming.

Why would I pick 3G2 over MP4 today?

Almost never, unless you have a specific 3GPP2 target. MP4 (H.264 + AAC) plays on every smartphone, browser, and desktop OS shipped in the last 15 years. Pick 3G2 only for: archival reproduction of CDMA-era content, museum/exhibit hardware that strictly requires 3GPP2, embedded systems whose firmware ships only a 3GPP2 decoder, or compliance with a legacy spec. For everything else, XCF to MP4 or XCF to WebP (animated) is the better choice.

Does this work without installing GIMP?

Yes for the encoding — xconvert decodes .xcf on our servers, so you do not need GIMP, Seashore, or CinePaint installed to get a 3G2 out. The one job that still belongs to GIMP is compositing: a layered project is decoded as a multi-page image and one layer is encoded, so if your file has more than one layer you need to run Image → Flatten Image and re-save before uploading. A file that is already a single layer needs nothing at all. To export specific layers as separate stills, open in GIMP first or use a static export like XCF to PNG.