Automating Movement and save as Ani-Gif

[allstar]

The extend of my experience with 'animation' is ImageReady and Win Movie Maker and for what I have in mind neither are suitable.

I want to make an animated gif, in it a layer moves over a set time. For example move a circle 200 pixels right in 2 secs. If I were doing it in ImageReady I'd move the circle 4 pixels capture a frame and repeat 50 times. A slow and hard way. :(

However I don't want to do this manually for 20 objects with variable distances. All I need is a pointer in the right direction to find the program or menu option to let me do this, preferably it be an Adobe product.

Mucho Gracias.

[blueocto]

Would it not be easier to create it in Flash?