TalkPHP - Help finding the best approach in displaying an image that a script generates

Hello all,

I'm still new at php and could use a little guiadence. I trying to put together a php or html page. The page will have three frames and one fram is gif that updates every 2-3 minutes. I've put a little script to dump a gif locally on the server and then I was planning on calling the gif. The problem I'm running into is that the script takes a little time to generate the gif and when it goes and grab the gif its an out-dated one. So, I'm behind every time I refresh the page. Should I just shoot the gif onto the page and not save it directly? If so, how? Below is the script I have.

Many thanks in advance!!

PHP Code:


		
			
<?php

resize("./", "http://images.wsdot.wa.gov/nwflow/flowmaps/sysvert.gif", "538", "./");

function resize($cur_dir, $cur_file, $newwidth, $output_dir)

{

$dir_name = $cur_dir;

$olddir = getcwd();

$dir = opendir($dir_name);

$filename = $cur_file;

$format='image/gif';

if(preg_match("/.jpg/i", "$filename"))

{

$format = 'image/jpeg';

}

if (preg_match("/.gif/i", "$filename"))

{

$format = 'image/gif';

}

if(preg_match("/.png/i", "$filename"))

{

$format = 'image/png';

}

if($format!='')

{

list($width, $height) = getimagesize($filename);

$newheight=$height*$newwidth/$width;

switch($format)

{

case 'image/jpeg':

$source = imagecreatefromjpeg($filename);

break;

case 'image/gif';

$source = imagecreatefromgif($filename);

break;

case 'image/png':

$source = imagecreatefrompng($filename);

break;

}

$dimg = imagecreatetruecolor(640,538);

imagealphablending($dimg, false);

$source = @imagecreatefromgif("$filename");

imagecopyresized($dimg, $source, 0,0,0,438, $newwidth, $newheight, $width, $height);

$filename="$output_dir/test1.gif";

@imagegif($dimg,$filename);

}

}

?>