Real-Time Animation with Adobe Character Animator: Animate characters in real time with webcam, microphone, and custom actions
- Length: 302 pages
- Edition: 1
- Language: English
- Publisher: Packt Publishing
- Publication Date: 2022-12-23
- ISBN-10: 1803246944
- ISBN-13: 9781803246949
- Sales Rank: #3554774 (See Top 100 Books)
Build real-time animations without expensive equipment using this quick how-to guide printed in full-color
Key Features
- Get the hang of enhancing and polishing character rigs
- Create quick and effective animations for business or entertainment without having to delve into all the intricacies of the craft
- Create triggers to customize your animated experience
Book Description
Adobe Character Animator is a power app for non-animators that provides easy rigging and easy-to- understand tools that enable you to create entertainment or business videos in no time.
This guide to Character Animator gives you a comprehensive overview of the app, helping you learn the entire process―from importing a character designed in Adobe Photoshop to animating a sequence. Complete with background art, multiple character rigs and Character Animator project files, this book will show you how to animate a scene in Character Animator from start to finish.
Starting with a character PSD from another artist, you’ll organize and condense the file to prepare it for rigging and animation. From there, you’ll systematically rig the character while exploring advanced behaviors and triggers to animate a complex scene that takes advantage of the app’s best features.
By the end of this book, you’ll be able to create appealing animations in Character Animator for any purpose.
What you will learn
- Assemble rigs in Photoshop for Character Animator
- Add tags, handles, draggable limbs, swap sets, and physics effects
- Use a webcam and microphone for lip-syncing, head turns, and other real-time actions
- Work with multiple characters, scene layers, and audio files
- Add loopable motions such as walk cycles
- Record a short animation for export
Who this book is for
If you are a beginner in animation and looking to get up and running quickly by creating your own animated scenes, this is the book for you. With just basic computer knowledge and a webcam and microphone connected, you’ll be able to follow along effectively. Although not a prerequisite, knowing the principles of animation or having any history with other animation software will be helpful.
Cover Title Page Copyright and Credits Dedicated Contributors Table of Contents Preface Part 1: Preparing Character Art for Rigging Chapter 1: What You Need to Know Before Rigging and Animating System requirements for Character Animator Downloading Character Animator Character Animator Pro versus Starter Calibrating equipment in Character Animator Creating a new project Saving project versions Loading and renaming project versions Testing your webcam Testing your microphone Playing with samples and the characterizer Playing with a sample rig Recording animation Animating with Characterizer Summary Chapter 2: Comparing Adobe Character Animator to Other Animation Apps What is Adobe Animate? Brief history of Adobe Animate The strengths of Adobe Animate Using Animate with Character Animator productions What is Adobe After Effects? A brief history of Adobe After Effects The strengths of After Effects Using After Effects with our Character Animator productions Other popular animation apps Summary Chapter 3: Preparing a Character Rig in Photoshop Designing your character Streamlining and renaming layers Creating a character group Removing unneeded layers Merging and renaming the limbs Reorganizing the eye layers Organizing with normal and independent groups Creating main groups Adding eyebrow phases Arranging the eye groups Separating out the hair Cleaning up PSD layers Summary Part 2: Rigging Character Art for Animation Chapter 4: Importing and Tagging Your Character Technical requirements Adjusting the rig in Character Animator Importing Chaz into Character Animator Making layer changes in Character Animator Creating PSD versions Tagging the head and mouth Switching the tag view Understanding left and right tags Tagging head layers Tagging mouth layers Tagging the body layers Summary Chapter 5: Creating Control Handles and Behaviors Technical requirements Adding modifiers for mouse control Adjusting the layer and mesh properties Adding draggers and fixed modifiers Linking Independent groups Assigning layers as Independent Welding Independent groups to the body Refining limbs with the stick tool Adjusting limb rotation Summary Chapter 6: Physics, Behaviors, and Meshes Technical requirements Adding physics and danglers Modifying universal behaviors Creating layer-specific behaviors Refining animation with meshes Summary Chapter 7: Assigning Mouths and Props with Triggers and Swap Sets Technical requirements Creating triggers for props Importing props Creating triggers Creating swap sets for hands Further exploring triggers and swap sets Creating visual controls for triggers Other tips for using triggers and swap sets Summary Chapter 8: Refining Layers and Exploring Optional Rig Features Technical requirements Animating eyelids Importing a character with eyelids Tagging the eyelids Animating breathing and jaw animations Implementing head turns Tagging the head phases Testing the head turns Summary Part 3: Animating and Refining Your Scene Chapter 9: Working with Preset Actions Technical requirements Creating a walk cycle Modifying a walk cycle Mixing actions on the timeline Summary Chapter 10: Animating a Simple Sequence Technical requirements Assembling the set Importing the background assets Getting started with building the set Positioning the characters in the scene Importing and positioning Chaz Importing and positioning the alien guest Recording dialogue Using a screenplay or outline Recording Chaz’s dialogue in real time Importing and lip-syncing the alien’s dialogue Summary Chapter 11: Rearranging, Polishing, and Enhancing Our Sequence Technical requirements Using PNG sequences for external animations Importing PNGs for the sequence Adding Cycle Layers behavior Adjusting the audience in the scene Adding more character actions Adjusting the alien’s gaze Setting automatic blinks for the alien Adding arm movement to the alien Arranging character actions in sequence Correcting flaws and enhancing animations Summary Chapter 12: Exporting, Editing, and Sharing Your Character Animator Sequence Technical requirements Export options in Character Animator Setting export duration How to export files Exporting Character Animator scenes as videos Editing in After Effects with Dynamic Link Why use After Effects? Importing and understanding Dynamic Link Layering Adding special effects Adding camera features Editing in Premiere Color grading and filters Summary Chapter 13: Additional Character Animator Tools and Features Technical requirements Puppet Maker Character Animator scene cameras Tracking body animations Tracking body turns Using the Stream workspace Summary Index Other Books You May Enjoy
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