I have seen the effect in some tutorials but no actual information on how to accomplish this... \I want to make my animated characters have that ventriloquist dummy feel, like south park celebs with a jaw that automatically moves up and down... Any advice or a link or two to the solution would be appreciated...

This is typically called a jibjab style, and as far as I know, its not been done in CTA. I know people have done it in ToonBoom and Anime Studio Pro, but not CTA since it's more based on automatic lip synching.

You can do this using a Hybrid head. This uses a morph based head with sprite based elements such as the mouth. Please take a look at the Hybrid Mr Rosenberg found under Actor > Head > Human > Hybrid.

You can also see more about this in the help Guide HERE.

                                                                

Peter
Forum Administrator

www.reallusion.com

Adding a sprite based mouth onto an image had will not create the disconnected jaw that the OP was looking for. Unless you create a whole new sprite set where that is the intent. Adding a sprite mouth merely adds a "cartoon" mouth to the image head, and while that may be what you're looking for, it doesn't really coincide with what was asked for in the initial posting.

I watch South Park a lot, and I know what the OP is asking for, and adding a sprite mouth to an image mapped head is not it.

While it may not be the exact effect the OP is looking to achieve, the Hybrid character method can give a good "ventriloquist dummy" look which was mentioned.

Sometimes when you can't achieve exactly what you are looking for it is good to have a workaround that can meet you half way. It falls into the category "better than nothing".

                                                                

Peter
Forum Administrator

www.reallusion.com

So How Do I make a Hybrid Head?

Start with a Morph (Photo) based head, then go to "Character Composer" and add the Sprite based features overlaying the existing facial parts (eyebrows, nose etc.). You can resize and move the sprite parts as required.

                                                                

Peter
Forum Administrator

www.reallusion.com

Thank You for the feed back! I have been trying to play with the hybrid head, but I can't seem to get his mouth closed....I bought the "Common Folks Pack because it showed a video with JibJab type animation....And the clickable photo showed the body types with "frickin Heads"
Sorry I didn't see the fine print that said Heads not included......$%$^&%! so I load the ! Hybrid head on to the body and of course it doesn't work.......Help???? I am doing a commercial for a friend and we both thought "common folks would work.....Even if I add animation"default " mind you to the body the mouth Just hangs open..it moves, but is stuck open?? Please Help..
As support sent me Here Imagine that......

Sorry for the rant..Just Frustrated..it appears the sprites are there in the hybrid head Just behind the morph head..am in composer but dont see the layer editor in composer? Help!!!

Here is an Image I get from the hybrid Guy "the only one!" attached to my Power Pack Common Folks!.... I cannot for the life of me get the mouth in front of the morph Head....