Thanks for the feedback. For users coming from CrazyTalk 6 there is a steeper learning curve with CrazyTalk Animator for sure. I would keep an eye on the growing number of video tutorials that are appearing for CTA. I think these will help explain the amazing features and power that CTA possesses. :)

                                                                

Peter
Forum Administrator

www.reallusion.com

Yes, the new video tutorials are VERY helpful, thank you!

Another training help I finally discovered are the sample projects under the project tab. Because, those allow you to see what's happening on the timeline, and move back and forth through the process.

Couple of small things: wish I had a human female character wearing a pantsuit or slacks. Have tried creating one but not too successful.

So, would be great to be able to move the legs from a male character, e.g. to a female, such as in the human character pack the businessman to businesswoman. In fact, would be great to be able to interchange parts -- maybe it already is, in the sprite editor, but haven't discovered how to use parts from one character on a different character.

Otherwise, have to do a lot of work with Photoshop to create something that works. Via launch, but it's very time-consuming.

In general, I'm much more interested in realistic photo characters than in traditional cartoon characters which is why I'm no longer spending time with Anime.

You can certainly mix and match parts of a CTA character. That is a big feature of the software.

To do for the human characters, load up Sally from Actor - Character - Human.

Switch to Composer Mode, then to Body - Lower - Human and load Mr Rosenberg's pants.

Now you will just need to tweak the sizes of the various parts until you get a good fit. That's it. :)

                                                                

Peter
Forum Administrator

www.reallusion.com

Wow! that's a great relief! And I had just a few minutes ago discovered that while looking into how to create a new prop sprite by importing multiple media, but haven't solved that one yet-- wow, I'm sllllooooowwwww.

after 3 months of using CTA and hours of reading and watching in my opinion unclear manuals and not very user friendly videos and constant practice along with the constant program crashes. i'm giving up before my sanity does.
but I'm sure in a couple of versions down the road it will be a great program

master of the afternoon nap

Sorry to hear that Flatcap. Which particular areas of CrazyTalk Animator are you having problems with? Perhaps we can help guide you through any sticking points.

Also If you are having technical issues with crashing then why not contact Reallusion Support who will gladly try to resolve these issues for you. Please use the link below if you would like to contact Support.

http://www.reallusion.com/CustomerSupport/User/QForm.aspx

                                                                

Peter
Forum Administrator

www.reallusion.com

Hi Peter,
i think my main problem is with sizes which i think is causing the crashes
as a cartoonist i am only interested in creating my own characters to animate which is causing problems
although i have read all the help files and white papers i'm finding it difficult to create my own actors and bring them in to CTA and in my opinion the help files and white papers are not clear or precise enough for a complete novice.
for example the white papers say
actor head 750px750p
actor body size 1000x1000 is that the size for upper torso or the lower torso as well?
the hands 200x200 that is all the info i can find so what about leg and arm segments and feet. at the moment i'm guessing the sizes which is i assume the problem for my persistent crashes.
Or am i supposed to open a certain size canvas in png and draw all the body segments on to one canvas and then cut each one out to a new layer?
I made my first actor after coming across a video adding parts to the black dummy unfortunately there was no audio to the video with specific information on body part sizes
so i guessed the sizes and managed to build an actor in between crashes i'd add a part and if the program did not crash i'd save until eventually i got all the parts in. So it does seem to me every body part must be of a specific size

since then i tried to build another actor by using the dummy with no success. So back to the help files and eventually found 3 ways of making a sprite
but once more i have problems
1. loading media to create sprite
tried and followed instructions but nothing happens except folder with the body parts i created on my hard drive opens.
from instructions on help i think what should happen is a folder in CTA should open as well for me to drag my files in to. Which then will create a sprite not sure whats happening there
2 using prop composer to make sprite
can't do that as the button i need to press is greyed out? and i have followed the correct procedures as described in help
had a bash with character composer in the early hours of the morning with some success although eddie is a bit distorted fro0m the body parts i've added but i think that will be fixed by repositioning the pivot points. But using eddie as a template will that restrict the body types i like to draw. i lik a tubby cartoon character but will that cause problem using a skinny eddie for a template?
All in all i think CTA is great and i don't have a problem with spending hours reading help files, but it is frustrating to lose hours looking only to find the info you need is not there or its unclear.
I brought this program for my business as i have been asked to animate some customers caricatures. from a business point of view this could be lucrative.
But i'm not an animator so cta will eventually be perfect for someone like me to build an animation quickly and efficiently by dipping in to help files when needed and finding solutions. so i can turn out cost effective work
but i think that will be a bit down the road. so cta will be on the back burner for me for a while.
trouble is its so addictive i've lost count of the days and hours i've lost messing with cta instead of working
best wishes




master of the afternoon nap

Hi Flatcap

Thank you for sharing more information on the problems you are having.

The sizes given in the white paper are the recommended minimums to maintain good quality at various levels of zoom. It is not essential to use exactly these sizes but it is a good guideline to follow.

When it comes to the crashing you get when using large size images then I really do think you should contact Support as I mentioned previously. You should not be getting crashes like this. I have been working today with some vector based characters using body parts of 1500 x 1500 and have not encontered any crashes at all using these sizes.

When you are adding parts to your character, say for example using the black dummy as a template, you would select the body part, open the Sprite Editor and then choose Replace. This will then open the Windows Open explorer for you to browse to the folder where you have your images stored. Simply find your body part image you want to add and then click Open.

Which button is greyed out? When you are working in Character Composer you only need to select the individual body part and select the Sprite Editor to begin replaceing parts.

Very importantly when you have selected the part you want to replace and choose Open it will most likely appear in Composer the wrong size and wrong rotation. You should make all the rotation adjustments to the part before you close the Sprite Editor. You won't be able to roate the part after you close the Sprite Editor.

So from reading through your description of the problems it really seems that it is purely down to a lack of experience with the software rather than a failure of CTA to be able to achieve what you want to do with it.

I really would advise you to stick with it. Please try watching all the video tutorials available again, pausing and stoping so you can try each part. With practice I do believe you will soon get the hang of it.

I would also ask that if you get stuck at various points, please post a question here on the forum and I will gladly try to help further.

Thanks again for taking the time to provide the feedback. I appreciate it. :)

                                                                

Peter
Forum Administrator

www.reallusion.com

thanks peter, for your reply i've also contacted support
i don't think i explained very well about one of the the ways of making a sprite so i have posted screenshots of the type of sprite i was trying to make from help files and also the button i mentioned that is permanently greyed out i will post in the main forum
thanks for all the help you have given me

master of the afternoon nap

If you guys want to teach us to get the most use out of this program then teach us step by step in the construction of character bodies using different clothes (shirts, pants, shorts, etc.) Then teach us how to create arms and legs for the short sleeved shirts and shorts. Where do the arms and legs come from when wanting to design these types of bodies? Can you guys design various human arms and legs for us to use with the program?

HELP US PLEASE!!!! I'm finding this aspect frustrating and hard to do.

Thank you in advance for any and all help.

Rick Owens