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By fergus - 17 Years Ago
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hi there -- having lots of fun with the new crazytalk 6 Pro
however, I'm a little puzzled as to how to use the Comic Characters that came with the program.
what I'd like to do is set up to have a conversation between a couple of the characters but I cannot figure out how to add more than one character to the stage
can anyone help please?
Fergus
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By Peter (RL) - 17 Years Ago
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Hi Fergus, Take a look at the tutorial video linked below. This takes you through setting up a multicharacter project. http://www.reallusion.com/reallusiontv/VID/Tutorial/ct6multi.html This should help you get started.
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By fergus - 17 Years Ago
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wow, Peter -- that was a very fast reply!
however, the video tutorials you suggest reinforces my concern that the only way to get multiple characters into crazytalk is to have them in a single image
What I am wanting to do is to take the Comic Characters provided individually and put a number of them on to the stage
I'm guessing there might be a way to get the character outlines and put them into a single file using a graphics program and then reimport them into crazytalk and then make them into multiple characters, but that would seem a very long way 'round - and I'd lose the facial alignments built into them already
what I would like to do is simply to drag them down onto the stage as characters - can you think of any way to do this?
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By AverageJoe - 17 Years Ago
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I watched that tutorial, and completely understand it. However, in my CT6, when I create a new project, then go to Models, and look in the templates, each of the four comic characters from the "Animated Comics" project are available, as individual elements/models.
So from a blank project, there's no way to use more than one of these model templates? How would I use all of them from a new blank project? I don't think I can. I think I have to load the "Animated Comics" project, and delete everything in it except the models, then work on anew project from there, correct?
I understand how to bring in my own image, and isolate the characters out for a multiple character movie, but this must be done from the beginning each and every time, right? I cannot save out individual characters from a multiple person image, then start a new project and combine those individual models into a new multi-model project, right?
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By Peter (RL) - 17 Years Ago
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wizaerd (7/6/2009)
So from a blank project, there's no way to use more than one of these model templates? How would I use all of them from a new blank project? I don't think I can. I think I have to load the "Animated Comics" project, and delete everything in it except the models, then work on anew project from there, correct?
If you wish to have just the basic characters from the Animated Comics project ready for you to work on your own project then you can do this. Just load the project, switch to Model and then click Add to add the characters to your custom model folder. Once saved they can be loaded in all ready to use in your own work.
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By fergus - 17 Years Ago
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Thanks for this Peter, but I must be missing something. I've done what you suggest and have 2 of the comic characters in the customer folder. But I still can't apply more than one at the same time. If I select both then Apply doesn't highlight, if I selected one and apply, it replaces the one I've already loaded. What am I missing?
I think that wizaerd is asking a slightly different question - one about the animated example. I'm asking about the extra package of cartoon heads that I got with my CT6 Pro - they sit under model in the comic character specimen folder.
Fergus
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By AverageJoe - 17 Years Ago
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I think we might be talking about the same thing,, but approaching it differently.
You wish to use multiple models in a single project. Your models will come from add on packs. I wish to also use multiple models in a single project, but instead of from an add on pack, they are included with CT6. But our question remains the same, regardless of where the models come from. You cannot drag and drop multiple models into a single project. You will have to somehow create an image that has all the "heads" on it, and create the necessary facial fittings to separate and animate them.
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By fergus - 17 Years Ago
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wizaerd, I think you may be right.
It would be such a good functionality - and I think that the program must already have nearly everything it needs to be able to do it since it can animate 4 characters from a single image independently. It then needs to be able to allow the user to access those independent characters through the stage/script interface.
Perhaps, Peter, this could be a feature request for future upgrades?
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By djps55 - 17 Years Ago
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i was getting ready to ask same question,thanks for the info
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By Peter (RL) - 17 Years Ago
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Remember you are working with 2D images here. If you have an image editor such as Photoshop then you can very quickly add your individual characters into one single image before loading it into Crazytalk 6. The whole process should take no longer than 10 minutes and you will have more options available to you in laying out your scene.
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By fergus - 17 Years Ago
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Peter,
Fully agree that is the work around. When I next get time to play, that's what I'll do. And yes, it is fairly simple to get multiple images into the program.
However, it would be really great to have a way to import figures separately - especially to take advantage of the pre-existing art in the add-in comic character packages with their preset face fitting and masking. Perhaps via a modified library. Perhaps in a future upgrade?
Anyway - thanks for your interest and responses.
Fergus
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By AverageJoe - 17 Years Ago
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Peter Edwards (7/15/2009)
Remember you are working with 2D images here. If you have an image editor such as Photoshop then you can very quickly add your individual characters into one single image before loading it into Crazytalk 6. The whole process should take no longer than 10 minutes and you will have more options available to you in laying out your scene.
But the problem is that the models that came with all the addon packs are individualized, and they're not available as images in order to pull into an image editor and create our own groupings. So how would I go about making an image that included 2 heads from the Comic Character addon? I would have to pull in a single head, export that out as an image or a still frame. Then import a new character and export that as a still frame. Then load up each image in an image editor, mask out the heads from the two individual images, and combine them into a new image. Then import that image into CT6, and re-fit the faces.
Seems like an awful lot of work to use pre-made characters from an addon pack that we all spent money on...
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By fergus - 17 Years Ago
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But the problem is that the models that came with all the addon packs are individualized, and they're not available as images in order to pull into an image editor and create our own groupings. So how would I go about making an image that included 2 heads from the Comic Character addon? I would have to pull in a single head, export that out as an image or a still frame. Then import a new character and export that as a still frame. Then load up each image in an image editor, mask out the heads from the two individual images, and combine them into a new image. Then import that image into CT6, and re-fit the faces.
Seems like an awful lot of work to use pre-made characters from an addon pack that we all spent money on...
I think I am a little bit more philosophical about it.
To my way of thinking, the current situation results from the evolution of the product: from being able to animate a single image on the page they have then added the ability to animate a number of them. What we now seem to be after, having observed the ability to take multiple faces from a single image, is the next logical step -- to allow those images to be imported independently.
For me, the major issue is not exporting images from CrazyTalk (functionality that already exists), but having to set up the face fitting again when it is already done very well in the Comic Characters originals. Peter is right in that it only takes a short time to export the images, combine them together and reimport them. But it is a fiddlier process to get the face fitting as good as the originals.
As I said before, I feel they must have nearly all the code already written to allow this to occur. What I am wondering is, if I am right about the coding, if such a change would be part of an ordinary upgrade, or if we would have to wait 'til a major revision.
I would be interested in knowing 2 things...
1) are other CrazyTalk users as interested in this as the 2 of us? (I note how many views this topic has had) -- perhaps others could chime in
2) what do the CrazyTalk programmers say -- how easy would this be to implement?
I might conclude by noting that the reason we're having this conversation is because CrazyTalk's multiple character implementation now offers so many possibilities that it is a shame to run into an unintended limitation. It's a great program! I have used it for advertising events within my church setting -- and with the ability to add multiple characters and animate within the program, I can see significant further uses not only to advertising but also for children's Ministry and for adult education.
Fergus
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By Peter (RL) - 17 Years Ago
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wizaerd (7/16/2009)
But the problem is that the models that came with all the addon packs are individualized, and they're not available as images in order to pull into an image editor and create our own groupings. So how would I go about making an image that included 2 heads from the Comic Character addon? I would have to pull in a single head, export that out as an image or a still frame. Then import a new character and export that as a still frame. Then load up each image in an image editor, mask out the heads from the two individual images, and combine them into a new image. Then import that image into CT6, and re-fit the faces.
Seems like an awful lot of work to use pre-made characters from an addon pack that we all spent money on...I really don't see it as a lot of work if you take into account that you already have the four crazy family members all together in one image already (or individually if you require them that way). If you clear the Animated Comics project of its script files and camera controls you then have the four characters already prepared with the fitting points done for you. You can then create your own project from scratch. If you only want two of the characters in your project just setup the camera controls so that only the ones you want are seen. Give it a try and see if this process works for your needs. :)
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By pickledmidget - 17 Years Ago
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maybe i missed something but on the animated family project they each move. like the little kid rotating to the left and to the right. when he does this i dont see the mom doing the same so how did they get the little boy to move by himself when all four of the family memebers are in one image. wouldnt they all move as one? if they are all on one image then how do you get one to move and the other not to? isnt that what the people in this topic are trying to acheive? im not sure if i am missing something or not. thank you
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By fergus - 17 Years Ago
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maybe i missed something but on the animated family project they each move. like the little kid rotating to the left and to the right. when he does this i dont see the mom doing the same so how did they get the little boy to move by himself when all four of the family memebers are in one image. wouldnt they all move as one?
if they are all on one image then how do you get one to move and the other not to?
isnt that what the people in this topic are trying to acheive?
im not sure if i am missing something or not.
bb23 - it's true for the animated family - and that's the genius of the new ability for CT to separate up to 4 characters out of a single image (the "bodies" can't be overlapping), after which they all can function independently.
But my point has been about the add-in Comic Character set which is an extra to CT6, and which features a number of great cartoon figures with face fitting already done. However, they are each a separate image and there is no current easy way use more than one of them and retain their exisiting face fitting. The work-around is to export the faces you want from CT, combine them in a single jpg and reload. This I've done and it works, but the drawback is you need to re-do the face-fitting.
Taking a wider view, it seems to me it would be great for CT to escape from the idea of a single image, and instead allow the building up of a library of characters that could be combined at will.
However, I'm repeating myself here. What do you think?
Fergus
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By AverageJoe - 17 Years Ago
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Peter Edwards (7/16/2009)
wizaerd (7/16/2009)
But the problem is that the models that came with all the addon packs are individualized, and they're not available as images in order to pull into an image editor and create our own groupings. So how would I go about making an image that included 2 heads from the Comic Character addon? I would have to pull in a single head, export that out as an image or a still frame. Then import a new character and export that as a still frame. Then load up each image in an image editor, mask out the heads from the two individual images, and combine them into a new image. Then import that image into CT6, and re-fit the faces.
Seems like an awful lot of work to use pre-made characters from an addon pack that we all spent money on...I really don't see it as a lot of work if you take into account that you already have the four crazy family members all together in one image already (or individually if you require them that way). If you clear the Animated Comics project of its script files and camera controls you then have the four characters already prepared with the fitting points done for you. You can then create your own project from scratch. If you only want two of the characters in your project just setup the camera controls so that only the ones you want are seen. Give it a try and see if this process works for your needs. :)
The Animated Comics example is just that an example, but the premise still applies if you want to use any of the individual character models in a multi-character movie.
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By pickledmidget - 17 Years Ago
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bb23 - it's true for the animated family - and that's the genius of the new ability for CT to separate up to 4 characters out of a single image (the "bodies" can't be overlapping), after which they all can function independently.
But my point has been about the add-in Comic Character set which is an extra to CT6, and which features a number of great cartoon figures with face fitting already done. However, they are each a separate image and there is no current easy way use more than one of them and retain their exisiting face fitting. The work-around is to export the faces you want from CT, combine them in a single jpg and reload. This I've done and it works, but the drawback is you need to re-do the face-fitting.
Taking a wider view, it seems to me it would be great for CT to escape from the idea of a single image, and instead allow the building up of a library of characters that could be combined at will.
However, I'm repeating myself here. What do you think?
Fergus Fergus, ive posted a few times about adding more than one character. i CAN NOT move each characters independently. i have 2 characters in one image. i add the image and when i move the one the other moves with it. what do i have to do? i dont understand. maybe i am missing something or just plain dumb. someone please help. one image, 2 characters, i want ot move each one independently like the family demo. thank you
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By fergus - 17 Years Ago
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bb23 - have you looked at the training videos? they are really helpful
start with
http://www.reallusion.com/reallusiontv/VID/Tutorial/ct6multi.html
and
http://www.reallusion.com/reallusiontv/VID/Tutorial/ct6background.html
and
http://www.reallusion.com/reallusiontv/VID/Tutorial/ct6timeline.html
the key ideas appear to be...
separate characters - transparent background and body areas not overlapping
script editing - you need a script to attach motion
keyframes - dbl-click the script, click in motion track (or whatever) then use keyframe editor
(an easy thing to miss is that you don't drag the image directly but by using the keyframe editor popup window - you select the type of key frame and drag within its window)
hope that helps
Fergus
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