Real-time animation with adobe character animator : animate characters in real time with webcam, microphone, and custom actions / Chad Troftgruben.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Troftgruben, Chad, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Characters and characteristics.

Digital cinematography.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (302 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Distribution:

London : Bloomsbury Publishing (UK), 2025.

Place of Publication:

Birmingham, UK : Packt Publishing, 2022.

System Details:

text file rdaft

Biography/History:

Troftgruben Chad: Chad Troftgruben is a freelance animator who has spent several years learning about animation software while working on personal and commercial projects. Chad has worked with several companies for over a decade creating e-learning content. Some of these companies are Smith Micro, Lost Marble, Virtual Training Company, Packt Publishing, Train Simple, and Pluralsight. Presently, Chad spends his time being a father and expanding his animation knowledge through the creation of original works. Chad also offers a series of animation video courses through Udemy, Skillshare, and his own website.

Summary:

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.

Contents:

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

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

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

Chapter 5: Creating Control Handles and Behaviors

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

Chapter 6: Physics, Behaviors, and Meshes

Adding physics and danglers

Modifying universal behaviors

Creating layer-specific behaviors

Refining animation with meshes

Chapter 7: Assigning Mouths and Props with Triggers and Swap Sets

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

Chapter 8: Refining Layers and Exploring Optional Rig Features

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

Part 3: Animating and Refining Your Scene

Chapter 9: Working with Preset Actions

Creating a walk cycle

Modifying a walk cycle

Mixing actions on the timeline

Chapter 10: Animating a Simple Sequence

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

Chapter 11: Rearranging, Polishing, and Enhancing Our Sequence

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

Chapter 12: Exporting, Editing, and Sharing Your Character Animator Sequence

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

Chapter 13: Additional Character Animator Tools and Features

Puppet Maker

Character Animator scene cameras

Tracking body animations

Tracking body turns

Using the Stream workspace

Index

Other Books You May Enjoy.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Chapter 8: Refining Layers and Exploring Optional Rig Features

ISBN:

9781803240565

1803240563

OCLC:

1354205516