How To Export Video From Character Animator

Setting up and animating a character couldn't be easier! In this tutorial, you will larn how to animate using Cartoon Animator and Later Effects.

What You lot'll Learn in This Blitheness Tutorial

Drawing Animatorhas all the tools necessary to create elementary to sophisticated bone rigs. Using 1 of Cartoon Animator's default characters, we'll show y'all step-by-step how to rig and breathing a second graphic symbol. Y'all'll acquire:

• How to utilise graphic symbol templates in Drawing Animator
• How to rig a graphic symbol for your animations
• How to import your animation in Adobe After Furnishings
• How to heighten the animation even further using Adobe After Effects, creating a looping background scene

In our next tutorials, nosotros'll explore how to make a talking avatar, how to create smooth head-turns, and how to animate any photograph.

What You lot'll Need

To follow along with this tutorial you volition need your own versions of Adobe Subsequently Effects and Cartoon Animator. You can download a free trial version for Cartoon Animator on the Reallusion Website.

You lot will also demand a scene. We used the following graphic packs from Envato Elements, click on the links to download them:

• Urban Landscape
• Cityscape

1. Create a Trunk Dummy

Before we brainstorm to create our ain custom graphic symbol, let's take a expect at the Content Manager within Drawing Animator. Hither we will exist able to browse through the library of grapheme templates, heads and torso shapes that we can employ as a starting indicate.

You lot tin can admission the Content Manager by going toWindow > Content Managing directoror by pressingF4on the keyboard.

Once you have access to the Content Manager, select thePlayertab and then selectTemplate.

From here you can scan through all the different types of characters, heads, body types and accessories that you lot can utilise for your blitheness.

To create a rig for your character we need to navigate toActor Template > Character > _G3 360 > 1_G3 360 Human being > Dummy for 3D Motionto admission all the available torso dummies that y'all tin can use.

From here y'all tin can choose the bending which fits closest to your character:

• Dummy_1 Front
• Dummy_2 Front Side
• Dummy_3 Side
• Dummy_4 Back Side
• Dummy_5 Back

For this example nosotros will be using a grapheme which is facing to the side at an bending, so let's apply Dummy_2 Front end Sideby clicking and dragging it into the scene.

Zero the Dummy

With the dummy selected, click on theZero Keypush at the top to make certain that it is on the scene route.

ii. Use the Composer Mode to Rig Character

To replace the sprites of the character we need to enterComposer Modepast clicking on the button near on thepinnacle left of the stage preview window.

Upon enteringComposer Modeyou will notice that the bones now appear on the Dummy. If they don't, y'all can click on the Show Bone check box to activate it.

Select the Hip Bone

Use the mouse to select theHip Bone, which will so be highlighted in a dark blue color. And so click on theSprite Editorbutton.

Within theSprite Editory'all'll come across what sprite has been assigned to the os that you accept selected (in this case the upper torso has been assigned to the hip os). We can at present replace this with our own images.

Click on theSupercede Current Spritebutton to replace the image.

Hip Replacement

Locate the hip of your new graphic symbol and click Open. Ideally your character should also be separated into unlike assets as well and then that it matches the dummy. Information technology too helps if you use the same naming convention as the Dummy Template. For case:

• Head
• Hip
• LArm
• LFoot
• LForearm
• LHand
• LShank
• LThigh
• RArm
• RFoot
• RForearm
• RHand
• RShank
• RThigh

Click the Open up button, this will replace the dummy hip sprite with your new hip sprite.

Repeat the steps for the basic that have been assigned to sprites in order to rig your graphic symbol. As you lot supervene upon each sprite you lot may need to make some adjustments to the basic or sprites (then that they fit) forth the way.

Preview

Once yous have finished importing all your grapheme assets, make sure to use thePreviewpush, located on the height toolbar. This will permit you to test your rig by moving each individual body function to make sure that it is all working correctly.

Return Back Stage

Once you are happy that your rig is working it's time to go back Back Phase then that nosotros tin can add some animations to your newly rigged character. Click on the Dorsum Phase button.

three. Add Animations to Your Character

To add a fix-fabricated animation to your fully rigged character, just go to the Content Manager and so select theAnimationtab to browse through the library of different animations yous can use. For this case nosotros volition utilize: Animation Template > Move > 1_G3 Human > _Turners_Female > Side > Run Fast(2L).

Add Blitheness

Utilise the mouse to click and drag the animation onto your rigged character. This will automatically start the animation. Otherwise you can merely click on the play push at the bottom of the screen.

four. Export to Adobe Subsequently Effects

Now that we have a fully animated character, it is time to take it into Adobe Later on Effects where we tin heighten the blitheness even further.

To practise this simply click on the Ae push button located on the top toolbar or go to Render > Consign to After Furnishings.

Install Script

From here y'all will need to click on theDownload Scriptbutton to download the script which you will next install in Adobe After Effects.

To install the file into Adobe Later on Furnishings, unzip the Zip file and then paste the fileCartoon Animator - AE Script (Beta).jsx into theScriptUI Panelsfolder, which is by default located at the following path:

• Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects <version>\Support Files\Scripts\ScriptUI Panels

• Mac: Applications/Adobe After Effects CC <version>/Scripts/ScriptUI Panels

If this folder does not be, and so create a binder with the proper nounScriptUI Panels.

Back in Cartoon Animator make certain that y'all have checked the following before you export:

1. Your character is selected underSelect Object(s): this is the character that you have created and animated in Cartoon Animator
2. Accommodate your Consign Settings, including the resolution and frame size
3. And finally you lot tin cull the export range to determine how much of your timeline you lot desire to consign into Adobe Later on Effects

Once you've checked through all the options click on theExportpush and choose a desired destination for your new Adobe After Effects file.

v. Add together a Background to the Animation

To import your blitheness into Adobe After Effects you lot need to go toWindows > Drawing Animator - AE Script (Beta).jsxwhich will open upwardly a new panel.

Click on theImport Project (JSON)push and locate the project location. Select the JSON file you exported from Cartoon Animator.

This will open upwardly the character running animation that we created in Cartoon Animator! Now we can treat this blitheness as if it were any other Later Effects project. For instance, let'southward add together a new groundwork into the projection.

Import New Background

Import a new background image into Subsequently Effects past clicking and dragging the paradigm into theProject Panelor by going toFile > Import > File.

Open the Scene Composition

Open up upward theScene Compositionby double clicking on it either in the Project Panel or in the currently open composition.

Hide Old Background

Hide the electric current background by clicking on theEye Iconnext to the background layer.

Supersede With New Background

Replace the background layer with the new one by clicking and dragging it into the limerick from the Project Panel.

Adjust and Position

Open the new layer to access the transform options so that you lot can edit the Scale and Position options if needed.

Resize and reposition the background until you lot are happy with the results!

half-dozen. Create a Moving Shadow

Create a Shadow

Create a shadow underneath the character by using theEllipse Tool (Q)and setting the Opacity to 20%. And then employ the post-obit color settings:

• R: twoscore
• Grand: 39
• B: 49

Now let's become the shadow to motility. Open up the Transformoptions for the shape layer and remove theConstrain Proportions link for the calibration properties. This will allow you to change one value without affecting the other.

Create Three Keyframes

Then create three Keyframes for calibration along the Timeline, placing each keyframe in conjunction with the characters movements if possible.

Go to the middle keyframe and use Calibration to reduce the width of the shadow so that information technology is smaller than the other two.

Retrieve to endeavor and time the keyframes with the graphic symbol animation.

Piece of cake Easing

Select all the keyframes and then printingF9to addEasy Easeto all the keyframes.

Loop the Animation

Now nosotros need to loop this animation. To practice this we are going to use aLooping Expression. This is done by holding theAltfundamental on the keyboard (Command central on Mac) and left-clicking the stop scout icon.

And so supplant the text with loopOut() to loop the calibration blitheness we created.

7. Create a Looping Groundwork Scene

Let's go the background to loop too.

Create aPrecompof the groundwork layer by correct-clicking it and selecting Pre-Compose.Make sure to selectMove all attributes to new composition.

Select theRegion of Interestbutton located between the 'Full' and 'Active Camera' drop downwardly menus at the bottom of the preview panel.

Then select the whole background by clicking and dragging the with mouse.

Crop Comp

Now go toComposition > Crop Comp to Region of Interest.

Create a Moving Groundwork

Go back to theScenecomposition and select the background pre-comp.

To create a moving background, add together an Offsetpreset to the groundwork pre-comp layer. To practise this just select the background layer and so go to Outcome > Distort > Offsetor blazon in Kickoff in theFurnishings and Presets console.

Make sure the timeline is set to the beginning of the animation and create a keyframe forShift Middle To.

Move forward a few frames in the timeline and using the mouse, click and drag the beginning value to move the background.

In society to loop the animation without whatsoever jumps it is important to input the same width value as the bodily background file itself. This can be found using theProject Panel and selecting the background paradigm.

In this case the width of our background is 7088 px then nosotros should input the same value for our keyframe.

Loop the Animation

At present we need to loop this blitheness. To practice this we are going to use aLooping Expression.

This is done by holding theAltkey on the keyboard (Controlcardinal on Mac) and left clicking the end picket icon. Then replace the text with loopOut() to loop the moving background blitheness you merely created.

Add Directional Mistiness

Y'all can too add some directional blur to the background by going toEffect > Blur and Acuminate > Directional Blur.Then set up the following:

• Direction: ninety Degrees
• Blur Length: 20

Crawly! You lot're Finished!

Congratulations! And that's how you can rig and animate a grapheme using Cartoon Animator and Adobe Afterward Effects!

Now that you are familiar with the techniques, why not experiment with dissimilar character designs or use another background paradigm? Once you have imported your animation into After Effects you lot can check out even more tutorials beneath and apply them to the projection.

In the concurrently, I hope you've found this tutorial useful and I'll see you next time, on Envato Tuts+!

Source: https://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-rig-animate-character-after-effects-cartoon-animator--cms-36803

Posted by: johnsonyoustion.blogspot.com

Share this post