Building A Puppet From Scratch - ARCHIVED (Adobe Character Animator Tutorial)

[@wazzamoose2103]

Might just add you are one of the smoothest flowing, clear, and time efficient KZbin presenters I have ever seen, Very Pro.

[@okaysamurai]

+Wazza Moose Thanks so much!

[@unfedkitten]

@@okaysamurai fr though, it was like an instant subscribe for me because your videos are so clean and thorough. This is awesome! Thanks!

[@dquinnster47]

Absolutely could not agree more. As a rookie, It's great to finally have videos that explain how and why things work.

[@CHACHILLIE]

I agree. This was the most useful straightforward tutorial I could find to get started

[@tutacgworks3284]

Too True

[@mcdirtking]

I didn't really know WHAT adobe character was until now, after seeing that the character reacts live to your movements is just unreal. This is amazing!

[@okaysamurai]

Thanks!

[@dio4254]

When I saw your haircut I immediately checked how old this video was😂. Love your content bro. Been following for like a week and watching you videos. They’re all helpful and perfectly explained

[@tookrowan7768]

For a first timer looking at Character Animator... this is the best Tutorial out there1

[@okaysamurai]

www.adobe.com/go/chtutorials is probably the best order to go in! This one is a little outdated now.

[@sototheshredder]

Cant wait to get started on our first cartoon! Thank you so much for this nice simple video! :)

[@whoozie]

You might not see this comment since this is after 7 years but, this helped me make my first ever cartoon guy...thank uu so much

[@deosi23]

2 years later and this is still remarkably succinct and helpful. Well done.

[@vivek-oraon]

This is just amazing I got more information from this software in 6 minutes video than any 1 hour video 👏👍

[@kikiyoinuyasha]

Nice , clean and not complicated. Thanks!

[@vaibhavgupta2249]

this is really helpful brother

[@RandomBros88]

Just learned about this program. Can I draw independent parts like the shape of the head or the nose? Because my characters have oddly shaped facial features lol.

[@okaysamurai]

Yep! Anything you make in Photoshop or Illustrator will show up. Any style works! kzbin.info/www/bejne/baHKnpKrabueh80

[@kaleighstabile1296]

thank you so much for this video, you saved me so much time trying to figure out how the app works!

[@LynneM888]

LOVE the paralax tip! I can't wait to go and try it. Thanks!

[@DirtTheGamer]

You... are an angel.

[@tauseefkhan3293]

amazing tutorial thanks

[@braincandytv]

Thanks so much for these tutorials. I can't wait to get started with this app for my educational videos for kids (a new webcam is in the mail since my PS3 camera isn't compatible with the app). Are you planning on making any more characters to sell to people or do you know of anyone selling pre-rigged characters for Adobe Character Animator? I can't seem to find any. I'll probably start by making one on my own with your great tutorials but it would be great to buy some more to save time if I want to add additional characters later on. Cheers, Michael

[@okaysamurai]

Thanks (and congrats on a great channel)! We definitely want a marketplace in the future, but for now your best bet may be to post in the official forums and see if there are any takers. I've seen that happen a few times now: forums.adobe.com/community/character-animator. There is also one company I know of who is starting to sell them: elearningart.com/ch

[@braincandytv]

Hey Dave, thanks so much for the reply and for taking the time to check out my channel. :) Thanks for the links as well. I guess Character Animator is still really new, so I'll create my own character for now using your great tutorials and sample characters as a guide and hopefully there will be a growing market for pre-designed characters soon that I can use for upcoming projects.

[@kannonwarren4517]

i know im asking the wrong place but does anyone know of a way to log back into an instagram account? I somehow lost my password. I would love any tricks you can give me.

[@parkerluis5343]

@Kannon Warren instablaster ;)

[@kannonwarren4517]

@Parker Luis I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and I'm waiting for the hacking stuff now. Seems to take a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@RCrosbyLyles]

Bravo! Well done!

[@MrStandingroom]

Hi, great video. I've done this but my drag able hooks seem to move my fixed torso (not preceded with a + ) I've got my body group with another group for hands and one for arms within it. Both are set to move independently and are preceded with the +. Any advice? Thanks

[@okaysamurai]

There is a more recent tutorial that goes into this more: check out the arms, legs & hands section. kzbin.info/www/bejne/laTQfYuFebmXbLcm7s. Follow that and you should be good to go.

[@blackcapdesign]

I am getting ready start building my first character tonight. Oh I can't wait! :)

[@mazthelion]

Wow this ist fantastic!!! I was searching for someone who knows an easy way how to animate characters, and this is fantastic! very very very helpfull! Thank you =)

[@Darkjuvex89]

This is amazing, I will want to try and make my own puppet. Great tutorial. Thanks!

[@csulbkccc]

Thank you so much for being awesome!! I really enjoy your tutorials and got to do some fun videos for my daughter~ Maybe I'll share with you when I'm finish~

[@okaysamurai]

Thanks! Yep, I use it with my kids a lot, they love it - please share anything you make!

[@csulbkccc]

+Okay Samurai For sure~ One question is how dues keyboard trigger works? The way I understand is it will make art appear but dues it mask the old art or replace the art? Also, I'm trying to create a wavy hair but when I try it just made the hair fall in straight line. I made the points right but was wondering if it works for wavy hair... Also, can you have hair front and back of the body? I know it has to have it on the head folder and I want to show the movement on the front and back. Thank you always~

[@okaysamurai]

There will be a tutorial about this soon, but basically select a layer in the puppet panel and look on the right properties - there's a space to input a trigger key. You can also choose to "hide siblings" - or not - which will determine if other art gets replaced or not. Not sure about the wavy hair issue, but dangle will have even more control and be easier in upcoming releases. Check out Julie in the linked example project for a character with back hair as well.

[@csulbkccc]

+Okay Samurai Can't wait to see more tutorial video on this program. I think I watch almost all the video on this program and want to learn more~ ^_^ Thank you always~

[@matthumphrey9475]

PERFECT video! Thank you, This tutorial = a flawless victory.

[@ashrathod6953]

Great tutorial. Helps so much. how do you add eye lids so that eye balls and pupils don't have to be to be a perfect circular shape?

[@okaysamurai]

+Ashvin Rathod Currently eyelids (of any size and shape) seem to work best on flat-shaded characters (see "Dude" and "Cameron" in the example file linked in the video description). I think there may be some ways to do stuff with masking for more complex characters, but honestly I haven't tried it yet! In the future we hope to give users even better control over eyelids, because they really do add a great level of expressiveness.

[@polbam704]

You make it look so easy.

[@franciskumtehlang6245]

Thanks a lot, you are a teacher indeed. I will keep watching your videos. when through with the project I am currently working on, I will follow my dream of producing educational animation. for kids.Thanks again.

[@isam_ii502]

Good Luck

[@SharynAlice]

That is my dream as well.

[@maartenblonk2838]

Thanks for the video! I needed this for a schoolproject! Thanks for helping out!

[@iLoveTurtlesHaha]

Holy shit, I didn't know this was a thing. So cool, I'm totally going to do this as my weekend warrior project. :D.

[@mhighton]

This tutorial is just the best! You have absolutely stopped me from throwing my computer through the window.

[@wazzamoose2103]

Fantastic, love it. thanks heaps. Had no idea this was so easy before.

[@FlamyREC]

0:56 okay... How do I import it then? you missed the most curcial thing -_-

[@okaysamurai]

File > Import in Character Animator. This is an older / archived video as well - check out the newer ones here: adobe.com/go/chtutorials

[@goldguru9018]

@@okaysamurai It show black screen on record mode after importing puppet ....can you help us how to solve if

[@Parrotillo]

Thank you so much for the explanation!! Pretty useful here. I just have one doubt about the lip sync, my character doesn't displays some letters like the "U" or "O" for some reason, instead it seems to detect the sound as an "M" and shows the wrong mouth frame. Does anyone know how to fix this?

[@okaysamurai]

You may want to play around with your lip sync settings to make it more sensitive and see if that helps. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZSchGlrj9NsjrM If the problem persists, please upload a problematic audio file and/or your File > Export > Puppet file to the official forums at adobe.com/go/chfeedback so we can take a closer look.

[@Parrotillo]

@@okaysamurai OMG IT WORKED!!! XD Thank you very much! I really really appreciate your help! :)

[@Lost_Dreemurr]

I've been wanting to make a short series but the characters I want to use don't have human-like proportions, is there a way I can make a puppet for non human like characters?

[@okaysamurai]

Of course! Any PSD or AI file can be turned into a puppet, and we have all kinds of non human characters at adobe.com/go/chexamples.

[@KirbyGreen]

There's a lot of things you are missing out in this video in terms of what tools you are using. What tool are you using to make that black box for the eyes? My character does not have it's eyes working at all in Character Animator. And I assume this is why.

[@okaysamurai]

This is a more comprehensive and updated rigging video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWqnnHh_jq9lotE

[@StevieTV253]

whatdo you export them as? i export as a png and when i open it it does not move

[@okaysamurai]

Best export path is File > Export > Video via Adobe Media Encoder. Will let you export into any video format you want.

[@bagonanime]

give us the mouth groups in the description...(link) thanks.

[@okaysamurai]

pages.adobe.com/character/en/resources

[@lars7282]

That was VERY helpful. Thank you from 🇩🇪

[@torontoinontario]

Great tutorial as usual. Thank you so much!

[@sheilainthelandscape105]

Anyone know if the ninja puppet was ever released?

[@jrjaxon]

Keep them coming! I learn so much from your videos!

[@Reino30]

When i move the arm of my character the head moves too, iv been trying to fix this for a long time but i still have no clue whats wrong, any guess ?

[@okaysamurai]

Your arm needs to be independent. Check out part 4 of the getting started video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXiudKpqm5aIqKs

[@Reino30]

@@okaysamurai Thx a lot, ill check it !

[@kardashevr]

Thank you very much for this one!

[@gehadbabukair6043]

Excellent, well presented and very useful. Loads of thanks.

[@austinf9239]

I understand why the origin layer has the square on the bottom right of the icon, because it was added when the pen tool made a shape point, but when you created the right blink how did that square get there?

[@okaysamurai]

Using any shape tool, from pen to rectangle/ellipse/etc, will create a "smart object" shape, which gets that little icon. It's not critical for making a CH puppet though - smart objects or raster layers are fine.

how do i get my eyeball pupil from floating out of the white eyeball part?

[@Larrythebassman]

Perfect _ no nonsense flows directly to the point... perfect

[@abirrahman8945]

Mr. Samurai, how did you duplicate that layer at 1:12

[@okaysamurai]

Command + D or Edit > Duplicate.

[@ashrathod6953]

thanks for the super quick response! yes cool. I'll mess around with it and show you what I create ;)

[@okaysamurai]

+Ashvin Rathod Please do!

[@Big_Llama]

This is awesome! Can't wait to get it and try it out

[@ZenStarwalker]

Okay. I think I can do this. I fret drawing the same thing over and over again for frames. This seems like it takes 90% of that away

[@TwoWheelAussie]

Say you wanted to move both arms differently at the same time for the scene. How would you do that? Thanks

[@okaysamurai]

If it's live, the only way is with a touch-enabled device and using two fingers at a time. But if it's recorded then you can just record one arm at a time and it should work - if you want to see both at the same time then you'll need to add a second dragger behavior and arm one at a time.

how do you get your character to fit in the entire scene in character animator because i can't see the head and the feet of my character only the torso since my character is to big but i did a 2000 by 2000 canvas in illustrator

[@okaysamurai]

Select the scene in the project panel (clapboard icon), then edit the dimensions in the scene properties on the right.

[@GetRealwithMike]

But once we create it, how to we make it a puppet? I made the puppet of Tull different. I used the original but he's different colors and wears shorts now. I can't get the puppet to open in CA. What do I do to import him into a scene?

[@okaysamurai]

File > Import will import your puppet into Character Animator. Or you can take an existing character, select it in the project panel, and click the blue link in the properties on the right to replace the original art file with your own. Or click the PS icon in the project panel to open up and make edits in Photoshop, and then saving that file will auto sync when you return to Character Animator.

[@neesy1621]

Great tutorial but I have a question... I can’t figure out how you got to that new template where you changed the the width I know it’s in photoshop but when I click new it does not let me put 3000 ( 1000 is the limit )

[@okaysamurai]

Make sure you're doing pixels, not inches. This is an older video so I think the format of the new Photoshop project dialog might have changed - it might look a little different.

[@neesy1621]

Okay Samurai Thank you for your reply I made sure it said pixels but it was still different...I know it’s probably an updated version but when I click new it gives me these choices to choose from, photo ( with 4 different sizes), print ( with 4 different sizes), art & illustration is the one I picked it comes with 4 different choices including 1000 pixel grid, 2000 pixel grid, poster, postcard. Web (with 4 choices) mobile, film & video

[@okaysamurai]

You should still be able to type in custom numbers. You want 3000 x 3000 pixels at 72 dpi. If you still aren't sure please post a screenshot of the issue in the official forums: adobe.com/go/chfeedback

[@JTheDudeRNS]

what is the small square thats on right blink and left blink? i only seen that that was placed on orgin, also how do you import a puppet to adobe CH if i made the whole thing like this in photoshop? thanks for this vid these the only 2 things im lost on///

[@okaysamurai]

The square is an old way to add an origin inside Photoshop, but now we let you do that inside CH (this is an older tutorial). This video might help more: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWHUioasrd52h5o

[@JTheDudeRNS]

@@okaysamurai thanks for replaying man!! I figured it out when I ported it over! Worked so smooth! Real fun!! 🔥🔥

[@mhosseinbabaei4970]

great , useful , fast , awesome , simple tutorial ... thnx man ...

[@novalorisa]

dude this tutorial is perfect

[@okaysamurai]

+Orisa Noval thanks!

[@arcauss]

Hello!... excellent tutorial but when i import the head, in Ch never moves... i don´t know if i´m doing something wrong... can you help me!

[@okaysamurai]

This is an older tutorial, kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWHUioasrd52h5o should be better? Check out the example character Blank in that tutorial and note that his head is moving because it's been tagged as a "Head" - that's all you need to do to get head movement!

[@rajsahu1812]

please tell how to make a Character run or walk & how to drag both hands at the same time

[@zj2707]

Can you free hand draw these features, like the eyes, head, mouth, and then use in character animator? How would I do that? Do I save my drawings as a vector image and upload?

[@okaysamurai]

Yes. You can draw whatever you want, organize them into a PSD or AI file, and they should work. Doesn't have to be vector.

[@SkystruckOnline]

I didnt even know this was possible... This is so cool!

[@KellyMarshall]

Thank you for your tutorials! Hope you keep them coming!

[@extremesegaa9239]

Pretty sweet but for some reason my right pupil goes bonkers , in rig I have my right eye set to attached head and right pupil attached to right eye , I've tried both set independent and not independent. Any suggestions? I'm running 2019

[@okaysamurai]

Hard to say without seeing the file - I would post a screenshot of your rig mode to adobe.com/go/chfeedback for more direct help. Sounds like the pupil doesn't have a viable eyeball to stay in if it's moving around crazy.

[@MyMasteron]

Thank you so much for the tutorial, is really great and has helped me a lot! I have a question am I able to use your characters for a KZbin channel of fun facts? It's related to science, history, etc. Let me know, and again awesome!

[@AhmedAlaa-iw6uq]

can i download your example mr? please

[@okaysamurai]

I don't have this exact file but "Blank" on adobe.com/go/chexamples is a good starting point.

[@GerbilGirl987]

This is awesome! I was wondering about something though if you can answer it! Do you know how to keep the pupils inside the eyeball? Mine keeps darting outside of it.

[@okaysamurai]

In general, "+Left Pupil" will try to stay inside "Left Eyeball" (and same for their right counterparts). If it's going out, it probably means the eyeball isn't big enough for the pupil or something bigger than the eyeball is tagged as the eyeball (or not tagged at all). You can also reduce how much they move under Eye Gaze > Camera Strength on the right properties.

[@GerbilGirl987]

@@okaysamurai Oooh okay, thank you! Tagging was the problem! Your tutorials are awesome, and thanks for responding so quickly!

[@DontHateOriginate]

Awesome! I'm trying to animate a walking scene, and the fixed points are warping the shoes, I noticed a lot of these videos create the illusion of walking without showing the feet is this because it cannot easily be done?

[@okaysamurai]

To do walking, I would remove the fixed points, add dragger handles to the feet and set them to hold in place, and add 2 sticks to each leg. To get even more precise control, you could add additional dragger handles at the ankle and knees. We do hope to make animations like this significantly easier in the future.

[@rheaj]

I added a small line for the blink using the pen tool but when i try blinking on the character animator, it doesn't work. Why is that?

[@okaysamurai]

Make sure it is tagged as "Left Blink" or "Right Blink" to show up. Compare your setup to Blank Face from the Start workspace, and make sure Blank Face is picking up your blinks too - if not you might need to get closer to the camera or get more lighting.

i have a character in illustrator who needs a mouth, how do i import aurora or cassandra's mouth into illustrator?

[@okaysamurai]

You'll want to find an AI mouth instead, and copy and paste that group. There's an AI version of WIlk, for example. You can copy PSD raster art into AI, but I think you would need to copy and paste them individually (I don't think folder structure reliably carries over).

[@N1GHTFREAK]

Hey! Nice Tutorial. I want to do my own series and I was wondering if I have to use a circle with the circle tool as an eye for example or if I can draw it by hand?

[@okaysamurai]

Either works! Just make sure you give your pupils enough space to move around in. This might help: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4Tbf3aendJjoNE

[@how2ae]

Why is it when I rigged body and head with "+" they works seperately? How to connect them or to parent head to body?

[@okaysamurai]

+Как это сделать в After Effects? I wouldn't recommend using the + on the head and body groups - then they won't connect together. + means "warp independent", so they will warp and move on their own without regard for each other. Leave it off to keep the head and body connected.

[@how2ae]

+Okay Samurai thank you, problem solved by adding head and body without + into new layer in Illustrator.

[@izzymomento]

can follow this video for the latest process making character in Adobe Ch? Or might have changes a lot because of update system in adobe ch?

[@okaysamurai]

This is a much older video - I recommend checking out the tutorials at pages.adobe.com/character/en/tutorials for the latest.

[@izzymomento]

@@okaysamurai thanks sir..

[@documred5413]

thats fantastic dude! Thnx for sharing!

[@lozarona]

Could this work in conjunction with Fuse (CC)? in order to animate the puppets from that programme through the AE engine? Thanks

[@okaysamurai]

Currently the two apps are separate, but theoretically you could slice up a Fuse character into Photoshop and tag it to work in CH. We started primarily with a 2D focus because it's easier/quicker for more people, but 3D is definitely something that could show up more in the future.

[@lozarona]

I might give it a go, thanks for the advice! It seems a great app and I look forward to trying stuff out and seeing whats in store for the future

[@CryptoFeeders]

how to stop it to hold head size same ? One issue with a puppet ah Mouth shape is not working at all. when its needed or triggered using a keyboard key it makes mouth shape completely hidden. I used Puppet Eliza.

[@okaysamurai]

To hold a mouth shape live, yes, I would add a trigger to it, or make a separate triggered mouth (see Tull the Cat on the home screen as an example, who has multiple extra mouths you can trigger). Or you can just extend any viseme in the timeline for recorded takes.

also how do you change the range of something like in the right eyeball layer it keeps highlighting around the entire head :/

[@okaysamurai]

Tagging something as Right Eyeball or Left Eyeball will tag it as the pupil range. Make sure you have the eyes set up in correct groups as well. Some common issues explained here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4HSf4Rqns2nd9Um10s

Okay Samurai thanks 👍🏻

[@k-c4722]

Is it possible to use a sound file instead of a webcam to voice sync the character? I have an audio clip given to me by a professor and he asked if he can get a character to animate and move to his voice. He doesn't want to try the webcam option and would just prefer if I match the characters mouth with just his voice. is that possible?????

[@okaysamurai]

Yes. See kzbin.info/www/bejne/laTQfYuFebmXbLcm50s

[@k-c4722]

Thanks for the quick reply!!! My next question is do you have to use a webcam or some sort of facial recognition device??? Can i merely move my character's head simply by just clicking it somewhere? I saw with the arms and legs that is possible, but is that the same method I could set up for the head??? Thanks again!!!

[@johnreed3863]

this video was very helpful

[@just.do.something]

Hi, just learned about your channel. It's really awesome. Had a question, what are the advantages to doing this photoshop vs illustrator? Thank you! I'm new to both programs so wondering which one I should start with for bringing characters into Ch. Thanks!

[@okaysamurai]

Either work, I say go with what works best for you. I personally feel like Photoshop is a little easier to grasp and I use that most of the time, but for flat characters with strokes/shapes Illustrator is what I go for. But there's no right/wrong answer!

[@just.do.something]

@@okaysamurai Thanks again Okay Samurai. I've been watching more of your videos and your channel is a real gem. I saw on CH that most of the characters were created with PS. If you want to alter the characters, the ones created is PS cannot be brought into AI, correct? If so, see that as one advantage for PS and working with CH. Really enjoyed your live action character animation as well showing great workflow between CH and AE.

[@weareodd4056]

Your videos are great, thank you. A few questions though, is there anywhere with the complete hierarchy list? (Head, Eyeball, Blink, +Pupil, etc) for the entire puppet? Also, are the sounds pre-programmed? So, can W-Oo become W or Wuh and they will be detected? Or is there also a list of pre-programmed sounds? I ask this, because of the standard puppets I downloaded, each seem to have or not have certain sounds. Thanks!

[@okaysamurai]

Yes - here's a list: helpx.adobe.com/adobe-character-animator/using/prepare-artwork.html. The 11 sound-based visemes are determined by 64 different sounds. Some example puppets might be older and missing some of the newer mouth shapes.

[@railtransportvlogsnsw7775]

My friend has drawn an image on her ipad of a character that I want to rig. How should I do the eye blinks, hair movement etc when the character is alredy designed?

[@okaysamurai]

Breaking up the character into pieces in Photoshop is your best bet. Use a blank template from adobe.com/go/chresources and drag each relevant part into the appropriate group.

[@railtransportvlogsnsw7775]

@@okaysamurai Thank you so much! Could you maybe make a video on it one day?

[@nancyyang6327]

the body is the hardest for me, are there any tutorials you do that slows down showing the putting together of the body?

[@okaysamurai]

Building a simple body is probably a good starting spot: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6aWZWepapd0hqsm8s

[@nancyyang6327]

Thanks Dave! I found your videos about a year ago as I was writing my book. At first I thought it was very hard, so I went to other program that I thought would help me build my characters. Boy was I wrong... I ended up researching all over again after 6 months. Than I stumbled upon your program again, so I bought the adobe program like all of them so I could do it too. I AM SO HAPPY I DID. Now I just got to put them all together to make it work. I actually drew my characters so they're all hand drawn, so I am trying to add them together with the format that was already given on the program. It is is quite hard as I don't know what I'm doing since I'm a beginner, but as I play around I'm sure I will be able to figure it out. I will work really hard on trying to get my body to work with my character's head (together), so thank you!

[@MotionDadTV]

Is there a print out of all of the correct names to tag each group in Illustrator so when imported they are automatically tagged as what they should be?

[@okaysamurai]

Try the list here: helpx.adobe.com/adobe-character-animator/using/prepare-artwork.html

[@MotionDadTV]

Thank you. This video is infinitely helpful!

[@hunt751]

hey abit new to this, when I make the head using eclipse , the layer renames to eclipse 1 and formats as a shape. how do I prevent this from happening?

[@okaysamurai]

Right click > Rasterize Layer. However, being a smart object / shape is totally fine - you can keep it like that.

[@csulbkccc]

I was wondering do you have image or map of photoshop layout of the each layout callouts? I think it will be very useful for little cheat sheet. Sorry just being lazy. haha

[@okaysamurai]

+Peter Try helpx.adobe.com/adobe-character-animator/using/prepare-artwork.html

[@csulbkccc]

Thank you so much~!!! I think this is what i need. I might create a cheat one sheep for myself~

[@dvontv1]

How can I make a walking animation if it says pants you need legs. How can I single out my legs if I have pants?

[@okaysamurai]

This character was made to be stationary - a walking character would need separated legs. See the Walking tutorial at kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGKqfZ6Ei7t4fc0.

[@waymakerschild5570]

Is there a way to export drawings of characters and make them move in Adobe Ch without photoshop or any other adobe software?

[@okaysamurai]

Yes, anything that can export as a PSD or AI file should work.

[@SharynAlice]

I have three gorgeous puppets and even though I have pinned them at the feet, they aren't behaving as if they are pinned down. They are dangling just as Stanny is before his legs are pinned. Left and Right legs are both Warp Independent. Any suggestions?

[@okaysamurai]

1) If you don't want the legs to drag for walking or anything, I would remove the independence from them, and 2) try pinning on the body group instead of the legs or feet inside. If that doesn't work feel free to post or DM me the .puppet file in the official forums (link in the video description).

[@SharynAlice]

Awesome. Thank you so much.

[@SharynAlice]

So embarrassed, can't seem to find link and can't find you in official forum either.

[@okaysamurai]

No worries. Forums are here: forums.adobe.com/community/character-animator/overview. And this is me there: forums.adobe.com/people/oksamurai

[@eloryiara4740]

my question is about exporting from character animator to media encoder. It appears the transparent background is ignored upon export so then I have a character with a black background . Is there a way around this; as the I need a character with a transparent background

[@okaysamurai]

Yes. You want to export as a PNG sequence + WAV or use dynamic link to bring it into After Effects or Premiere Pro.

[@eloryiara4740]

ok I saved it as you suggested...so now I import that entire folder into AE

[@okaysamurai]

In AE, File > Scripts > New Comp From Character Animator Recording.

[@chvrches2477]

How is this building it from scratch when you import mouth movements you already made? I can't do that obviously so I can't really proceed

[@okaysamurai]

Lip sync mouth setup is a time-intensive process so it's easier to get started using template mouths to begin with. It's not just puppets I've made - any puppet could work. See the video description for links to more example puppets.

[@juliavera7768]

I followed ur exact steps but I can't seem to drag the hands nor bend the arms of my puppet. I've alrdy set them to independent.

[@okaysamurai]

This is a more up to date version of how to do this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXiudKpqm5aIqKs. If it still doesn't work, please post a screenshot, video, or File > Export > Puppet (.puppet file) to adobe.com/go/chfeedback for more direct help.

[@davidpuentes]

Fantastic job!! I'm gonna try it soon!

[@snap-n-shoot]

I tried this approach as I am not getting good results no matter what I do. I went back to basics but I still get issues. Following your example above using a basic oval, importing it into Character animator causes the Oval to "pinch" or a small piece of the oval stays static as it moves causing stretching. Any ideas what causes this?

[@okaysamurai]

+Galway Archery I added an annotation for this afterwards - make sure you don't have any blank layers in there (like the default background layer that you get when making a new PSD). This will be fixed in the next release.

[@snap-n-shoot]

+Okay Samurai thanks for the response. I will take a look but I am sure there are no blank layers. I was thinking it might have something to do with the single point origin layer perhaps?

[@okaysamurai]

+Galway Archery Hmmm, not sure - I can take a deeper look - if you can DM me your file here or on Twitter I can check it out. Origin is the pivot point - by default, if you didn't include an origin point, it would be in the middle of the circle. That should work fine, right? I do know we are making origin wayyy easier in the next release, so you'll never have to worry about this crap again. :)

[@LoveAndWarren]

Hi there, are there any physical controllers I can buy to get more precise control of my puppets?

[@okaysamurai]

MIDI controllers work great with the Controls panel - that's probably what I've seen people use the most. I like Palette Gear.

[@LoveAndWarren]

@@okaysamurai Very cool. I'll check them out.

[@lancastersiregar3583]

Hi thanks for the tutorial.. things i wanna ask, i’m just an animator.. and I couldn’t do voice over.. can it sync to voice over audio? You know what i mean? Thaaannkkkss

[@okaysamurai]

Yep - kzbin.info/www/bejne/laTQfYuFebmXbLcm50s

[@YitzharVered]

what tool is the tool you use at 1:16?????

[@okaysamurai]

Pretty sure it's the rectangle tool from the shape tools.

[@YitzharVered]

Oh. Well I guess I'm dumb. Thanks.

[@T12OYb]

why is it when i add the dragger to the hand and the sticks to the arms, then i start dragging the hands, the whole body starts to warp? looks like you skipped some stuff because i don't have my arms labeled "left arm" and "right arm" like you do ... and, i can't figure out how to do so. Love this app though ... AMAZING!!!

[@okaysamurai]

If everything is warping, it probably means either a) something isn't fixed, like the shoes or somewhere else, or b) the mesh is coming out of the body and messing stuff up. Try setting layer mesh on the right to "contour" instead of auto, and check "show layer mesh" to see if the yellow triangles are extending out of the body on any layers (if they are, find those in the original file and erase any stray marks or issues).

[@T12OYb]

+Okay Samurai ok. I have the feet pinned. When I move the hands, it warps the body at the hip. Are the arms and body all one layer or group? I'll try to take a look at the mesh option too. One other thing, when I check mark the body to move independently, there's no warping, however, it skews away fro the head and my character becomes decapitated. LOL Thanks for the reply. Hope I can figure it out because this app looks like it can revolutionize cartooning! Amazing!!

[@okaysamurai]

There are a lot of different combinations of how to set up a character - if you're still having issues, check out the official example files for more setups of characters: forums.adobe.com/docs/DOC-6029 or post screenshots in the official forums: forums.adobe.com/community/character-animator

[@T12OYb]

+Okay Samurai thanks again for your help. I'll check it all out. Can't wait to bring some stuff to life "easier" than using puppet pins and Duik. I have a couple cartoons on my page if you want to check them out. Appreciate the rapid responses too! Keep up the awesome work!

[@VividCollectiblesllc]

I'm having trouble making the eyes as layers. I've been stuck on this for quite some time. It's a pre-made head and I've been trying to figure out how to crop the eyes and make them functional. Any thoughts???

[@okaysamurai]

If it's a premade head, your best bet may be to cut out the eyeballs and pupils, paste them as separate laters, and use something like the clone stamp or content aware fill tools in Photoshop to fill in the gaps from taking them out. This video about turning a kid's sketch might help: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6i0i3WQhrKZgtUm38s

[@VividCollectiblesllc]

Okay Samurai thank you sir! This helped alot. I have another question. What do I label the mouth motions in order for them to work.

[@okaysamurai]

This should help with the mouth: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6aWZWepapd0hqsm45s

[@MsNonaAppleby]

I have spent hours and hours building a puppet and have a variety of problems. Is there a tutor you can recommend? It's my third time rebuilding the puppet. First the pupils moved to loosely, now they don't move at all, etc etc. Is there some way that I can learn this magnificent program? I already tried drawing my artwork over one of your puppets to no avail. I'm a professional and would love to be able to animate my characters but it is a dead end at every turn, no matter how hard I try. Thanks Victoria

[@okaysamurai]

adobe.com/go/chfeedback is a great resource for direct questions (or searching for answers). Otherwise, I would check out freelance help at character.adobelanding.com/thirdparty/.

[@MsNonaAppleby]

Okay Samurai thanks so much for answering. You are a very busy man! Much appreciated. And very grateful for your tutorials. Best regards and stay safe.

[@littlerongaming9358]

Is there a way to create a shortcut key for adding new layers or groups

[@okaysamurai]

You'll want to do that in Photoshop or Illustrator. For PS on Mac at least I think it's Command + Shift + N.

[@Japhb]

Hi Okay! this video is so great.. ahhm.. I just want to ask about the tools because I cannot see my stick tool. is there any preference option for this? any thoughts? thanks a lot

[@okaysamurai]

If you don't see things like sticks or tags, you have an old outdated version. You'll need to update After Effects CC to the latest version to get these improvements.

[@Japhb]

yeah, I am using adobe cc 2015, but the I still don't have the stick tool, but yeah, its alright Okay :) thank you