Table of Contents

Preface

Part 1: Preparing Character Art for Rigging

1

What You Need to Know Before Rigging and Animating

Technical requirements

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

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

Summary

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

Summary

Part 2: Rigging Character Art for Animation

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

Summary

5

Creating Control Handles and Behaviors

Technical requirements

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

Summary

6

Physics, Behaviors, and Meshes

Technical requirements

Adding physics and danglers

Modifying universal behaviors

Creating layer-specific behaviors

Refining animation with meshes

Summary

7

Assigning Mouths and Props with Triggers and Swap Sets

Technical requirements

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

Summary

8

Refining Layers and Exploring Optional Rig Features

Technical requirements

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

Summary

Part 3: Animating and Refining Your Scene

9

Working with Preset Actions

Technical requirements

Creating a walk cycle

Modifying a walk cycle

Mixing actions on the timeline

Summary

10

Animating a Simple Sequence

Technical requirements

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

Summary

11

Rearranging, Polishing, and Enhancing Our Sequence

Technical requirements

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

Summary

12

Exporting, Editing, and Sharing Your Character Animator Sequence

Technical requirements

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

Summary

13

Additional Character Animator Tools and Features

Technical requirements

Puppet Maker

Character Animator scene cameras

Tracking body animations

Tracking body turns

Using the Stream workspace

Summary

Index

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