Hey,
you know how do you make those smooth mouth movements akin to what we've seen on "foster's house of imaginary monsters"? I mean sure we get layer switching but is there any way we can program it so that whenever the layer is switched it triggers an actual "sub-animation" each time its activated? Like for O's it could move smoothly until its triggered again? or even like the rate of it changed, (if theres a "long O")?
Thanks
RonC
...make smooth mouth movements?
Moderators: Víctor Paredes, Belgarath, slowtiger
I guess that has to be done with layer scripting. I can't help you here (yet), because I'm a newbee at Lua scripting. Ask in the Scripting subforum for a possible solution with layer scripting.
rpc:
Of course moho can produce those smooth movements, but there is a bit of work to do before it will work properly.
I am referring to the "interpolated switch technique" here.
1. Vector System:
_All compositions of your different mouth switches must have exactly
_the same amount of shapes and points. This is necessary for the process
_of interpolation afaik.
2. Construcion
_So make a basic shape that is able to "morph".
_Let's say we made a shape for the inside of our mouth called "insider".
_All shapes you create in the next steps go into this layer.
_As you can see: the key is to keep it simple at this point...
_Next step: constructing the teeth.
_Stay in our "insider" layer. Construct the teeth as simple as necessary.
_Now we go on with the skin.
_The best way is to create 2 shapes on different levels of height.
_This is our basic mouth shape.
_Ok now we can go on. Of course you can create much more better mouth _samples, but lets stay on the path.
4. Switch Data
_Alright, create a switch layer and make a basic papagayo setup.
_So at the end you come up with all those phonemes...
_It is not necessary to do this setup, but it offers better animation _capabilities.
_The best thing to do this is cloning our "insider" a couple of times and _then renaming it.
_Make sure you have selected the "interpolate sub-layers" option in your _switch layer preferences.
5. Clean-up
_The next couple of minutes you just go to your different layers (the _phonemes) and edit it the way they should look like afterwards.
6. Animation
_Either let Papagayo set the switch keys or set them manually.
_You may have to put some minutes into a cleanup of the automatically _generated data, but that depends on your sound records...
7. Result
_The result should be a nice and smooth lipsync.
Here is an example:
The switch fades from "A" to "E".
Of course moho can produce those smooth movements, but there is a bit of work to do before it will work properly.
I am referring to the "interpolated switch technique" here.
1. Vector System:
_All compositions of your different mouth switches must have exactly
_the same amount of shapes and points. This is necessary for the process
_of interpolation afaik.
2. Construcion
_So make a basic shape that is able to "morph".
_Let's say we made a shape for the inside of our mouth called "insider".
_All shapes you create in the next steps go into this layer.
_As you can see: the key is to keep it simple at this point...
_Next step: constructing the teeth.
_Stay in our "insider" layer. Construct the teeth as simple as necessary.
_Now we go on with the skin.
_The best way is to create 2 shapes on different levels of height.
_This is our basic mouth shape.
_Ok now we can go on. Of course you can create much more better mouth _samples, but lets stay on the path.
4. Switch Data
_Alright, create a switch layer and make a basic papagayo setup.
_So at the end you come up with all those phonemes...
_It is not necessary to do this setup, but it offers better animation _capabilities.
_The best thing to do this is cloning our "insider" a couple of times and _then renaming it.
_Make sure you have selected the "interpolate sub-layers" option in your _switch layer preferences.
5. Clean-up
_The next couple of minutes you just go to your different layers (the _phonemes) and edit it the way they should look like afterwards.
6. Animation
_Either let Papagayo set the switch keys or set them manually.
_You may have to put some minutes into a cleanup of the automatically _generated data, but that depends on your sound records...
7. Result
_The result should be a nice and smooth lipsync.
Here is an example:
The switch fades from "A" to "E".
@rpc9943: What I thought you wanted was mouth shapes going from one pose to another with some subanimation to "cushion" the action, something similar as with a ball animation, where the bouncing ball flattens when it touches the floor.
So the mouth shape should only temporarily go to a more extreme and then return to the intended mouth shape. What that extreme is, should depend on the previous mouth shape and the number of frames this mouth shape is in view (the shorter, the more extreme).
My idea was that a layer script could be attached to the mouth shape layers, that senses the changes, scans for the mouth corners and do its business (in a predefined style). It would probably need to add some points temporarily and then restore the mouth shape when it is in its intended pose.
Wasn't that what you meant?
So the mouth shape should only temporarily go to a more extreme and then return to the intended mouth shape. What that extreme is, should depend on the previous mouth shape and the number of frames this mouth shape is in view (the shorter, the more extreme).
My idea was that a layer script could be attached to the mouth shape layers, that senses the changes, scans for the mouth corners and do its business (in a predefined style). It would probably need to add some points temporarily and then restore the mouth shape when it is in its intended pose.
Wasn't that what you meant?
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/fosters/
click on the tv room and watch how BLOO moves his mouth, its soooo smooth and not by vector morphing i dont think necessarily..
RONC
click on the tv room and watch how BLOO moves his mouth, its soooo smooth and not by vector morphing i dont think necessarily..
RONC
Well, I live in Europe (at least England WAS still in Europe last time I looked), and I saw it OK. Bloo's mouth is just...well animated, as you would expect from a professional show. I didn't see any lip syncing that couldn't have been done with symbols/switch layers...you just probably need more of them, and they need to be really accurately linked to trhe dialogue...
You can't have everything. Where would you put it?
Although I haven't seen the mouth animation, I guess because the animation is made in Flash, the mouths are animated manually, which gives you much more artistic freedom than with automated tools. Only the result varies depending on your drawing and animation skills.
Unfortunately, Moho has a poor support for hand animation. You can use switch layers and interpolation, but there are other programs out there that are far better suitable for creating hand animation.
It is a pitty that Moho doesn't support Flash import (yet), because that would allow you to create some parts of your pencil animation in one animation program and use that for further processing in Moho.
Unfortunately, Moho has a poor support for hand animation. You can use switch layers and interpolation, but there are other programs out there that are far better suitable for creating hand animation.
It is a pitty that Moho doesn't support Flash import (yet), because that would allow you to create some parts of your pencil animation in one animation program and use that for further processing in Moho.
wouldn't animating at a higher frame rate help aswell? 30fps should give you enough frames to make everything smooth.
--Scott
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