Moho Forum

To anyone interested who uses Papagayo for lip sync, I just finished a script that will import dat files produced from Papagayo and reference named actions instead of having to use it with switch layers.

The link is in this thread. Please read the limitations section.

http://www.lostmarble.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7842

-vern

Hey Vern,

I think I might try using your dat to actions script for my next cartoon. How would I need to set up my actions if I wanted to use the script for doing lipsync? Do I just set up everything on frame 1 of each action? I'll be moving a few bones as well as translating some points that will be inside the bone layer- will this work? Here's the character:

This is all in the same vector layer. I'll have his hat and nose rigged with dynamic bones, and everything else will be set up with point motion (via actions). He'll be doing slight head turns from action to action. I wanted to use your script as opposed to a switch layer so that his hat and nose could spring around as he talks. THis will work right?

hi, this script works very easy. first you have to know how actions works, so i recommend to read the tutorial, because my english is very limited.

create an action for each phoneme (control+k opens the action window), then, in frame one of each action, move your mouth points according to the phoneme, as if the actions would be switch layers. you can create the same name action in several layers which be inside the same parent layer (and obligatory the action must be created in the parent layer).
when you have this actions created, you can apply them in time. select your group or bone layer, go to the frame you want, select the action you want and push "insert reference".
you will see that your character will move.
an action can have points movement, layer color changes, bone movements, layer movements, etc.

as all the actions inside the bone layer has the same name, when you inset it in the parent, it will be inserted in all the child layers which have the action.

when you have all the phonemes created, and the lipsync generated in papagayo, you can use the script and insert them with the actions instead the switch (the layer must be selected).

it's very useful and generates a very different animation kind compared to switch, here is a simple example of actions:

http://tazatriste.cl/cosas_subidas/3/test%20mouth.anme

and here is a more complex characters which sing using this script:

http://tazatriste.cl/cosas_subidas/3/rinoceritis.anme
http://tazatriste.cl/cosas_subidas/3/jelp2.wav
right clic, save as both files.

Thanks for the reply. I was able to get it to work for me- it turned out pretty funny. His lipsynch is very exaggerated so I did have to go back and correct lines that were running into each other between phonemes. But this method made it very easy- with only one vector layer to deal with (rather than many using a switch). I was also able to use lots of bone dynamics on him. He's got some very toony movement too him- of course I'll be posting the animation once its completed. This script is pretty handy- I'm going to try some more characters using this method.