Bricks in Motion
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Ok, so as some of you know, I'm in the process of making an Owl City-Fireflies music video. I find that I need to do mouth animation, otherwise the film won't make much sense. I've tried using the built in paint program on SAM Animation, but I can't figure out how to line the mouth up properly with the animation, and the mouths look terrible!
Is there another program that I could easily make mouth animations?
Wow, someone made a face animation software specifically for brickfilms? That's pretty cool. 
But I think it's not very good program. Or I mean I don't like, of course you can test it.
Wow, someone made a face animation software specifically for brickfilms? That's pretty cool.
Programs like GlueFace have been in existence for quite a while, actually (Mid 00's, I think).
I would easily suggest GlueFace, as it's the most simple program to use for facial animation and it was created for that purpose. If you want to get even better results, I'd try out Axogon Composer, Wax 2.0, or Adobe After Effects. The first two are free while AE is priced at 1K, but AE is the more complete program compared to Axogon and Wax, not to mention that Axogon is outdated. However, if you were to use this option rather than GlueFace, it would require you to map the face to a cylinder before compositing the face onto you minifig.
It's really all up to you, and what you feel comfortable using 
Ok, I think I'll stick with GlueFace. I'm wondering, does it work with Mac?
Try GIMP. Use the free-select tool to trace the mouth and blur it. At least that's what I do
For the last time people, I don't want to be overreactive, but I'm simply not downloading GIMP. Just the way it goes.
For the last time people, I don't want to be overreactive, but I'm simply not downloading GIMP. Just the way it goes.
Back to that ol' postion, eh?
Just out of curiousity, why did you decide against it?
GHB Productions wrote:For the last time people, I don't want to be overreactive, but I'm simply not downloading GIMP. Just the way it goes.
Back to that ol' postion, eh?
Just out of curiousity, why did you decide against it?
Mainly because my dad thinks GIMP isn't that safe for downloading. (viruses and all) And second, since my computer is on my Dad's network, whatever he downloads, I can get for free! He downloaded this image editor for mac called Acorn. It's worth $50, but, I get it for free like I said. Happy now?
minifig051 wrote:GHB Productions wrote:For the last time people, I don't want to be overreactive, but I'm simply not downloading GIMP. Just the way it goes.
Back to that ol' postion, eh?
Just out of curiousity, why did you decide against it?
Mainly because my dad thinks GIMP isn't that safe for downloading. (viruses and all) And second, since my computer is on my Dad's network, whatever he downloads, I can get for free! He downloaded this image editor for mac called Acorn. It's worth $50, but, I get it for free like I said. Happy now?
Okay.
Tons of people on this site (including me) can tell you GIMP is completely safe, just sayin'.
I'm not trying to get you to change your mind; stick with Acorn if it fits your needs. I'm just correcting your dad's assumption.
GHB Productions wrote:minifig051 wrote:Back to that ol' postion, eh?
Just out of curiousity, why did you decide against it?
Mainly because my dad thinks GIMP isn't that safe for downloading. (viruses and all) And second, since my computer is on my Dad's network, whatever he downloads, I can get for free! He downloaded this image editor for mac called Acorn. It's worth $50, but, I get it for free like I said. Happy now?
Okay.
Tons of people on this site (including me) can tell you GIMP is completely safe, just sayin'.
I'm not trying to get you to change your mind; stick with Acorn if it fits your needs. I'm just correcting your dad's
assumption.
My dad's no fool. He's a computer programmer. I trust him that gimp might not be safe. Conversation done.
Computer programmer of what decade? I know of programmers of previous decades who know how to build databases and design applications but don't have the slightest idea how to use today's modern technology.
A simple anti-virus/spyware scan should set you at ease. But by all means, the parent is always right even when they're wrong.
Ok, I feel offended. My dad is an experienced programmer and Apple Developer. He started back in his early years, and now has a job out of it. I'm not replying anymore.
My highschool used Gimp to learn us the basics of photoshopping (because, well, photoshop is very expensive). I loved that program... until I got photoshop CS5
Ok, I feel offended. My dad is an experienced programmer and Apple Developer. He started back in his early years, and now has a job out of it. I'm not replying anymore.
Hey, GHB. Sorry for the...I'm going to say "strange" way you've been treated on this forum. Like you, I'm unsure about how safe Gimp is, and therefore use other software.
To answer your question, mouth animations using photo-editing software are extremely time consuming, and involve creating several different mouths prior to editing, each image representing a different sound. To add the mouths (and have them sync with your sound), add them on top of your raw footage layer in a VIDEO-EDITING software (I'd recommend After Effects or FCPX. iMovie doesn't work), and line them up with your sound clip.
You said that you're trying to have the mouths sync by adding them in a photo-editing software...This is inefficient, not to mention darn near impossible. Video editing software allows you to move the mouth to line up with your sound clip before exporting, unlike photo-editing software.
I know what I just said is confusing, but I hope it helps.
Installing GIMP won't give you a computer virus as long as you download from one of the official locations given on the GIMP.org website. Any virus software scan of the download would indicate this to be true.
GIMP is the best free image editing software if you want something similar to Photoshop in functionality. It's also a great deal better than most low-end image editing software that isn't free.
That said, I prefer using video software for mouth animation if possible. After Effects is definitely a fairly industry standard choice for that sort of thing.
Ok, I think I'll stick with GlueFace. I'm wondering, does it work with Mac?
That's funny: I'll STICK with GLUEface!
Because you can use GLUE to STICK things.
Maybe this forum needs more puns... considering it's run on Pun BB 
EDIT: Oh dear that was terrible...
Last edited by BoatsAreRockable (December 2, 2012 (05:34am))
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