Animate a puppet using Starter mode

How to start with Starter mode?

Create your animation in four easy steps

Before you start

You have to check whether you're in Starter mode or Pro mode using the App mode   button at the upper right corner. 

Select a puppet

Select a puppet from the example puppets on the Starter mode home screen. You can also import a puppet. Use the Import puppet option from the Home screen to import a puppet file. 

Perform a scene

Character Animator opens the puppet in the Scene panel of the Perform workspace, where you can do the following functions:

• Set your rest pose using the Calibrate button in the lower right corner to improve face tracking.
• Use Aspect ratio  and Background   menus to change the dimensions and background for your animation.
• Select Camera and microphone settings for the preferred face and body tracking webcam. 
• Select Record face and voice to use the webcam to control the puppet and record the voice via webcam.
• Select Import recorded speech to import audio in AIFF, MP3, or Adobe Wave PCM file formats.

Enhance your performance 

After the recording finishes, the Timeline panel displays the audio waveform and the duration of your recorded performance as a track. The Controls panel window opens, displaying several stances and emotions that might help you enhance your recorded performance.

Here are some ways that you can enhance your performance:

• Hover over the icons in the Controls panel to see a preview. Drag and drop them to the Timeline to apply them to your puppet.
• To preview your animation, click Play, then Stop when you're ready to make further adjustments.
  
• Use the trim handles on either end of the puppet track to trim the scene's duration.
  
• Select a small icon to trim an applied control's length, then trim the edges overlaid on the track.
  
• Use Undo    and Redo   in the header bar to undo a recent change or redo an undone modification. 
  
• In the timeline, click Delete recording   to undo all changes to a puppet and restart the recording.

Export animation

Quick Export can export an H264 file in just a few clicks. In the header bar, select Quick Export   then modify the file name, location, and preset if necessary before selecting Export. Choose from a list of high, medium, or low-quality presets. 

Set camera and microphone preferences

You can customize the app settings using Camera and microphone settings   to set preferences for the camera and microphone. Know how to use the tracking calibration settings and audio settings in the below description.

Camera and tracking calibration

• Choose Camera and microphone settings   > Camera. You can choose a camera from the list of available cameras.
• Camera and microphone settings are accessible only before recording a performance.
• You can deselect the Mirror Camera Input option in the menu to flip the camera image horizontally.
• The camera, by default, mirrors your every motion.
• Before recording, select Calibrate to center the puppet in the scene and calibrate face and body tracking. 
  

Audio settings

• Select Camera and microphone settings  , and choose Audio Settings > System Default (Microphone) from the Default Input list.
• Alternatively, open app preferences by choosing Edit > Preferences (on Windows) or Character Animator > Preferences (on macOS). 

Custom Background

In Starter Mode, use a custom image for the scene’s background. Select the Background button, Select Custom Background (+), then select your image. 

Differences between Starter and Pro mode

Upgrade to Pro mode

If you need more controls than Starter mode offers, switch to Pro mode to unlock all of Character Animator's features. The pro mode requires a Creative Cloud All Apps subscription. You can access Starter mode projects when you switch to Pro mode.

To switch between Starter and Pro mode

• Select App mode in the header bar or switch to the Home workspace > Use Starter or Use Pro.

Upgrade from Starter to Pro mode

• Click App mode in the header bar or switch to the Home workspace > click Start Pro free trial or Buy now (after the trial version). 
• Start a trial of the Creative Cloud All Apps plan by following the instructions. 
• Relaunch Character Animator and access Pro mode.