How to Make Animated Characters Talk

While the animated figures that we see all the time in movies or on TV are very cool, the coolest aspect of them is that the animators are able to make the figures seem to talk. This is accomplished by matching the sound file they are using with the facial movements of the character. At one time, you needed a professional animation studio to do something like this. But with Poser Pro, anyone can create a talking animated character. Just follow the simple steps below.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Poser Pro

1. Open Poser Pro. The program should load up with the default figure, Simon, already in the scene.

2. Go to the Menu, select "Window," and then click on "Talk Designer." The Talk Designer dialog box will pop up.

3. Select the sound file you will be using. Try to use one where the voice is the only sound you here in the recording. Then under this type or paste in the text of what the sound file says. This will help the program better interpret the sound file.

4. Under "Viseme Map" file, make sure it is set to the character type you are using, in this case Simon. Then go to the bottom and adjust the Head Motion and Emotional Tweaks sliders. These help decide how extreme or understated the characters facial movements are.

5. Click "Apply." Your character is now speaking the words you provided.

Resources

• Poser Pro