Customizing Expressions with Deform / Transform Features

For Cartoon Animator G2+ face, you can create different pose instances from a sprite element with Deform and / or Transform features. Thus you do not need to prepare numerous images for each pose but to replace the poses with these two methods provided in the Facial Animation Setup panel.
( Watch Tutorial - G3 Face Animation Setup )

Before you start this section, you need to first convert a G2 head to a G2+ head, and enter the Composer mode. After that, click the Facial Animation Setup button on the Toolbar.

You will then see the Facial Animation Setup panel displays on the screen.

ClosedUsing Deform Feature

The Deform feature can be used to dramatize the shapes of the expressions.

  1. Select the facial feature from the Face Part pane.
  2. Select one of the expressions in the list for adjustments.
    ClosedNote:

    After an expression is picked, the animation in the Guide pane of this panel will start to play back to indicate the animation of the expression. You can then adjust the expression accordingly.

  3. Press down the Deform button to enter the Deforming mode.
  4. You will see that the facial feature is framed up by a deform box with 12 control points.
  5. Drag the control points to deform the facial feature in order to match the description of the thumbnail in Step 2.
  6. Repeat the same steps for other expressions if you wish to make them more exaggerated.
ClosedAdjusting Deform Box

There are some settings in the Deform Settings group affecting the Deform box. By adjusting the Deform box, the facial feature will be simultaneously influenced.

  • Activate the Mirror box in order to move the opposite points of a deform box at the same time.

    The Mirror box is deactivated

    The Mirror box is activated

  • You can drag the Control Area slider in order to enlarge or shrink the Deform box.

    Control Area: 0.5

    Control Area: 1.5

  • Click the Increase Strength or Decrease Strength button to make the expression more or less exaggerated.

    The Increase Strength button is clicked

    The Decrease Strength button is clicked

  • Click the Flip button to horizontally flip the Deform box.

    Before flipping

    After flipping

ClosedCopying and Pasting Deform Box Status

Because some of the expression thumbnails are similar, if you wish to make them look identical, then you can use this feature to copy the status of the Deform box to another expression.

  1. Click the Copy button in the Deform Settings group.
  2. Hover the cursor and click on an expression thumbnail in which the Deform box is used as a source for copying.

    The working area will instantly show the status of the Deform box for the expression of this thumbnail.
  3. Move the cursor to the target expression thumbnail and click on it to paste the Deform box status.

    The original status of the Deform box of the target expression

    The Deform box is replaced with the status of the source Deform box

ClosedUsing Transform Feature

The Transform feature can be used to set the RTS(Rotation, Transformation and Scale) of the expressions.

  1. Select the facial feature from the Face Part pane.
  2. Select one of the expressions in the list for adjustments.
  3. Press down the Transform button to enter the Deform mode.
  4. You will see that the facial feature is framed up, with the transforming bounding box, with 8 control points.
  5. Drag the control points to transform the facial feature in order to match the description of the thumbnail in Step 2.
  6. Repeat the same steps for other expressions if you wish to transform them.
ClosedCopying Settings to Opposite Facial Features

For the facial features in pairs, such as the eyes, irises and the eyebrows, you can deform and transform the expressions for the one side and then copy the settings to the other side. It will save time for setting and ensuring symmetry of the facial features.

  1. Select the facial feature from the Face Part pane.
  2. Select one of the expressions in the list for adjustments.
  3. Adjust the Deformation and Transformation as described in the previous sections for the expression.
  4. Click the Mirror Options button.

    You will be prompted a Mirror Options panel.
    ClosedMirror Options

    The Mirror Options panel allows you to pick one of the methods for mirroring the expressions.

    • Mirror Current Expression: To mirror the selected expression to the expression at the relatively opposite side.
    • Mirror All Expressions: To mirror all expressions in the list to the opposite side.
    • Mirror by Angle: To mirror all expressions to the opposite side at the opposite angle.
  5. Choose one of the 3 radio buttons in order to determine the mirroring method (in this case, the most basic one, Mirror Current Expression) and click the Apply button.
  6. Pick the facial feature at the other side and select the relatively opposite expression, you will see that the Deform and Transform settings are mirrored to it.