Help with Avatars

Feb 28, 2011

Friends

I am looking for software, or a web service, that can make real photos of people in to avatar pictures. I found a few of the facebook app types, but they are loaded with spyware (like most facebook apps). I am hoping someone here may have knowledge they could share with me.

Thank You

48 Replies
Shelby Duckworth

Jeanette Brooks said:

Hi Shelby and you're absolutely right that *all* questions are welcome here. Regarding Crazy Talk - yah, I believe that it allows you to export to swf, right? So you could insert the swf into Quizmaker. In fact Dave Moxon had an example of that awhile back, on his blog:

http://daveperso.mediaenglishonline.com/2010/02/10/create-a-video-hotspot-question-in-quizmaker-09/

Thanks Jeanette! I absolutely love this blog! I am learning so much and have great fun doing it! THANK YOU!
Gerry Wasiluk

I suppose you could also try to Muppetize yourself and then get a screenprint of your creation and make an avatar of that.

[Added 7-14-11.  Ignore my post here and my Homer Simpson ("DOH!") moment.  For some reason when I hear the word "avatars" here in the forums, I think of the avatars we use here for our personas and not avatars in courses.]

Vicki Kunkel

Media Semantics allows you to do that.  I just purchased that program a couple of weeks ago, and it is very easy to use and intuitive. 

The program allows you to choose standard avatars or to do what you want--create avatars from photos of real people.  The software is not as robust as something like CodeBaby, but it is definitely worth a look:    http://www.mediasemantics.com/

sharon jones

Vicki Kunkel said:

Media Semantics allows you to do that.  I just purchased that program a couple of weeks ago, and it is very easy to use and intuitive. 

The program allows you to choose standard avatars or to do what you want--create avatars from photos of real people.  The software is not as robust as something like CodeBaby, but it is definitely worth a look:    http://www.mediasemantics.com/


Vicki,

Thanks for the information.  I've heard of CodeBaby, but Media Sematics is new to me and Character Builder looks interesting. 

Vicki Kunkel

I am having another issue with avatars:  I can't get the avatar to show, but only one ONE slide.  Here are the details:


I am using an avatar creation software (Media Semantics) and importing the character with audio as a flash movie into Aritculate.  It has been working fine for several weeks, until today.  The timing was off (the avatar finished speaking LOOONG before the slide advanced) so I attempted to insert silent audio for the desired slide duration.  This worked on all slides that I tried this with--except ONE! 

The movie (avatar) looks and sounds perfect in PPT.  But when I preview the slide in Ariculate Presenter, the movie is not visible at all.

To resolve the issue, I have tried:

(1) Deleting the flash movie from the PPT slide and from Articulate, and creating a completely new movie...and then inserting that new movie into Presenter.

(2) Cutting and pasting all other animations on the slide onto a completely new slide, and then importing the new flash movie.  (I have 12 very detailed animations in the slide -- not including the avatar--so I am reluctant to completely delete all elements on the slide and start over.  It took me over an hour to create and time those elements.)

(3) Shutting down the computer, and rebooting. (Hey, I thought, "Why not?")

(4)  Checking all settings to ensure they are correct.

This is extremely frustrating, because the avatar worked perfectly on that slide until I tried to fix the timing issue.  The avatar works fine on all other slides --including other slides where I have inserted silent audio to fix the timing issue.

Any suggestions?

Vicki Kunkel

Phil:

I just saw your reply...Sorry I missed it earlier.   It's been about a year since I last checked CodeBaby prices, but when I did, it was around US12,000 per year for a corporate license.  They may have come down now with the new competitors that have entered the marketplace since then, but I am not sure. 

If you email or call, you can get a "general" pricing quote.  They usually don't give you an "exact" quote until they sign you up for a demo. 

Mark Brown

My thought is when it comes to e-learning development tools, licenses and "software as service" is obsolete. You can get everything you need for a fixed price that should be boldly displayed out front.. awhile back an EPSS vendor tired to sell us a 60K product with ongoing maintenance fees. A quick web search found several for under 2k (a one time fee with free updates).  These aren't enterprise software programs managing 1000's of employees financial data chugging numbers 24/7 in the background.. They are delopment and deployment tools.  The software sits there till you do all the work.

Sorry my-bad soap box.

Phil Kowalski

Hey Vicki,

thanks for your response. Now I now why they hide online. Leaves a bitter taste in my mouth because what impression will that leave with me as a customer? Looks like they are not confident themselves in terms of pricing. 12 grand??? No way, if I can get a MediaSemantics software refinanced with the first project.

And now, since I know that customer service with MediaSemantics has a good customer care, I think I'll go this way. Still in evaluation phase of my general approach though.

all the best, Phil

Steve Flowers

The Codebaby characters have a keen style, but I think their business model overvalues (overprices) the delivery and I'm thrown off by the dialog popup titles "Codebaby" that appear in their examples. The services are about more than the character, surely. But I can't imagine it would take long using their subscription model to reach a price point that would support custom character development and coding.

You might try this software:

http://www.reallusion.com/iclone/

This one is really easy to use and I prefer the output to MediaSemantics set (which resembles Poser output circa 1999). Slightly different target but may help. If you happen to have access to a talented artist, you might be able to match or exceed the style of the Codebaby set.

sharon jones

Helena Froyton said:

Hi Sharon,

Thank you for the info. on CrazyTalk Animator.  Have you used it before?  Were you pleased with it?  Was it easy to input it into Articulate?

Thanks,

Helena


Helena,

I've haven't really gotten into the nuts and bolts of CrazyTalk Animator, just "played around with it.  As to bringing the rendered animation into Articulate it's very ease.  FLV is one of the exported formats.  

At this stage, I'm still a beginner with CrarzyTalk Animator and I'm more interested in using 3D avatars.  However,  download a trial version and test it out.

Sharon

Mark Brown

It's a real shame Linden Labs won't open up a "training only" server with a "professional" ranking (rather than the PG, mature, adult); away from the other metaverse. Or, that you can't lease the SL engine for corporate use. A 3D world is ready and waiting, but  (sadly) not friendly enough to use for training.

sharon jones

Mark Brown said:

It's a real shame Linden Labs won't open up a "training only" server with a "professional" ranking (rather than the PG, mature, adult); away from the other metaverse. Or, that you can't lease the SL engine for corporate use. A 3D world is ready and waiting, but  (sadly) not friendly enough to use for training.


Mark,

Yes the 3D world is ready and waiting, but what do you mean by not being "friendly enough to use for training"?

Vicki Kunkel

It's my understanding you CAN use the LindenLabs' site for anything you want.  You could create a training island.  Alternately, you can acquire a license to use the Linden Labs' platform to create your own avatars and animations, then use a screen capture tool such as Screener or Captivate to record the animations, and import them into your eLearning.    You may want to contact someone at LL and find out what additional options may exist.   They are in business to get more customers;  I'm sure they would be willing to listen to --and possibly try to accommodate -- your needs.

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