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Character Replacement in Animation Techniques

Apr 22, 2025

Lecture Notes: Replacing Characters in Animation

Introduction

  • Topic: Replacing a rigged and animated character with a new one
  • Goal: Demonstrate how to replace a character in After Effects without needing to re-rig and animate.
  • Tools: Illustrator, After Effects
  • Example: Using a character from Freepik, same author as previous character

Process Overview

  1. Importing New Character

    • Download and import character into Illustrator.
    • Delete unnecessary layers and keep essential ones.
  2. Preparing in Illustrator

    • Separate and organize layers (head, back hair, arms, body, glasses).
    • Save the Illustrator file.
  3. Importing into After Effects

    • Import as a composition and maintain layer size.
    • Open composition and set resolution to full for better quality.

Replacing Character Components

Body Replacement

  • Convert body layer to shape.
  • Delete unnecessary groups in the layer.
  • Group and rename layers accordingly.
  • Copy and paste groups into the main composition.

Head Replacement

  • Similar process to body: convert to shape, group, rename, and reposition.
  • Match animation of new head with old one.

Hair and Other Features

  • Duplicate head layer for back hair.
  • Adjust positioning to ensure animation matches.

Adjusting Legs and Arms

Leg Adjustment

  • Adjust null object positions for leg alignment.
  • Increase stroke width for the leg components.
  • Taper strokes for a more natural look.

Arm Adjustment

  • Visible adjustments and recoloring.
  • Resize and reposition layers as necessary to match the new character.

Refinement

  • Use markers to sync animations properly.
  • Adjust expressions to maintain the integrity of movements.

Final Adjustments

Eyes and Eyebrows

  • Recolor and adjust size as needed.
  • Use previous animations when possible.

Back Hair Animation

  • Use bend effect and set keyframes for dynamic movement.
  • Adjust expressions to sync movements along with the character layer.

General Cleanup

  • Check visibility and positioning of all elements.
  • Clear cache for smoother playback.

Conclusion

  • Successfully replace character with minimal need for re-rigging.
  • Recommendation: Enroll in motion hero course for comprehensive learning on motion design and animation.

Additional Notes

  • Ensure keyframes are locked to avoid losing animations.
  • Use expressions to automate and refine animated movements.

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