You can create your own customized CrazyTalk Model using any digital image, be it your own snap, a picture of your friend, colleague, or family member, a photo from your digital camera, or an image from a scanner.

After choosing a photo, you simply need to match the contours of a wireframe to the contours of the image. This is called bonding a wireframe to an image. At first, you can use the 4-point auto fitting technique for quick results. After experimenting with the tools, you can use the advanced facial fitting tools for more accurate and realistic models. The first time you fit a photo we suggest you follow our guidelines carefully. Fitting a photo is really simple and quick, as long as you follow the correct procedure. Fitting a photo in a haphazard way will lead to much frustration as areas or contours you fit, often no longer fit correctly after making changes in different areas.

The model interface provides the tools to choose and prepare an image for creating a CrazyTalk model. Click Model under Edit to start creating a CrazyTalk model.

To create a CrazyTalk Model:

1. To choose an image as the model, do one of the following:

   • Click Import Image to import an a jpg or bmp image. The Open dialog box appears. Browse to select a photo or an image file that you would like to use. Click Open to open the sample file.

   • Click Import from TWAIN Device to import an image from a scanner, a digital camera, or a similar TWAIN device connected to the PC. Select the source from the list displayed and click OK to capture an image.

2. Click Image Processing to open the image processing tools and enhance the image.

   If you import an image from your local folders or from a TWAIN device, the image processing screen is automatically opened. If you do not want this screen to open automatically, uncheck the Show while importing check box the first time the screen opens after importing an image.

   Use the tools on the left side of the image processing menu to crop the image or adjust the quality and color settings of the image as follows:

   • Click Crop Image to select the required image area. Cropping the image allows you to remove excess background area and enlarge the facial image that you wish to turn into a moving image.

   • Click Rotate CW or Rotate CCW to rotate the image by 90 degrees in the clockwise or counter clockwise direction.

   • Click Mirror to create a mirrored reflection of the image.

   • Click Smart Level to adjust the color levels of the image automatically.

   • Click Color Level to adjust the brightness, contrast, hue, and saturation levels of the image manually. Use the sliders in the menu box to adjust the values or enter the numerical values for each parameter in the boxes next to the sliders.

   • Click Color Balance to adjust the color balance manually. Drag the sliders to adjust the Cyan - Red, Magenta - Green, and Yellow -Blue levels. The box next to each of the respective properties shows positive or negative values depending on the position of the slider, with the center being zero. Click Highlights to apply these color settings to emphasize the brighter areas. Click Midtones to apply these color settings to the entire image with average intensity. Click Shadows to apply these color settings to emphasize the darker areas in the image.

   3. Next, the auto-fitting dialog box pops up. Click and move the blinking indicators numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the image to provide the four points for the fitting process as displayed in the sample image.

      

   4. Click Background Mask Editing to modify the area of the image that does not get moved. The background mask, also known as the alpha channel, controls the transparency of TGA images.

   

   • Click Full to extend the background mask over the complete image area.

   • Click Clear to delete the background mask.

   • Click Inverse to invert the background mask area. The area that was previously selected as the background mask is now used for animation whereas the previously animated area is converted into the background mask area.

   • Use the Brush Tool to specify whether you want to increase or decrease the background area. Click Increase if you want to enlarge the background area or add more parts to it. Click Decrease to erase parts of the background mask.

   • Adjust the Brush Size slider to increase or decrease the size of the brush tool. Use a thinner size when you want to change only small areas of the background mask. Alternatively, enter a number in the box next to the slider to specify the brush size.

   • Click Mask Color to specify the color for the background mask using the color palette. The mask color does not actually show up on the model; it is for your reference only.

   • Move the Opacity slider bar to specify the opacity of the background mask. The mask opacity does not actually show up on the model; it is for your reference only.

   • Move the Expand slider bar to expand the background mask.

   • Move the Blur slider bar to blur the background mask.

   • Click Preview to view the results of your editing.