Edit the Background

Once returned to the working area with the actor, you may proceed to edit the background mask before a custom background image can be properly used.

  1. Click the Mask Editing button on the tool bar to access the Mask Editing Panel. By default, CrazyTalk has automatically estimated the most necessary parts for us in Auto Mode.
  2. Click the Actor Brush button and roughly draw contours to frame around the actor. CrazyTalk will estimate the actor's edge according to the contours.

    Using Actor Brush

    Actor contour created

  3. Click the Preview button and use the Zoom In (+ or Shift + "=") button to enlarge the image and check the mask result on the edges. If the result is not very well, click the Go to Manual Mode button to deal with the details.
  4. In Manual Mode, use the Eraser tool to refine the edges. You may need to decrease the eraser size by dragging the Brush Size slider to the left.
  5. Click the Preview button to check the results again. If you find jagged edges, use the Zoom In (+ or Shift + "=") button to enlarge the jagged area. Then click the Blur button and paint on the edges of the mask to smooth the edges out.

    Jaggy edges

    Jaggy edges removed

    6. Note:
    Alternatively, use an external image editor (e.g. Photoshop) to predefine the alpha channel for mask editing before loading your image into CrazyTalk. The alpha channel can be in 32-bit BMP, TGA or PNG format.
  6. Click the OK button when done and back to the working area. Then you can add a background image to the actor.