can you lip synch an image?

I hope I can explain my question adequately, I will do my best. I am using Toon Boom Studio 4.5 on a Mac.

I am trying to use a layer from a Photoshop psd image for a lower jaw that moves along with a sound, like the Canadians in South Park. I am having hard time with getting the image to move, because if I create a new cell or ‘paste new object’ (a copy of the image via apple-C) the prior image moves to the same position as the one I am trying to use in a different position. Ideally I would like to get this image to move along with the lip synch, but it’s not like drawing images which I can select.

What is the best way to pursue getting a layered image layer to move along with the lip synch?

Thanks

Here is a very simple video demonstration:
(sorry about that “green blob” - forgot to deactivate before recording)

http://web.mac.com/nolan.scott/Gallery/lipsync_images.html

Cheers
Nolan

That is a useful video – thanks for sharing, but I am actually trying to use a single image, and have that image move up and down (and maybe rotate a bit) in a very simplistic manner.

Is the best way to do this to import multiple copies of the exact same image in order to achieve the movement?

I have managed to manually set keyframes to make the single mouth image move, but I would like to get the image to move with the lip-synch mapped phonemes rather than doing it manually.

…best way for me to explain my predicament is with the following:

I have a Photoshop image with two layers, one of the top half of the head, the other layer has the lower half. When the character talks I want the lower half to move open and shut along with the spoken words on the vocal track. The problem I am facing is that I can’t manage to move the image into another position (open/closed) without it affecting the position of the element in the other frames- so if I move the lower half to represent an ‘open’ mouth in frame 2 for example, the first frame where the mouth WAS closed ends up in an opened position as well.

I can draw and lip synch, or use different images to lip synch, but for the life of me cannot get a single image to move around with lip synch.

I suppose the jist of my question is: can I get a single image to move around with the TBS’s lip-synch? If so, how?

Thanks again for any help.

Check this article out and see if it helps you with your issue.

Photo Cut-Out Animation Part 3

The long and the short of it is that to animate a photo talking requires more than one element in TBS it isn’t sufficient to have your character broken into layers in PhotoShop, you have to break them into layers (elements) in TBS. -JK

Thank you for the info, I really appreciate it.

Just to recap the method, you can either:

1. Import an vectorize an image, then cut it up in TBS. After which it is a snap to copy and paste.

2. or you can save the part (in this case the mouth) as a separate image, as opposed to a layered Photoshop file with a dozen other parts. Then that one image can be cut/pasted to be used with the automated lip-synch.

Where I was going off course, was I was trying to copy/paste a layer into an element… which I wanted to lip-synch. When doing it this way it seems to only be possible to use keyframes. So, I will use option 1 and option 2 :slight_smile:

Thanks again.

I had the exact same problem. I think.
Instead of pasting the same image twice:
Go to Edit → Paste New Object.
If you just paste the same object it will assume you want the same changes.