Actor Font creation tutorial -- including a Google Video

Denny Betterman · 06:02 AM

MOST OF THIS DIED YEARS AGO, BUT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SAVE SOME OF IT.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0rk...it?usp=sharing Left click me. Then left click download. Then left click download anyway. Google! Also, this should last forever.

THAT CONTAINS ALL TEN COMPLETED FONTS, THEIR TEXTURES, AND THE WORKINGS TO CREATE THE OTHER ACTOR FONTS IF YOU DESIRE. Unfortunately, instructions on how to do this have been lost to time, apparently. They can be recreated at another point, but for now, here's what the archaeological dig uncovered. I've modified the original post to remove the dead links and video--at bottom is list of completed fonts that are contained in the above zip! ENJOY!

EDIT: The actor fonts keymaps.txt linked in THIS VERY POST FROM 2007 is STILL FUNCTIONAL! The Key Maps.txt I included in the zip includes a description of why I laid out the template the way I did, but its template is missing a number of parts + mappings for the ten completed fonts. Download the big underlined link as well if you so desire!

------------------

Lo, here layeth the tutorial for creation of Actor Font expansions. I'm posting this here largely for the purpose of letting people create their own actors from the default list, though it's certainly possible to create actor fonts of other added actors like Nickelodeon, maybe Doraemon...maybe the imp? It'd entirely depend on how they're made ANYWAY. The movie is a bit bumbly--I more or less said "I'll do it now" and just started it, but I do believe the entire thing is explained just fine. I'll, uh, get a text version up soon, but trust me it's easier to see what you want to do rather than just try to interpret text--the text would be best for reminders.

I've put a system into the creation of these things to keep everything together and not as confusing. We also don't need more than one person making a font of the same actor, so MAKE SURE that you DECLARE who you're working on before you get to work so that there isn't a whole lot of redundant work goin' on. Each font can take around two hours to make, so I wouldn't want to waste anyone's time.

Contained in each zip below is everything you need for the fonts, except Pencil, 3DMM, and an image editor (I used Photoshop CS2, but anything that can edit palettes would work. Paint might even work, if you load an image using that palette already? Not sure, wouldn't surprised if it doesn't work). The NUMBER on the left of each actor is the ID. In the tutorial video, every time I switch the IDs to include the number 14 instead of 18, you replace 14 with the ID of the actor you're doing. If you're doing Augustin, for example, you put 02 instead of 14. Notice that a couple numbers are missing--those are the animals. No fonts for those, though I'm considering doing an extra, all-encompassing font that contains the animals and all the props. It wouldn't be used insanely much, but then again, there are always uses for this kind of thing. Say you wanted to retexture the ambulance and let its wheels pop off as well. Tada, now you just turn the new texture into a font texture and use the font instead, mucho easy.

WHEN YOU'RE DONE, TEST IT, THEN SEND EVERYTHING TO ME FIRST: thatdenny@gmail.com

The ones that say complete contain downloads to the finished expansion AND the texture file which should be placed in c:\program files\microsoft kids\3dmovie whenever you want to add that particular actor's textures to a movie (note that if you don't have the file there, the movies that already use the textures WILL still work perfectly--this way, you don't have 42 actor's worths of textures at the top of the texture list to scroll through every time you use 3dmm--not like a certain 3dmmap2 script couldn't make that easier to handle anyway

)

Here's the font template, edit this to reflect your actor and send it back to me when you're done, too. This also contains every actor completed so far, for your reference.

06 Bino BeGood - Pogo - Complete
14 Eliza - Denny Betterman - Complete
18 Gregory - Denny Betterman - Complete
19 Gustave - Denny Betterman - Complete
20 Henry - Pogo - Complete
28 Michael - Denny Betterman - Complete
30 Nakita - Fingers - Complete
31 Patrick - Stan Pennant - Complete
32 Ramu - Fingers - Complete

Pogo · 02-02-2007, 10:16 PM

DIBS ON HENRY THE KNIGHT

Denny Betterman · 02-02-2007, 10:55 PM

Hm, it seems like the version uploaded to google video cuts out a couple minutes early? And yet it seems like the video ended at the right spot? Strange. When I was making the video, I had to insert all kinds of blank chunks into the audio to keep it synced, and, now that it's on google video, it's syncing CORRECTLY but with the blank chucks it's DESYNCING? AUGH.

Molotov · 02-03-2007, 02:52 PM

The video-audio's badly unsynced, but still this is great and is starting to inspire me.

Denny Betterman · 12:19 AM

yeah, the problem is on google video's end, in that they probably converted the movie into a different format, changing the number of frames per second, but keeping the audio the same. I checked--the movie ends at the exact same place as the ones on my hard drive, and the audio is exactly the same as on my hard drive, but the google video version's video goes slightly faster. I'm going to upload the correct version and make it available for download.

edit: better version link added

Denny Betterman · 02-04-2007, 06:33 AM

I'm adding animations using each font when the fonts are finished, I'll post a Gus and Mike tomorrerr

Pogo's Henry is coming along fine nice and easy, everyone else is perfectly welcome to join in

Gorosaurus · 02-04-2007, 06:07 PM

Whoa, simply whoa

Denny Betterman · 02-05-2007, 08:57 PM

Pogo has successfully completed a brand new font for Henry! It all looks good to me, however, Henry's textures largely appear AFTER EVERYTHING ELSE due to how his ids were laid out in 3dmm--this can't be fixed or changed, so people using henry, know that without the 3dmmap2 script it might take a little while to get to Henry's textures each time, unless you do copy paste business

Pogo · 02-05-2007, 09:25 PM

THIS IS FUN FOR ME

Darth Fyer · 02-06-2007, 04:12 AM

Holy shit that is totally awesome!

Edit: Post that in the animations thread. It's bound to trip everyone out!

http://www.3dmm.com/showthread.php?t=18640

Pogo · 02-06-2007, 11:06 PM

Well since everyone else is just RUSHING to help out in this endevour, I'm going to jump in too and take on Patrick and Bino. I shall probably regret this since Bino's mouth consists of four BMDLs.

Aaron Haynes · 02-06-2007, 11:38 PM

Blech. I removed all of that stuff for Jack, reducing it to just the face and hair model. He looks like something out of a blackface routine anyway.

Pogo · 02-06-2007, 11:52 PM

Don't start me. I've already removed them for Annihilation, for pretty much the same reason. Luckily the texture monkeys gave him a real mouth as well

I think I'll include Jackface in the font alongside Defaultface if that's OK.

Denny Betterman · 02-07-2007, 12:34 AM

Actually, Stan Pennant already took dibs on Patrick last night, I helped him through some of the starting stuff. I just, uh, forgot to mark the dibs on the list!

Spiderspriter · 02-07-2007, 05:50 PM

How do you extract the textures from it? I really need a actor font henry for my next movie, but I can't find any textures to use!

Denny Betterman · 02-07-2007, 06:43 PM

Put the .3th file that comes in the zip into c:\program files\microsoft kids\3d movie maker\ and they'll be ready to use, however, Henry's textures appear at the very bottom of the texture list due to how high the ids are, followed only by other v3dmm texture expansions.

Also, Bino is done. Go Pogo!

Spiderspriter · 02-07-2007, 06:46 PM

Ah! I understand, I was extracting the textures from the file manually using 7gen. However it kept coming up with bad pallete errors.

That way is much easier. Thanks! ^.^

Fingers · 10:13 PM

Since YOU didn't bother doing Nakita, I might as well do her

EDIT: Also Ramu/Dask/Steel

Mabdog · 02-09-2007, 10:38 PM

lol. trust me, that's a neck

Fingers · 02-10-2007, 12:05 AM

EDIT: Nevermind, problem solved.

Mabdog · 02-16-2007, 07:16 AM

y aren't the textures showing up?

Red Scorpion · 02-16-2007, 01:23 PM

Yeah, same for me. The only texture I do get is Gustave's.. Help anyone!?

Mabdog · 02-17-2007, 02:47 AM

Not Found
The requested URL /actorfont/gustave.zip was not found on this server.

Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

now they're not even working at all

Mabdog · 02-17-2007, 03:11 AM

how did u do that folder thing for your expansions?

Denny Betterman · 02-17-2007, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mabdog

Not Found
The requested URL /actorfont/gustave.zip was not found on this server.

Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

now they're not even working at all

My site is down. Happens. It'll be working later.

Also, what folder thing? You mean in the v3dmmManager? As in, I didn't put the author name as 'Denny Betterman' but as '3dmm Actor Fonts?'

02-02-2007, 10:11 PM	#1
Denny Betterman Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,531	Actor Font creation tutorial -- including a Google Video MOST OF THIS DIED YEARS AGO, BUT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SAVE SOME OF IT. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0rk...it?usp=sharing Left click me. Then left click download. Then left click download anyway. Google! Also, this should last forever. THAT CONTAINS ALL TEN COMPLETED FONTS, THEIR TEXTURES, AND THE WORKINGS TO CREATE THE OTHER ACTOR FONTS IF YOU DESIRE. Unfortunately, instructions on how to do this have been lost to time, apparently. They can be recreated at another point, but for now, here's what the archaeological dig uncovered. I've modified the original post to remove the dead links and video--at bottom is list of completed fonts that are contained in the above zip! ENJOY! EDIT: The actor fonts keymaps.txt linked in THIS VERY POST FROM 2007 is STILL FUNCTIONAL! The Key Maps.txt I included in the zip includes a description of why I laid out the template the way I did, but its template is missing a number of parts + mappings for the ten completed fonts. Download the big underlined link as well if you so desire! ------------------ Lo, here layeth the tutorial for creation of Actor Font expansions. I'm posting this here largely for the purpose of letting people create their own actors from the default list, though it's certainly possible to create actor fonts of other added actors like Nickelodeon, maybe Doraemon...maybe the imp? It'd entirely depend on how they're made ANYWAY. The movie is a bit bumbly--I more or less said "I'll do it now" and just started it, but I do believe the entire thing is explained just fine. I'll, uh, get a text version up soon, but trust me it's easier to see what you want to do rather than just try to interpret text--the text would be best for reminders. I've put a system into the creation of these things to keep everything together and not as confusing. We also don't need more than one person making a font of the same actor, so MAKE SURE that you DECLARE who you're working on before you get to work so that there isn't a whole lot of redundant work goin' on. Each font can take around two hours to make, so I wouldn't want to waste anyone's time. Contained in each zip below is everything you need for the fonts, except Pencil, 3DMM, and an image editor (I used Photoshop CS2, but anything that can edit palettes would work. Paint might even work, if you load an image using that palette already? Not sure, wouldn't surprised if it doesn't work). The NUMBER on the left of each actor is the ID. In the tutorial video, every time I switch the IDs to include the number 14 instead of 18, you replace 14 with the ID of the actor you're doing. If you're doing Augustin, for example, you put 02 instead of 14. Notice that a couple numbers are missing--those are the animals. No fonts for those, though I'm considering doing an extra, all-encompassing font that contains the animals and all the props. It wouldn't be used insanely much, but then again, there are always uses for this kind of thing. Say you wanted to retexture the ambulance and let its wheels pop off as well. Tada, now you just turn the new texture into a font texture and use the font instead, mucho easy. WHEN YOU'RE DONE, TEST IT, THEN SEND EVERYTHING TO ME FIRST: thatdenny@gmail.com The ones that say complete contain downloads to the finished expansion AND the texture file which should be placed in c:\program files\microsoft kids\3dmovie whenever you want to add that particular actor's textures to a movie (note that if you don't have the file there, the movies that already use the textures WILL still work perfectly--this way, you don't have 42 actor's worths of textures at the top of the texture list to scroll through every time you use 3dmm--not like a certain 3dmmap2 script couldn't make that easier to handle anyway ) Here's the font template, edit this to reflect your actor and send it back to me when you're done, too. This also contains every actor completed so far, for your reference. 06 Bino BeGood - Pogo - Complete 14 Eliza - Denny Betterman - Complete 18 Gregory - Denny Betterman - Complete 19 Gustave - Denny Betterman - Complete 20 Henry - Pogo - Complete 28 Michael - Denny Betterman - Complete 30 Nakita - Fingers - Complete 31 Patrick - Stan Pennant - Complete 32 Ramu - Fingers - Complete
	Last edited by Denny Betterman : 06-11-2013 at 06:02 AM.

02-02-2007, 10:16 PM	#2
Pogo Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,228	DIBS ON HENRY THE KNIGHT
Pogo Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,228

02-03-2007, 02:52 PM	#4
Molotov Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 4,858	The video-audio's badly unsynced, but still this is great and is starting to inspire me.
Molotov Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 4,858

02-03-2007, 08:12 PM	#5
Denny Betterman Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,531	yeah, the problem is on google video's end, in that they probably converted the movie into a different format, changing the number of frames per second, but keeping the audio the same. I checked--the movie ends at the exact same place as the ones on my hard drive, and the audio is exactly the same as on my hard drive, but the google video version's video goes slightly faster. I'm going to upload the correct version and make it available for download. edit: better version link added
	Last edited by Denny Betterman : 02-04-2007 at 12:19 AM.

02-05-2007, 09:25 PM	#9
Pogo Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,228	THIS IS FUN FOR ME
Pogo Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,228

02-02-2007, 10:55 PM	#3
Denny Betterman Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,531	Hm, it seems like the version uploaded to google video cuts out a couple minutes early? And yet it seems like the video ended at the right spot? Strange. When I was making the video, I had to insert all kinds of blank chunks into the audio to keep it synced, and, now that it's on google video, it's syncing CORRECTLY but with the blank chucks it's DESYNCING? AUGH.

02-04-2007, 06:33 AM	#6
Denny Betterman Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,531	I'm adding animations using each font when the fonts are finished, I'll post a Gus and Mike tomorrerr Pogo's Henry is coming along fine nice and easy, everyone else is perfectly welcome to join in

02-04-2007, 06:07 PM	#7
Gorosaurus Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 16,146	Whoa, simply whoa

02-05-2007, 08:57 PM	#8
Denny Betterman Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,531	Pogo has successfully completed a brand new font for Henry! It all looks good to me, however, Henry's textures largely appear AFTER EVERYTHING ELSE due to how his ids were laid out in 3dmm--this can't be fixed or changed, so people using henry, know that without the 3dmmap2 script it might take a little while to get to Henry's textures each time, unless you do copy paste business

02-06-2007, 04:12 AM	#10
Darth Fyer Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 656	Holy shit that is totally awesome! Edit: Post that in the animations thread. It's bound to trip everyone out! http://www.3dmm.com/showthread.php?t=18640
Darth Fyer Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 656

02-06-2007, 11:06 PM	#11
Pogo Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,228	Well since everyone else is just RUSHING to help out in this endevour, I'm going to jump in too and take on Patrick and Bino. I shall probably regret this since Bino's mouth consists of four BMDLs.
Pogo Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,228

02-06-2007, 11:38 PM	#12
Aaron Haynes Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 15,125	Blech. I removed all of that stuff for Jack, reducing it to just the face and hair model. He looks like something out of a blackface routine anyway.

02-06-2007, 11:52 PM	#13
Pogo Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,228	Don't start me. I've already removed them for Annihilation, for pretty much the same reason. Luckily the texture monkeys gave him a real mouth as well I think I'll include Jackface in the font alongside Defaultface if that's OK.
Pogo Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,228

02-07-2007, 12:34 AM	#14
Denny Betterman Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,531	Actually, Stan Pennant already took dibs on Patrick last night, I helped him through some of the starting stuff. I just, uh, forgot to mark the dibs on the list!

02-07-2007, 05:50 PM	#15
Spiderspriter Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 21	How do you extract the textures from it? I really need a actor font henry for my next movie, but I can't find any textures to use!

02-07-2007, 06:43 PM	#16
Denny Betterman Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,531	Put the .3th file that comes in the zip into c:\program files\microsoft kids\3d movie maker\ and they'll be ready to use, however, Henry's textures appear at the very bottom of the texture list due to how high the ids are, followed only by other v3dmm texture expansions. Also, Bino is done. Go Pogo!

02-07-2007, 06:46 PM	#17
Spiderspriter Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 21	Ah! I understand, I was extracting the textures from the file manually using 7gen. However it kept coming up with bad pallete errors. That way is much easier. Thanks! ^.^

02-09-2007, 09:18 PM	#18
Fingers Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,575	Since YOU didn't bother doing Nakita, I might as well do her EDIT: Also Ramu/Dask/Steel
Fingers Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,575	Last edited by Fingers : 02-09-2007 at 10:13 PM.

02-09-2007, 10:38 PM	#19
Mabdog Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 5,670	lol. trust me, that's a neck
Mabdog Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 5,670

02-10-2007, 12:05 AM	#20
Fingers Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,575	EDIT: Nevermind, problem solved.
Fingers Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,575

02-16-2007, 07:16 AM	#21
Mabdog Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 5,670	y aren't the textures showing up?
Mabdog Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 5,670

02-16-2007, 01:23 PM	#22
Red Scorpion Banned Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 4,229	Yeah, same for me. The only texture I do get is Gustave's.. Help anyone!?
Red Scorpion Banned Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 4,229

02-17-2007, 02:47 AM	#23
Mabdog Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 5,670	Not Found The requested URL /actorfont/gustave.zip was not found on this server. Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request. now they're not even working at all
Mabdog Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 5,670

02-17-2007, 03:11 AM	#24
Mabdog Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 5,670	how did u do that folder thing for your expansions?
Mabdog Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 5,670