Streaming on Twitch with Adobe Character Animator
Use a live avatar in your game streaming that tracks your expressions in real time and animates accordingly.
Hey, gamers, have you been streaming on Twitch? If you still aren’t on one of the most famous game-streaming platforms, now you might have a solid reason to jump aboard: an avatar that spices up your streaming big time!
And no… we are not talking about just another static avatar if that’s what you are thinking. We are talking about a super cool real-time expression tracking avatar that moves and reacts as you do. (For real!)
How is that even possible? The answer comes right away: with Adobe Character Animator. This software lets you animate your own cartoon character or an avatar (in this case) without requiring professional skills in animating. Here is how:
- Firstly, you need to have Adobe Character Animator installed on your PC,
- and an avatar specifically prepared for Adobe Character Animator (this process is known as rigging).
- The software will detect your facial expressions and head movements by using your mic and cam,
- and then, animate the avatar accordingly. Cool, huh?
And yep, it’s that easy! The whole thing looks quite impressive in the end. And is a lot of fun for both your viewers and yourself. (Which is the purpose, after all, right?) Here is how your game streaming would look like:
Looking good, isn’t it? If you already crave your own animated avatar for game streaming, keep reading. We’ll take you through the process of how to get one and import it into your own live stream.
Related: Adobe introduced a new, Free Version of Adobe Character Animator called Started Mode? Learn how you can get it.
Step 1: Get a pre-made avatar or order a custom one.
All the fun begins with choosing an avatar for your game streaming. Now, there are free and paid options for Adobe puppet templates. While the paid puppets include more specific triggers features adapted for game streaming, the free Adobe puppet templates are made with multipurpose triggers suitable for different animation projects.
Free multipurpose puppets for live animation:
Adobe has provided a bunch of free puppet templates made with different triggers and features. Here are a few of the official Adobe Character Animator examples that you can grab and test on your stream.
Proteus – a customizable boy character in a simple outline style.
Thorne – a blue troll character made in a simple flat style.
Alien Al – a funny alien character in a flying space ship.
A few more examples provided by Okay Samurai – one of the biggest contributors of free Adobe puppet templates. Each is rigged with different triggers and features, so feel free to test them out on your game stream.
Hackbot – a robot free Adobe puppet with a nutcracking jaw.
Red monster speaker puppet great for streaming projects.
A friendly green monster free puppet. PSD file also provided.
Dude – a multipurpose free Adobe puppet template.
Almasol – an expressive puppet host great for streaming.
Filmbot – a robot free puppet template with blinking lights.
A funny goldfish free Adobe puppet made by GraphicMama and perfect to test it on Twitch. The goldfish can express emotions, talk, make bubbles and move his fin.
Premium gamer puppets for live animation:
We’ve also created several pre-made premium avatar templates for game-streaming. All are 100% ready to be imported into Adobe Character Animator. Each of these premade Adobe Character Animator puppets for game streaming will:
- express an array of emotions: normal, angry, excited,
- simulate gaming by using a keyboard and a mouse,
- simulate talking as you speak.
Chase Streams
An avid gamer guy with expressive emotions, wearing a GG T-shirt and headphones.
Kat Gamin’Bad
A sassy and playful cat girl rocking big goggles on her head and a provocative outfit.
Skullman Flames
A cool skull avatar for game streaming that will set your audience on fire for sure.
Nikitta Legend
An attractive cat girl gamer in a sexy outfit ready to captivate your viewers with charm.
*these Adobe Character Animator puppets are available on transparent backgrounds
Wait, what?! Just the four? Okay, we get it. Everybody wants to be unique which is why we are open to orders for custom avatar designs.
We can make an avatar that looks just like you… or an animal, or a fictional character, or pretty much anything you wish. No judgment!
Step 2: Set up the avatar for game streaming
Important! In order to import a real-time animated avatar in your stream, you must have NewTek NDI Tools for Windows installed on your system.
Once you have the avatar in your hands, open it in Adobe Character Animator. All GraphicMama’s avatars come in .puppet files which are ready to be imported into ACA right away.
At this point, you will have to tweak a few settings before moving on to your streaming software. A checklist of what you need to do:
- Plug in your camera. Then, make sure it is selected and working.
- Open the .puppet file. Then, click on the Stream tap at the top.
- Drag and drop the loaded avatar puppet from the menu on the left into the scene.
- After you’ve installed NewTek NDI Tools (link provided above), restart Adobe Character Animator. Then, go to Edit -> Preferences -> Live Output. Select NewTek NDI output under Video Device.
- Activate the Stream Live option from the shown icon below the scene.
Step 3: Add the avatar to your stream using OBS
Important! It’s crucial to use the latest OBS software. Older versions may not support NDI.
If you successfully completed the previous steps, the avatar should be fully ready to rise and shine. All you have to do is add a new NDIPlugin.NDISourceName source to your stream. A straightforward process you should be already familiar with.
Aaaand… That’s it!
Your avatar should be there, mimicking everything you do. All that’s left for you is to position it on the screen: a process as simple as adding your webcam. Place it, find the perfect spot and watch your viewers lose their minds in the chat. GGWP.
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