To make a character for MS Comic Chat you will need the Microsoft Character Editor. Install the program (I suggest using the default path) and you are ready to go. If you are a talented artist, you can draw and scan original artwork. Otherwise, you can use the original AVS (existing character source file) files to make a character which you will find here . These files are in black and white so they can be coloured or if you are feeling really creative you can exchange body parts so that your character is truly an original. To see a really great example of using body parts to make a new, original character click here to see how MrBugSir made his Blinky avatar.
Get Pixel Color : Erase : Line : Hollow Box : Solid Box : Position Center of Head : Zoom : Solid Circle : Hollow Circle : Paint : Draw : The image above shows the line box. It is here that you can chose your line width for the erase, draw, line, hollow box and hollow circle tools. The top selection will be one pixel wide.The next two pixels, etc. To give you some perspective, there are about 72 pixels in an inch.
Cut/Copy : Paste : Flip Picture Horizontally : Transparent Clip Mode : Opaque Clip Mode : Flip Picture Vertically :
Before we proceed with this tutorial you need to be aware that, if you are using Windows XP, there may be some 'issues' with getting the Editor to function properly. Mermaid Elizabeth has written a help page which you can find here .
According to the help files, with the Character Editor you can:
Create characters by using familiar paint tools, or import and edit images from a wide variety of file formats.
Create separate poses to represent up to 12 emotions for each character, and up to 10 levels of intensity for each emotion.
Create black-and-white or color characters. You can create color characters for different color resolutions (for example, 256-color or High Color).
Create a character icon.
Make a character file which you can distribute but which cannot be edited by other people.
This tool will copy the colour of any pixel. This colour can then be applied to most of the other tools.
The colour palette displayed by the editor will vary depending on what colour resolution you have chosen for your character. If you have selected 16 bit colour you will only get the 16 colours shown above on the left. The larger colour palette on the right will be displayed if you have selected the 256/high colour resolution. Using 256/high colour will produce an AVB file that is much larger than if you are using 16 bit colour.
Keyboard shortcuts can be assigned for up to six colours. This is helpful if you use the same colours a lot. Select a colour in the colour palettte and click alt plus any number from one to six. Six shortcuts is the maximum here. Once assigned, the number you have selected for each colour will appear beside that colour.
As the name implies, this is an eraser. The colour left behind by the eraser is displayed in the bottom window and also shown here: 
In this case the eraser colour is red and is set by a right click on a colour in the colour palette (the draw tool colour, seen here as blue, is set by a left click). Select a line width from the line box.
To draw a line, click on your chosen colour, click on the tool, select a line width from the line box below the tool box and drag your mouse to the correct position. This tool will draw a straight line. To make a free form line, select the draw tool.
To draw a hollow box or rectangle, click on a colour in the colour palette and then click on the tool. Click on one of the lines below the tool box to select a border width.
To draw a solid box or rectangle, click on a colour in the colour palette and then click on the tool.
This tool is used to center the speech balloon in comic chat. Click on the tool and drag it to the middle of the character's head. This must be done for every pose and intensity.
The zoom tool offers 4 different magnifications, 2X, 4X, 6X and 8X. This tool makes cleaning backgrounds easy and is essential for 'up close' work. To return to a normal window size, deselect the zoom tool or go to 'view/normal view'.
To draw a solid circle, click on a colour in the colour palette and then click on the tool.
To draw a hollow circle, click on a colour in the colour palette and then click on the tool. Click on one of the lines below the tool box to select a border width.
The paint bucket will flood fill any area with the colour you select.
This is a free form drawing and colouring tool. Click on a colour then select this tool. The line or pixel size is determined by the size of the line you have selected in the line box shown below.
Use this tool to select all or part of your picture for copying. You will notice that when you select all or part of the picture that six new tools open in the tool box.
This tool will paste the selected area into another pose. You will need to chose whether to paste transparently or opaquely. See image below.
All characters must be facing right in order for the character to respond correctly to others in comic chat. Use this tool to flip your character if it is not facing the right direction.
Clicking this tool will allow you to paste your selection so that the existing pose, or part of the pose, shows through and the background colour will not show.
Clicking this tool will allow you to paste your selection so that the existing pose, or part of the pose, will be covered. See the image below. In both the opaque mode and the transparent mode, your image can be dragged so it is positioned as you want it, until you click on paste.
Transparent Clip Mode
Opaque Clip Mode
Use this tool to flip your character vertically. Why would anyone want an upside down character pose? A good example is somedude's laugh pose shown below:
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Please note in the above pose, the positioning of the Position Center of Head tool. This tool is meant to position the speech balloon correctly in comic chat and is therefore placed in the top center position and not necessairly in the center of the head.
Cancel the Paste : 
This will remove the paste you have made.
Known Issues with the Microsoft Chat Character Editor
It is advisable and I always recommend that people read the help files of any program they are trying to learn. The above image shows a small section from the Character Editor Help files.
Unfortunately, when you go to the 'edit' menu, as recommened in the above image, there is no 'clear selection' choice. Large areas can be erased but you would have to use 'edit/cut' and this will place a large amount of information on your clipboard which will affect your system resources.
To read about other known issues with the Character Editor, go to the readme file located in your Microsoft Chat Character Editor directory.
Many thanks to MrBugSir for allowing me to share parts of his tutorials and for being a patient and understanding proof reader.
Thanks to prip and BBear for also being a proof readers extraordinaire!
|
Create A Character From An Existing AVS File |
| Create A Character Using Imported Images |
| The Final Step: Posting Your Character |
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