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Jaejun You | 2024-04-10

Hello there! If you're new to the world of 3D animation, don't worry - we're here to guide you every step of the way. Plask Motion is a powerful tool that lets you create amazing 3D animations from regular videos. Let's explore how it works!

What is Plask Motion?

Plask Motion is like magic for videos. It takes a normal video of someone moving and turns it into a 3D animation that you can use in all sorts of cool projects. Imagine taking a video of yourself dancing and turning it into a 3D character that can dance in a video game or animated movie!

Getting Started: Importing Your Video

First things first, we need to get your video into Plask Motion. There are two easy ways to do this:

Method 1: The Import Button (Great for Beginners!)

  • Click it, and a window will pop up showing your computer's files.
  • Find the video you want to use and select it.

Method 2: Drag and Drop (Quick and Easy!)

If you can see your video file on your computer, just click and drag it right into the Plask Motion window. It's that simple!

Choosing the Right Video

Not all videos work perfectly for 3D animation. Here are some tips:

  • Use a video where the person's whole body is visible.
  • Make sure the lighting is good so we can see all the movements clearly.
  • Try to have a simple background without too many other people or objects moving around.

Preparing Your Video

Trimming: Choosing the Best Part of Your Video

Sometimes you only want to use part of your video. Here's how to select just the part you want:

  • Look for a timeline under your video. It shows the whole length of your video.
  • There are two little handles on this timeline - one at the start and one at the end.
  • Drag the left handle to where you want your animation to start.
  • Drag the right handle to where you want your animation to end.

This way, you can pick out just the coolest dance move or the perfect walk cycle!

Magic Time: Turning Your Video into 3D Animation

Now for the exciting part - let's turn your video into a 3D animation!

Choosing Your Animation Style

Plask Motion has three main ways of creating animations, called Classic, Accurate and Stable. Think of them like different flavors of ice cream - they're both good, but slightly different:

  • Classic V1 is great to achieve fluid and continuous motion.
  • Accurate is great for smooth, flowing movements.
  • Stable is awesome for more precise, detailed animations.

Don't worry too much about this for now. As you get more experienced, you'll develop a preference. For beginners, either option will work great!

Cool Extra Features

Plask Motion has some neat tricks up its sleeve:

  • Multi-person Tracking: If your video has more than one person, Plask can animate them all! (Just remember, this uses more of your credits.)
  • T-Pose Start: This makes your character start in a T-pose (arms out like a T). It's super useful if you want to use your animation in games or other 3D software.
  • Hand Animation: Want to capture finger movements too? Turn this on!
  • Choose Your Star: If there are multiple people in your video but you only want to animate one, you can tell Plask which person to focus on.

Creating Your Animation

Ready to see some magic? Here's how to turn your video into a 3D animation:

    1. Double-check all your choices are just how you want them.
    1. Find the big Generate button and give it a click.
    1. Now, wait a little while. Plask is doing some complex calculations to create your animation.
    1. Important: Don't close the window or refresh the page while it's working!
    1. When it's done, you'll see a little picture (we call it a thumbnail) of your video. This means your animation is ready!

Using Your New Animation

Congratulations! You've just created a 3D animation. Here's what you can do with it:

  • Apply it to 3D models in Plask Motion to bring characters to life.
  • Export it to use in other 3D software or game engines.
  • Modify and tweak it to create unique animations.

Some Helpful Things to Know

  • You can upload videos up to 100 MB in size.
  • Your animation can be up to 9000 frames long (that's about 5 minutes at 30 frames per second).
  • For videos with multiple people, try to keep it to about 5 people or fewer for the best results.
  • Each frame of animation uses up credits:
    • 1 credit per frame for one person
    • 3 credits per frame for multiple people

Need a Hand?

If you're ever stuck or have questions, don't be shy! We're here to help. You can reach out to our friendly support team at support@plask.ai. We love hearing from new animators and helping them create amazing things.

Remember, everyone starts somewhere. The more you play with Plask Motion, the better you'll get. Before you know it, you'll be creating incredible 3D animations like a pro. So dive in, have fun, and let your creativity soar!

Happy animating, and welcome to the wonderful world of 3D!