AS3 Talking Avatar library for Starling

Introduction to the AS3 Talking Avatar Library for Starling

The AS3 Talking Avatar library is a powerful tool that allows developers to add talking avatars to their Flash applications using the Starling framework. This library provides a simple and easy-to-use interface for animating and lip-syncing avatars, making it perfect for interactive storytelling, educational content, and marketing materials.

In this tutorial, we'll explore how to use the AS3 Talking Avatar library to create a talking avatar that can be used in a Starling-based application. We'll cover the installation process, setting up the avatar, creating and animating lip-sync animations, and integrating the avatar with a Starling-based application.

Prerequisites

• AS3 programming knowledge
• Starling framework installed
• A code editor or IDE (such as Adobe Flash Builder or IntelliJ IDEA)
• A project setup with Starling (see Starling's official documentation for more information)

Step 1: Installation

To use the AS3 Talking Avatar library, you'll need to download and install the necessary files. You can download the latest version of the library from the official GitHub repository:

https://github.com/...

Extract the zip file and copy the talkingavatar folder to a directory within your project.

Step 2: Setting up the Avatar

The Talking Avatar library comes with several pre-made avatars that you can use. Let's use the "Miku" avatar for this tutorial.

Open the talkingavatar folder and find the Miku folder. Inside the Miku folder, you'll find the avatar's texture files (png), animation files (xml), and the avatar's class file (MikuAvatar.as).

Create a new directory within your project and name it avatars. Copy the entire Miku folder into this directory.

In your project's main file, add the following code to import the MikuAvatar class:

import talkingavatar.avatars.MikuAvatar;

Step 3: Creating and Animating Lip-Sync Animations

The Talking Avatar library uses a simple scripting language to define lip-sync animations. Create a new file called lipsync.xml in the avatars directory and add the following code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<animations>
    <animation id="hello_world">
        <frames>
            <frame time="0">
                <shape>
                    <path>
                        <moveTo x="50" y="50" />
                        <curveTo x="100" y="100" radius="50" />
                    </path>
                </shape>
            </frame>
            <frame time="1">
                <shape>
                    <path>
                        <moveTo x="50" y="100" />
                        <curveTo x="100" y="150" radius="50" />
                    </path>
                </shape>
            </frame>
        </frames>
    </animation>
</animations>

This script defines a simple animation that moves the avatar's lips and mouth to form the words "Hello, World!".

Step 4: Integrating the Avatar with Starling

Create a new class that extends the Starling class and add the following code:

package
{
    import starling.display.Stage;
    import starling.core.starling_internal;
    import talkingavatar.avatars.MikuAvatar;

    public class TalkingAvatarExample extends Stage
    {
        private var _mikuAvatar:MikuAvatar;

        public function TalkingAvatarExample()
        {
            super();

            // Create the avatar
            _mikuAvatar = new MikuAvatar();
            _mikuAvatar.x = 100;
            _mikuAvatar.y = 100;

            // Add the avatar to the stage
            addChild(_mikuAvatar);

            // Load the lip-sync animation
            _mikuAvatar.loadLipsync("lipsync.xml");

            // Play the animation
            _mikuAvatar.play("hello_world");
        }
    }
}

This class creates an instance of the MikuAvatar class, adds it to the stage, loads the lip-sync animation, and plays the animation.

Step 5: Running the Application

Create a new AS3 project in your code editor or IDE and add the TalkingAvatarExample class to the project. Run the application to see the talking avatar in action!

This tutorial has covered the basics of using the AS3 Talking Avatar library with Starling. You can customize the avatar's appearance and animation using the library's API and experiment with different lip-sync scripts to create unique and engaging animations.

That's it! With this library and this tutorial, you're ready to bring talking avatars to your Starling-based applications.