Live2D

What a new post? Well, it seems this blog has found more use as a new course has rolled in relating to social media and community building. I have to admit at this point it's been a while since I've written anything and figuring out what to write about has been difficult. I've probably rewritten this post 3 or 4 times in the last two days and just deleted it over and over. Every time I've written a post I've tried to make it about 3D modeling in some way. It has ended up more like an inner monologue rather than talking about actual modeling though which is the reason I have erased and redone the post over and over. So maybe it is time to change the subject. 

I'll talk about a small interest of mine which is a program called "Live2D Cubism". To my knowledge, it is a 2.5D program that you use to make 2D work look 3D by making it move. The illusion of 3D comes when you use the prepared model to capture your facial movement and sometimes seeing a 2D model turn their head to the side gives the illusion of 3D. 

My introduction to this program, the very first one came while I was on Twitter and for the life of me I cannot find the work of the artist but her work impressed me so much I kept the program in the back of my mind. 

 The way the program works is that you create a 2D illustration but while you work on it you have to separate each part in a specific way so you can use the program to move them. So anyone using the program has to know how to draw or at minimum be able to use a separate art program to modify the existing images to be workable in Live2D Cubism. After that, they need to know how to use the program. (Which doesn't have many tutorials yet)

Enma Akatsuki's model of Nezuko illustrates how each part is separated.

Picture of what the program looks like.

Second time I saw Live2D being used is in a gacha game and if you play a game with a main menu, that has a 2D character in it that moves, that means it might have been done with Live2D. You can usually see the logo when logging in if it has been used. 

Twisted Wonderland, Disney.

After games where I've seen Live2D being used is in VTubers and streamers, both individuals and talent companies. One of the bigger Live2D streamer companies right now is Hololive. Hololive is a Japanese company that employs and provides the necessary materials for Live2D streamers. They have three divisions, China(Dispanded), Indonesia, and English. They hire talents and pay for their avatars, give them streaming layouts and character personalities to act on. On top of agencies, there are individuals who create their brand on their own, learning to create their own model, own layout and everything. One of the perks is that the employees can get upgrades to their models later on while working such as Cat ears or different expressions. But these ones are rarer. More often than not an individual uses thousands of dollars to have different people create the model, extra artwork, icons, layouts, and so on and so on. 

Hololive English, Kiara Takanashi, from a German-speaking country, supposedly.

Yenkoes, a Polish, individual art Vtuber.

Vtubing also has some slang that is being used. Generally, the artist who creates the design of your Vtuber character and the person who creates the model is called papa/mama. I think this has come from Hololive employees but I do not know the exact history of this. 

I've tried the program myself, not for facial recognition and movement but for just simple movement.

I hope to one day maybe try the program again.