Create an avatar video from scratch


About

Create an avatar video from scratch using your own script and media.

Generated avatar videos are saved as media in My Media and can be reused like other media in the platform.

This feature requires the Avatarvodstudio module to be enabled.

Create a new project

1. Access Avatar Studio from:

  • the user menu by selecting My Avatar Videos
  • the +Create menu by selecting Avatar Video
  • This option only appears if the site uses the Theming header.

    The 'New avatar video' window opens.

    2. Select Start from scratch.

    A blank draft project opens in the editor.

Key features of the editor

The editor is where you create, preview, and generate your avatar video project.

The editor includes:

Add scenes

  1. In Scene 1, enter your script text.
  2. Press 'enter' to create line breaks.
  3. Changes are saved automatically.
  4. Add more text by clicking Add scene at the bottom of the scene panel or on the scene timeline.
  5. New scenes are added to the end of the existing scenes.

    A blue indicator beside each scene reflects the approximate narration duration for the scene.

  6. Repeat to continue adding scenes.

Projects support up to 20 scenes. When the limit is reached, the +Add scene controls are disabled.

Delete a scene

Locate the scene, click the three dots to the right and select Delete.

Use the scene timeline

Use the scene timeline to navigate between scenes and review the structure of your video project.

From the timeline, you can:

  • select scenes
  • reorder scenes by dragging and dropping them
  • preview scene order
  • add new scenes

The selected scene is highlighted in the timeline and updates automatically while editing.

Reorder scenes

  1. Hover over a scene in the timeline until the drag handle appears.
  2. Click and drag the scene to a new position in the timeline.
  3. As you drag, a placeholder shows where the scene will be placed when you drop it.

  4. Release the scene to move it.
  • If you drag the scene outside the timeline, the placeholder isn't displayed.
  • If you release the scene outside the timeline, it returns to its original position.
  • After the scene is moved, the scene numbers update automatically.

Add source media

You can add source media to support avatar narration scenes.

  1. Select the scene.
  2. Click Media on the upper right.
  3. The 'Media' panel opens.
  4. Select one of the following:
  • Add video clip
  • Add a slide

The selector window opens.

  • Locate the desired media and click Select.
    • Only captioned video entries can be used as source videos. Entries without captions don't appear in the media selector.
    • Slides use Fill sizing. Presentation slides that aren't 16:9 are automatically cropped to fill the video frame.

    The selected media is added to the scene.

    For more information, see Edit source clips in avatar videos.

    Customize the avatar and background

    Click Avatar on the upper right.

    The 'Avatar' panel opens.

    Choose an avatar

    1. In the Avatar section, click the current avatar to open the avatar gallery.
    2. Click on a new avatar to select it.
    3. The selected avatar is applied immediately to all scenes.

    Choose the background color

    The Color tab displays by default when the 'Avatar' panel opens.

    Select a preset color

    Click one of the colors from the available presets.

    The selected color is applied immediately to all scenes.

    Select a custom color

    1. Click the + button to  open the color picker.
    2. You can click the selector arrows to toggle between different color code formats

    3. Enter your color values and press 'enter'.

    Choose a background image

    1. In the Background section, click the Image tab to open the image options.
    2. Select a background image from the preset options. 
    3. The selected image is applied immediately to all scenes.

      To remove the background image and return to a solid background color, select the Color tab.

    Upload a custom image

    1. In the 'Image' tab, click Upload.
    2. Choose a PNG or JPEG image from your device.
      • Recommended image resolution: 1920 x 1080 
      • Images that aren't 16:9 are automatically cropped on the sides to fill the background.

      The uploaded image is applied immediately to all scenes.

      To change the custom image, click Replace image.

      To remove the background image and return to a solid background color, select the Color tab.

    Preview a scene

    Click on the scene you want to preview, then click the Preview scene in the preview window.

    The preview includes:

    • audio narration generated from the current script
    • a still image of the selected avatar
    • playback controls

    • The preview doesn't generate a full animated video.
    • If the script changes after a preview is generated, a warning message appears to indicate the preview is outdated. Select Preview scene again to generate an updated preview.

    Rename the project

    1. At the top left of the editor, click the pencil icon to open the project name dialog.
    2. Enter a new name.
    3. Click Save.

    Generate the final video

    When the project is ready, click Generate at the top right.

    Generating the final video can take several minutes depending on project length.

    During generation the project displays a thumbnail in the 'My Avatar Videos' panel with a generating status.

    • Additional generation requests are disabled, and delete and edit actions are unavailable.
    • You can only generate one avatar video at a time.

    View the generated video

    After rendering finishes successfully, the thumbnail is updated.

    Click the thumbnail to open the generated video. It starts playing automatically.

    From the video details view, you can:

    • Download the video
    • Edit the project
    • Open the media page

    For more information, see Edit avatar video projects.

    Access avatar video projects

    To access your avatar video projects later:

    Option 1: Select My Avatar Videos from the user menu.

    Option 2: Access the video from  My Media.

    AI-generated content may contain errors or omissions. Please review before use. By using this feature, you confirm that AI tools use complies with your organization's policies.

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