Make your own ANIME with this new mind-blowing AI TOOL! (ComfyUI Tutorial + FREE Workflows!)

Mickmumpitz
19 Jun 202411:56

TLDRDiscover how to craft your own anime with the revolutionary AI tool, Toon Crafter. This tutorial showcases three workflows to animate TV shows, including using Mid Journey for key frames, a free, controllable character workflow, and a method to animate scenes acted out by yourself. Toon Crafter excels at interpolating frames, particularly for anime and 2D animation, offering a more authentic aesthetic. Learn to create key frames, pose characters, and generate backgrounds, culminating in an epic action sequence. For a detailed guide and community support, consider Patreon access.

Takeaways

  • 😀 The video introduces a new AI tool that simplifies the process of creating anime and other styles of animation.
  • 🎨 It presents three workflows to help users create animated content, including one that integrates with image generators like mid Journey.
  • 🤖 The tool, Toon Crafter, is highlighted for its ability to interpolate between frames, creating smooth animations tailored to anime and 2D styles.
  • 🖼️ The video demonstrates how to use Toon Crafter with uncolored sketches and colored references to automate the coloring process.
  • 🌟 A key feature is the tool's capability to generate realistic anime aesthetics, such as animating wind through hair and magic effects.
  • 📸 The tutorial includes a guide on creating key frames using mid Journey and then using Toon Crafter to interpolate between them.
  • 💻 An alternative workflow using ComfyUI is introduced, which is a free, locally-run option that doesn't require expensive tools like Photoshop.
  • 🤹‍♂️ The video shows how to pose and animate characters using a combination of ComfyUI, Openpose, and Toon Crafter.
  • 🎥 A method to create dynamic scenes with moving cameras and character actions is explained, enhancing the realism of the animations.
  • 🔍 The presenter also discusses an 'anime fix' workflow to clean up and upscale animations, improving the quality of the final output.
  • 🎬 Lastly, the video explores a creative approach where users can act out scenes and then transform the footage into anime using AI tools.

Q & A

  • What is the main purpose of the AI tool discussed in the video?

    -The main purpose of the AI tool discussed in the video is to enable users to create their own anime or animated TV show by interpolating between frames and generating missing images, making the process of creating animations more accessible and controllable.

  • How does the AI tool, Toon Crafter, differ from other frame interpolation tools?

    -Toon Crafter is specifically trained on anime and 2D animation, which allows it to understand the aesthetic of this type of animation better than other tools. It can generate images that look like real anime, animating elements such as wind moving through hair and magic effects.

  • What is the role of Mid Journey in the workflows demonstrated in the video?

    -Mid Journey is used as a key frame generator in the workflows. It helps create consistent character reference images and can be used to generate different views and emotions of the character by adjusting the prompts.

  • Can the workflows shown in the video be used for styles other than anime?

    -Yes, the workflows are not limited to anime and can be adapted for other styles as well. The video mentions that the tool can work with any style, including realistic types of shots.

  • How does the video tutorial help in animating characters' emotions?

    -The tutorial demonstrates how to use simple prompts to change characters' emotions by generating different facial expressions and poses, which can then be used as key frames for the animation.

  • What is the significance of the 'anime fix' workflow mentioned in the video?

    -The 'anime fix' workflow is designed to clean up and upscale the generated images, ensuring that the final animation looks polished and professional. It also includes a face fix group to clean up character faces even further.

  • How does the video suggest creating a moving camera effect in the animation?

    -The video suggests changing the scale and position of the background for each frame to create a moving camera effect. It also mentions using image or video editing software to combine the generated key frames and create camera movements.

  • What is the process for creating key frames using the 'toon crafter' workflow in ComfyUI?

    -The process involves dragging and dropping the 'toon crafter' workflow into ComfyUI, adding key frames, and using prompts to generate the interpolated frames. The workflow can be adjusted for more key frames by increasing the input count and updating the connections.

  • How can users act out scenes themselves and turn them into anime using the workflows?

    -Users can shoot reference images or videos of themselves performing the desired actions, then use AI style transfer tools to transform the images into anime style key frames, which can then be used in the animation workflow.

  • What additional resources does the video creator offer to help users with the workflows?

    -The video creator offers a step-by-step guide and access to a Discord Community on Patreon, where users can get help and support in implementing the workflows discussed in the video.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 Introduction to Creating Anime with AI Tools

This paragraph introduces the concept of creating anime using AI tools. The speaker discusses three workflows that will help viewers achieve their dream of creating their own animated TV show. The workflows can be used for various animation styles and represent a significant step towards controllable AI filmmaking. The speaker plans to demonstrate how to use these tools, including a new one called Toon Crafter, to create realistic anime and other animated styles.

05:01

🖼️ Generating Key Frames with MidJourney and Toon Crafter

The speaker explains how to generate key frames for an animation using MidJourney and Toon Crafter. They begin by creating a consistent character portrait in a 2D animated style and then use Toon Crafter to interpolate between key frames. The process includes adjusting prompts, isolating characters, and modifying elements like emotions and backgrounds. The speaker also mentions alternatives for those who don't have access to expensive tools, introducing free software that runs on personal computers.

10:03

💻 Advanced Workflow for Posing and Animating Characters

This section delves into a more advanced workflow for posing and animating characters using ComUI, a node-based interface for Stable Diffusion. The speaker describes how to use OpenPose AI to adjust character poses and how to integrate these poses with generative backgrounds. They emphasize the flexibility of this method, allowing for changes in character emotions and camera movements. The workflow also includes exporting characters and backgrounds separately for further editing in video or image editors.

🎬 Refining and Upscaling Animation Scenes

The speaker discusses how to refine and upscale animation scenes using Toon Crafter and additional AI tools. They describe the process of cleaning up frames, enhancing resolution, and ensuring that characters match their backgrounds seamlessly. The speaker shares tips on fixing broken frames and offers a look at various experiments with different animation styles, including transforming live-action footage into anime. The final result is a polished anime scene, created using a combination of AI-generated key frames and manual editing.

🤖 Final Thoughts and Encouragement to Explore AI Animation

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker encourages viewers to try out the workflows and tools discussed in the video. They acknowledge that while the process may seem complex, it becomes easier with practice. The speaker also highlights additional resources available on their Patreon, including a step-by-step guide and access to a supportive Discord community. They express gratitude to their supporters and look forward to creating more content in the future.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡AI Tool

An AI tool in this context refers to artificial intelligence software designed to assist in creating animations. The video discusses a specific AI tool that can generate anime-style animations, which is a significant advancement in the field of digital art and animation. It is used to streamline the process of creating animated content, making it more accessible to individuals who may not have extensive animation experience.

💡Workflows

Workflows are the series of steps or processes involved in creating a particular output. In the video, the author develops workflows around the AI tool to create anime. These workflows are designed to be versatile, not only for anime but for various animation styles, and they represent a methodical approach to using AI in animation production.

💡Anime

Anime is a style of animation that originated in Japan and is characterized by colorful artwork, fantastical themes, and vibrant characters. The video's main theme revolves around creating anime using AI tools, which is a novel approach to producing this type of content. Anime is the end product that the workflows and AI tool are aimed at producing.

💡Image Generator

An image generator is a software tool that creates images based on input parameters or prompts. In the script, 'Mid Journey' is mentioned as an example of an image generator that can be used in conjunction with the AI tool to create key frames for animations. It is part of the initial workflow to establish character designs and settings.

💡Toon Crafter

Toon Crafter is the name of the AI tool discussed in the video, which is specifically trained on anime and 2D animation. It can interpolate between frames to create smooth animations, understanding the aesthetic of this type of animation. It is central to the workflows described and is used to generate the in-between frames that make up the animated sequences.

💡Key Frames

Key frames are the critical frames in an animation sequence that define the main positions of characters or objects. The video explains how to create key frames using various tools and then use Toon Crafter to interpolate the frames to create a complete animation. Key frames are the foundation for the animation process discussed.

💡Stable Diffusion

Stable Diffusion is an AI model that can generate images from text prompts. The video mentions using a web-based interface for Stable Diffusion called ComfyUI, which allows users to utilize the AI model for creating animations. It is part of the workflow for generating character poses and backgrounds.

💡Openpose

Openpose is a pose estimation system that can track the key points of a human body in a video or image. In the video, it is used to create body poses and hand gestures for the character, which are then used as references for the AI tool to generate animated poses. It is a crucial part of the process for creating dynamic and lifelike animations.

💡Anime Fix Workflow

The Anime Fix Workflow is a process described in the video that cleans up and upscales the generated animations. It is used to improve the quality of the animations by fixing any anomalies and enhancing the resolution. This workflow is essential for refining the animations created by Toon Crafter.

💡Style Transfer

Style transfer is a technique used in AI where the style of one image is applied to another. In the context of the video, style transfer is used to transform real-life images or video frames into anime style, serving as key frames for the animation. This technique allows for the creation of animations from real-world actions or scenes.

Highlights

Create your own anime with a new AI tool, Toon Crafter.

Develop three workflows for AI-assisted anime creation.

Workflows are adaptable for various animation styles beyond anime.

Toon Crafter is specifically trained on anime and 2D animation, offering a unique aesthetic understanding.

The tool can interpolate between frames, filling gaps with generated images.

Use Toon Crafter with image generators like mid Journey for free.

Combine Toon Crafter with a free, consistent, and posable character workflow.

Control characters like puppets and change emotions with simple prompts.

A method to act out scenes and transform them into anime.

Create an epic action sequence using the workflow.

Toon Crafter can generate missing images from as few as two input frames.

The tool understands complex animations like wind moving through hair.

Automatically color animations using uncolored sketches and a colored reference.

Create key frames for animation with mid Journey and Toon Crafter.

Use Photoshop to refine key frames and adjust character emotions.

Explore a free, self-hosted option that works within ComfyUI.

Use ComfyUI to generate consistent character views and emotions.

Pose characters using Openpose and Toon Crafter for dynamic scenes.

Create moving camera effects by adjusting background scale and position.

Generate clean and upscaled animations with a dedicated workflow.

Transform real-life actions into anime using a camera and AI style transfer.

Assemble key frames and scenes using Photoshop for a polished anime sequence.

Get step-by-step guides and community support on Patreon.