Week 4: Expanding the Prototype

The goal of this week for my Fantasy Character Creator Toolkit was to recreate the prototype from week 3 using improved methods and to expand on the options presented in the initial prototype.

One specific change between the prototypes is that the line art layers have been converted to vector layers, while the color layers remain raster layers. This ensures that the line art remains consistent with any scaling of the character pieces. At the same time, the color layers remain raster layers, because Clip Studio Paint does not allow the fill or gradient tools to be used on vector layers. This is required to change the colors on color layers.

An unexpected issue I encountered while working on the Fantasy Character Creator Toolkit was that I ran out of room in the composition space to lay out all the customization items properly. My original idea was for all the dolls and customization parts to be displayed in a 920x2000px, 300DPI document that the toolkit is composed of. As I continued to create the customization options, it quickly became apparent that I would run out of room. To address this problem, I have developed several solutions. The first solution is to increase the document size so the user can easily see all the pieces. The second solution would be to separate the male and female dolls into different documents, but I would still have the same customization options for both.

I decided to try both solutions, separating the dolls into toolkits for both male and female dolls, and expanding the canvas size to 3840x2160px at 300 DPI. This opens more space for the number of customization options to be developed as well.

Another issue I encountered was related to creating clothing options. Looking at other character creators, some have the clothes already attached to the character parts, like this Woman Character Creator. My idea for the clothing was to offer options that reflect the various classes found in Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy stories, such as mages, bards, rogues, and warriors.

There are character creator toolkits that offer customizable clothing options successfully, such as this character creator for males or this fitness character creator. A difference between these character creators and mine is that they use a single body type, whereas mine features a total of 14 different body types.

Even if I were to draw the outfits directly on the dolls, that would require 18 different versions to be drawn for each outfit, so that they could fit each doll’s body type. Times that by the eight main DND classes, this is more work than I had bargained for. As a solution, I am offering underwear for each body type, allowing users to choose whether their character should be naked or not.

Since it is expected that the buyer of this toolkit will have at least some digital software experience, it is technically possible for the user to draw on the clothes of the doll itself. I could also potentially add clothing later.

An issue that arose as I tested the toolkit myself is that it can be challenging to determine which layers belong to which customization part. To combat this issue, I had to click ‘Transform’ on each layer until I found the part I wanted. I do not want my users to have to do the same, so I plan to add a layer that labels each object with its corresponding layer name, allowing the user to more easily find the objects they want.

While the production of the Fantasy Character Creator Toolkit has not gone exactly as planned, I have been able to adapt the product as problems arise. Even with the roadblocks that have come up, this product is well on its way to becoming a finished. There are only a few things left to do, such as the labels layer, before it is ready to be packaged and sold.

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