DISCUSS: Character Animator on Apple silicon

[Jeff Almasol]

Our team is working hard on a version of Character Animator that runs natively on Mac systems with Apple silicon (M1). The first public Beta is available today and we invite you to test it out! Your feedback is welcome. We will be updating the Beta frequently. Please see the notes below.

The Beta process

The first public Beta includes all the functionality in Character Animator, except for the issues listed in the "Known issues" section. Please check back on this forum thread for updates as we add more functionality and as other apps gain native Apple silicon support. 

Running current Intel version in Rosetta 2 emulation mode

While we complete the native Apple silicon version of Character Animator, you can install and run the current release version of Character Animator using Rosetta 2 emulation with Apple M1 systems and macOS Big Sur (version 11). 

Please note that third-party integrations such as plugins will need to be updated by the developer to run natively on Apple silicon and may or may not work in Rosetta 2 emulation mode today. 

The following workflows might require interacting with non-native Apple silicon versions of other apps: 

• Editing puppet artwork in Illustrator 
• Dynamic Link export with the Beta version of After Effects 

Check for updates in the Creative Cloud desktop app or this article about Adobe app compatibility on Apple M1 systems. 

Known issues

In the first public Beta version (v4.2.0.10):

• Wacom touchscreen support is not working currently.
• Media Encoder (Beta) v15.1 does not work with Character Animator (Beta) if using the File > Export > Video via Adobe Media Encoder and Video with Alpha via Adobe Media Encoder menu commands.
  Workaround: If you want to use Video via Adobe Media Encoder, install Media Encoder (Beta) v15.0 via the ... > Other versions menu command in the Creative Cloud desktop app. The Media Encoder team is working on an update to their Beta app to resolve these issues.
• Exporting a scene to After Effects (Beta) is slower than expected if After Effects (Beta) is launched before Character Animator (Beta).
  Workaround: Launch Character Animator (Beta) before After Effects (Beta) for improved responsiveness.

What we want to know

We want to hear about your experience with Character Animator on Apple silicon systems: 

• What are your overall impressions? 
• Are you encountering any compatibility issues? 
• Is the performance and responsiveness of the app worse than in the current release version? 

Thank you! We’re looking forward to your feedback. 

(Use this Beta forum thread to discuss the native Apple silicon version of Character Animator and share your feedback with the Character Animator team and other Beta users. If you encounter a bug, let us know by posting a reply here or choosing “Report a bug” from the “Provide feedback” icon in the top-right corner of the app.) 

[Jeff Almasol]

An updated Beta build (v4.2.0.16) is now available.

Notable changes:

• Wacom touchscreen support now works. If you have such a device, let us know how it works for you.
• Media Encoder (Beta) v15.2 is now available. Exporting via File > Export > Video via Adobe Media Encoder now works.

Known issues:

• Launching a Beta app via the Open button in the Creative Cloud desktop app immediately after installing the Beta app will cause two instances of the app to launch.
  Workaround: Quit the apps and either launch it a second time, or just launch it from its app icon in Finder.
• Exporting via File > Export > Video with Alpha via Adobe Media Encoder does not work.
  Workaround: Launch Media Encoder (Beta) in Rosetta 2 emulation mode – choose … > Open (Intel) in the Creative Cloud desktop app – then launch Character Animator (Beta) normally.
• Exporting a scene to After Effects (Beta) is slower than expected if After Effects (Beta) is launched before Character Animator (Beta).
  Workaround: Launch Character Animator (Beta) before After Effects (Beta) for improved responsiveness.

[llaughter]

Thanks so much for this update! I have been waiting since January for the release of the Silicon update. The program works so much faster than on any machine I have ever used it on. I am playing very complicated scenes back in real time with up to 11 different puppets on screen at once. My encode times have been cut drastically. A scene that would take a couple hours to export is now exporting in 20 minutes on my M1 Mac Mini. 

The only issue I have noticed is that when I try and stretch a behavior on the timeline out it will only let me pull it to the left on the timeline, not the right. 

[Jeff Almasol]

Thanks for trying out the Beta. It's great to hear you're experiencing noticeable improvements in performance.

As for the issue with dragging to the right, is this with any specific recorded behavior take bar like Face's Camera Input or Lip Sync's Audio Input, or happens with all take bars? If you zoom into the timeline, does it make any difference?

We just posted build 4.2.0.29 this morning. If you're not on this latest build, can you try updating to it in the Creative Cloud desktop app to see if it makes any difference?

Also, would it be possible to post here (or send via DM a shared link to) a screenshot showing how the Timeline panel looks, and which take bar you're trying to drag?

Thanks,

Jeff

[Jeff Almasol]

We just posted an updated Beta build (4.2.0.32) that has a fix for an issue related to trimming the Lip Sync Audio Input take bar. Curious if this build also fixes the issue you're seeing on your M1. Can you try build 4.2.0.32 and let us know if it's any better?

Thanks.

[llaughter]

Jeff,

You guys did it! Doesn't seem to be an issue anymore in the new build. Thanks for your quick response and help with this. Can't wait to see how you guys continue to develop this great software!

[Jeff Almasol]

An updated Beta build (v4.3.0.2) is now available.

Notable change:

• Exporting via File > Export > Video with Alpha via Adobe Media Encoder now works. The QuickTime preset used in AME has changed to "Apple ProRes 4444 with alpha".

Known issues:

• Launching a Beta app via the Open button in the Creative Cloud desktop app immediately after installing the Beta app will cause two instances of the app to launch.
  Workaround: Quit the apps and either launch it a second time, or just launch it from its app icon in Finder.
• Exporting a scene to After Effects (Beta) is slower than expected and exporting via Adobe Media Encoder (Beta) if After Effects (Beta) is launched before Character Animator (Beta).
  Workaround: Launch Character Animator (Beta) before After Effects (Beta) for improved responsiveness.

[Jeff Almasol]

An updated Beta build (v4.3.0.11) is now available. 

Notable change: 

• Launching a Beta app via the Open button in the Creative Cloud desktop app immediately after installing the Beta app no longer causes two instances of the app to launch. This change also requires that you are using version 5.4.5 of the Creative Cloud desktop app; choose Help > Check for updates in the Creative Cloud desktop app to make sure you are using the latest version. 

Known issue: 

• Exporting a scene to After Effects (Beta) is slower than expected and exporting via Adobe Media Encoder (Beta) won’t work if After Effects (Beta) is launched before Character Animator (Beta). 
  Workaround: Launch Character Animator (Beta) before After Effects (Beta) for improved responsiveness. 

[Jeff Almasol]

As of the latest Beta builds of After Effects (v18.4), Character Animator (v4.4), and Media Encoder (v15.4), there are no known issues.

Notable change: 

• Exporting a scene to After Effects (Beta) is no longer slower than expected and exporting via Adobe Media Encoder (Beta) now works if After Effects (Beta) is launched before Character Animator (Beta).

[Jeff Almasol]

Known issue:

• SVG files saved using the SVG Tiny 1.1 profile appear as color bars (missing footage) or blank when imported.
  Workaround: Save the SVG file using a different SVG Profile, or launch Character Animator using the Open using Rosetta option.