[Mobile] iOS v2.11.0 & Android v3.9.0 update (VTuber / PNG Tuber)
Hi, this is the PRISM Live Studio team :D
We are pleased to announce the release of PRISM iOS v2.11.0 & Android v3.9.0
PRISM iOS v2.11.0
PRISM Android v3.9.0
Coming in May
The PRISM Android v3.9.0 update includes the following new features:
• PNG Tuber
• Improved performance and stability
So what is PNG Tuber and how do we use it? Let’s jump right into it :D
★ PNG Tuber
The PRISM team has been preparing to support the PNG Tuber feature since late last year. We’ve been working hard to make it easy for you to use our features, so we have a lot to share with you today.
Follow along as we walk you through the details of how we came to support PNG Tuber and how to utilize it in the PRISM app!
# PNG Tuber?
PNG Tuber is a type of character live streaming where the streamer goes live using a fictional character instead of themselves, and uses a set of images to represent the fictional character.
Character live streaming began in 2016 with the unique advantage of utilizing a streamer’s character with a new identity to meet viewers, and has seen a dramatic increase in user volume since 2019.
However, since live streaming of characters, including PNG Tuber, requires special equipment or separate softwares, live streaming has been mainly conducted based on PC apps, and due to this situation, character live on mobile apps has not been familiar to us.
Nevertheless, the demand for character live streaming has been growing,
so the PRISM team has prepared this feature so that anyone can easily become a PNG Tuber on the mobile app without any hassle and preparation :D
# Flow of using the PNG Tuber feature within the PRISM app.
PNG Tuber is live streaming with a virtual character as the protagonist, but its purpose is the same as any other live stream to connect and interact with viewers.
Your character needs to express emotions that fit the story you’re telling, and PNG Tuber makes this possible by selecting and using a set of images for each emotion.
The PRISM app also allows users to register their own set of PNG Tuber character images, but to make it easier and faster to get started with PNG Tuber, the app provides five default characters. And they have five set emotions by default.
The five emotions are happy, joy, surprised, sad, and angry, and you can change your emotional expression by clicking on the individual emotion buttons as you livestream.
For each of these five emotions, the following four state images are being used
- Image with eyes open x mouth closed
- Image with eyes open x mouth open
- Image with eyes closed x mouth closed
- Image with eyes closed x mouth open
* Your character’s eyes will automatically blink, and their mouth will recognize your speech and automatically change accordingly.
Therefore, if you want to prepare your own characters to use instead of the default characters provided by the PRISM app, we recommend that you prepare a total of 20 images (5 emotions x 4 states) as shown in the example above.
But on the other hand, are five emotions and four states for each emotion enough to connect with your audience? Even if we could switch between 5 emotions and have our eyes and mouth move for each emotion, it feels like something would be missing.
Lack of liveliness can be a concern, which is why our PRISM app supports an additional feature called motion.
You can give your character repetitive movements through motion features that can be applied to each emotion. And the PRISM app has a total of five forms of motion.
I mentioned earlier that you can apply motions per emotion, but you can actually apply two motions for each emotion, meaning you can apply a different motion for when the mouth is open and a different motion for when it is closed.
Of course, there’s a lot more to the PNG Tuber feature in the PRISM app than this. For example, you can set a background and change it on the fly while you’re live, and we also support integrations that allow you to use PNG Tuber not only for mobile streaming, but also for PRISM Windows Live Streaming.
I’ve prepared a more detailed explanation below, so take a look and happy PNG Tubing :D
# Vtuber Mode
The PRISM app has always supported Camera Live and Screen Live (ScreenCast) modes of going live, but the new version adds support for VTuber mode. Select VTuber from the list of live types, which you can see in the center of the image on the right above.
# Vtuber Setting
When you select the Vtuber button, you’ll see a character from one of the default characters provided by the PRISM app immediately set up on the screen. (The number and type of basic characters may change.)
When you look at the middle part of the picture on the left, you can see the Settings button, and once you click that button, you can enter the VTuber setting screen. On the VTuber setting screen, you can check the 5 default characters provided by the PRISM app by swiping.
And when you get to the end of the character list, you’ll see a card that allow you to add new characters (avatars).
At the top of the card, Preview and Source tabs are located, and you can register image sets for each emotion guide in the Source tab. This image set is for changing the shape of the eyes and mouth, and it is recommended to prepare one set consisting of 4 images as shown below.
- Image with eyes open x mouth closed
- Image with eyes open x mouth open
- Image with eyes closed x mouth closed
- Image with eyes closed x mouth open
If you click each state of the source, it will switch to the media selection mode where you can attach images. And as shown on the screen, you can register each state image in the order you selected. The image setup process will be easier if you have saved the images in the same place.
If you switch to the preview tab after registering all 4 status images, you can check the status change in the corresponding emotion in the card.
And, using the volume bar fixed on the left side of the card, you can set the voice volume value that reflects the shape of your mouth.
Click the emotional emoticons at the bottom of the screen one by one and set the status images for each emotion!
At the very bottom of the screen, you can see the ‘Emotion’ text button.
Once you click on it, you can enter the emotion setting screen where you can set the emotion list itself.
# Emotion Setting
As mentioned earlier, the defaultc characters provided by the PRISM app have five basic emotions: happiness, joy, surprise, sadness, and anger.
However, you can make changes such as adding or deleting this emotion list itself, and you can do that in the emotion settings screen that appears on the screen.
As shown in the image on the left, you can create a new emotion emoji using the plus button. For reference, I said each emotion in the PRISM app as happiness, joy, etc., but in the actual app, the app does not use these texts, but emojis specify the type of emotion.
So, click the plus button to see a new emotion slot appear, then select and add a suitable emotion from the emotion emoji list at the bottom.
You can see above that an emoji has been added that looks greyed out.
You can also enter the emotion list editing mode by long-pressing the emotion list area.
Here you can delete previously registered emotions or adjust the order in which emotions are placed. When all adjustments are complete, click the ‘Done’ button at the top right to complete the application.
# Place it on the streaming screen
PNG Tuber character overlays can be positioned by dragging and dropping, just like normal overlays available in the PRISM app. And you can also adjust its size and rotation using pinch & zoom.
So, after selecting your character, place it in the position and size that best suits your streaming screen area, and start streaming your character.
# Use of emotion and background
In order to quickly switch and utilize these set emotions during live streaming, it is recommended to keep the emotion menu open.
You can see Emotion and Background buttons in the middle of the image on the left. If you click the button, the emotion list is exposed at the bottom of the screen. Choose appropriate emotions that fit the communication situation with viewers.
You can also change the background using the Emotion and Background button as shown in the image above. You can register several backgrounds in advance and change them later, just like emotions.
If you register backgrounds that express various spaces, you will be able to create effects like scene transitions in movies or cartoons.
# Volume bar settings
In VTuber mode, you can see the volume bar on the left side of the screen, and I’m going to explain this feature.
You will remember that you registered 4 state images when registering emotions earlier. And half of the four state images were images with the mouth open, and the other half were images with the mouth closed.
Transitions between open and closed mouth images respond to the streamer’s voice volume and are handled automatically. And at this time, you can set the volume of the voice that the processing responds to through the volume bar.
If you set the volume too low, the character may not open its mouth while speaking, and if you set the volume too high, the character may keep its mouth open all the time.
Therefore, set appropriate values in advance through testing, and proceed with live streaming while changing the appropriate settings according to the situation.
# Avatar Management
A More button is provided at the top right of each avatar card in the settings menu. If you click the corresponding button, you can duplicate the avatar, export the avatar file (extension .prismvt), or delete the avatar.
In addition, if you export the avatar file you set within the PRISM app, you can load the avatar as it is on other devices with that file.
You can utlize this feature when you change devices or share avatar files with friends.
# Utilizing Avatars in the CONNECT function.
Through the CONNECT function of the PRISM mobile app, the camera preview of the PRISM mobile app could be used as a video source in the PRISM Windows app.
In addition to this, as the PRISM VTuber feature is released, the VTuber screen can also be used as a source in the PRISM Windows app.
As shown in the image above, select Vtuber Share in the CONNECT tab to use the PNG Tuber function in the PRISM Windows app.
# Default characters
In the PNG Tuber function of the PRISM app, you can register and use the character image sets you have prepared yourself, as described above.
< How to prepare your own character >
a. Draw them yourself using drawing tools.
b. Request a professional who draws characters.
c. Or you can draw it using an AI tool (these have been released a lot recently!)
However, those without experience might have difficulties to set up, so the PRISM app has prepared 5 default PNG Tuber characters :D
We prepared a total of 5 different characters, but I would like to reveal only 3 in this post today.
Wait a little longer, update the app, and check out the remaining two characters soon. Then, start streaming PNG Tuber live using your favorite characters.
< Character 1 >
We haven’t named the characters yet. Names are being suggested in the discussions channel of the PRISM official Discord server below, so join the server and come up with cool names. Who knows your suggestion might be chosen!
< Character 2 >
< Character 3>
Up to this point, we have introduced the background and brief usage of PNG Tuber, which is newly released in PRISM iOS v2.11.0 & Android v3.9.0.
Even at this moment, many people are starting VTuber channels, so please keep in mind that more new features will be added to the VTuber function in the future!
★ Improvements in performance and stability.
A hot summer is just around the corner. Accordingly, we are putting a lot of experimentation and effort into making the PRISM app more resistant to heat situations.
Due to the nature of the live streaming app, which has to simultaneously handle the heavy work of capturing video with a camera, encoding it into a video, and streaming it to the server, it is a difficult situation that inevitably generates a lot of heat.
Nevertheless, we will lower the heat through improvements in various aspects and provide better apps so that you can create stable and high -quality live streams with better performance.
We are also responding to several crashes so that your live streams are not interrupted by live streaming. Thank you!
* Contact: prismlive@navercorp.com
* Discord: discord.gg/9j7mFY5g9a
* Youtube: youtube.com/@prismlivestudio
