OS-Tan Animated Desktop Assistant Project

[deusprogrammer]

Okay everyone knows the YouTube video that has Windows XP-tan welcoming the user to the computer...but as far as I can tell it's only a video.  And I know there have been people who managed to get it set up as a background that starts up with their computer...but I want to do more.  I want to make a OS-Tan Desktop Assitant with the Graphics Engine I am working on for my game.  A little side project like this is exactly what I need.  And we could make it a community project.  Basically I need all the artists who would like to be part of this to contact me and we will get started immediately.  Basically I envision a desktop assistant that appears just like the one on the YouTube video, except you could dress them however you want, choose from several OS-Tans for your background, and then on top of that interact with them.  For example they would keep track of the last time they saw you, and if you leave your computer idle for too long they start wondering where you went, and then when you come back they tearfully welcome you back.  Also they could dress differently based on the time of the day or start acting sleepy at night (KAWAII!!), and give you useful information like your CPU Usage, number of emails in your inbox...etc.  In any case the possibilities are endless.  Everyone interested in helping, email me or reply to this thread.  I would love to have more programmers if there are any out there, but I can handle that part myself if need be.  Mainly I need artists...artists, artists and more artists.  And anyone who wants to submit ideas for what the desktop assistant will do, just reply to this thread and give your ideas.  And so there is no misunderstanding, this project will be GNU freeware and will be available for whoever wants to download it.

Added after 1 minutes:

I just thought of something I want to add...we need some voice actors too...to record the things she would always say...like the welcome or the welcome back...the shut down message...etc.

[Darknight_88]

whoa whoa, the project objectives are pretty high >_>

I'm not the most reliable person here, nor the "artist" with the greatest imagination or speed, but I COULD help. Maybe. If more people join, then I can support. But then, I tend to dissappear often due to uni work, but I could help from time to time with artwork.

This is supposed to be as animated as the "XP desktop video"? because that's a lot of frames that must be drawn...
How much time would be needed for the project? long projects tend to end up dead...we have had several of those on these forums. Also, how much modification does your engine need?

And voice actors...those are going to be hard to find >_>. I think we should stick with dialogues balloons

Also I think that having just one OS-tan would be good enough for a beta version.

Interesting idea. I have always thought of doing a program like this, but I lack the knowledge and time -_-

P.S: also, nice to meet ya. I don't go to the "user intro thread" as often as before.

[C-Chan]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,...................  Â¬v¬

I hate to pile on even more things to do, but I've always wanted to do something like this, and I do like collaborative projects so,.....

Dagnammit, it's just too tempting!!  ^____^

In any event, I do have to agree with Darknight on some points -- while I don't doubt your programming abilities, I do need some guarantee that you will see this project through to fruition, and withstand the inevitable DELAYS that do sadly plague our projects here.  ^^;
I would encourage a simple OS-tan Assistant as kind of a pilot program, to ensure the process is feasible,... I might even suggest that you consider starting with something like Infinity-san's mini-style graphics....

http://ostan-collections.net/imeeji/index.php?cat=11498

...just to ensure we can produce all the necessary frames in a cost-efficient manner.  Then if it proves successful, we might try experimenting with something more along the lines of a full-body rendition a la that famous YouTube XP.  ^^

I do agree that voice bubbles would not only be less of a hassle, but would also increase the modularity of your application.  After all, if I created a VMS-tan skin, an XP-tan voice would be WOEFULLY inappropriate for such a mature and serious character.  ^^;
Besides, you can always include a function where a user can assign any sound file he/she wants during key notifications (such as startup or errors).  

Question.... though you did say GNU, would this Desktop Assistant be Windows-only, or can you make it Mac, Linux and BSD compatible?  Linux has something similar built in called AMOR (stands for "Amusing Misuse of Resources"), but the project has been discontinued for some time.

[Darknight_88]

I agree about using mini-style graphics for an alpha, since It'd help us on doing all the work faster and have an idea of how many frames are required and how much work its needed.

I have been making a Vis-tan lineart the whole evening, and I'm not even finished....I can tell you that it's an slow and tedious process since I'm using a mouse...

I know that some Japanese series/H-Games release from time to time CD's with special content, and sometimes they release things like these, but I'm not sure if they're mostly static images or if they're animation heavy. It'd help us to decide how to make this.
Also, I have seen on the SOS-dan imageboard (NejinOniwa should know) desktop helpers, but I have never tried one of these, so It'd be nice to know how much animation they have and what they do. I think they don't do anything aside sitting there in the windows, but anyone else have tried them?

...
Or...maybe doing this as H-games do, where the expressions is the only thing that changes. Of course, several poses, but not TOO heavy animated, at least for a beta release.

[deusprogrammer]

Currently, my graphics engine is written in DirectX so it's Windows only at the moment, but I have written my graphics engine around a core wrapper that can be easily changed to work with OpenGL (so that it would be work with any OS, assuming I make a binary for each machine).  I am going to start by modifying my code to make a proof of concept program, and then I will call on the artists of this forum who want to help.  But I wanted to find out who is interested and get ideas for the final product.  The initial beta will be simple and only greet the user and say goodbye and in between just make idle motions.  The final product will have all the ideas I have put forth as well as the ones forum members put forth.  But I need to start hearing ideas so I know to leave pieces of my code open to add on those items as I go.

Basically guys, I feel I have found a forum where I belong, so I want to contribute to this forum the only way I know how.  My art is iffy at best, but my programming is my pride.  So tomorrow in between classes I'm going to start experimenting with my graphics engine.  I have demos of what it can currently do if anyone cares to play with it.

[C-Chan]

No problem, I understand the feeling quite well and am grateful by your willingness to contribute.  ^___^
Just be sure not to let this interfere with your classes, and you got yourself a deal.  ^v^

......

Course now we have to consider which OS-tan should go first.  We have no choice but to do a Windows-tan for the time being, but I'd like to lobby for one of the lesser drawn characters.  ^.^

Maybe Windows 3.1 or CE or Saba or Odyssey or Neptune.... or even the Goddess herself..... OSR 2.5-sama..... ^_________^

[Darknight_88]

well...I'd choose XP-tan since she's the one who would attract more interest to the project . If not Xp, then I'd vote for 3.1-tan. Or 98 (hacchan).

Or even better than any of the previous: 95-tan

...
Well, I'm thinking of something like a visual novel system (not the program, but the pics), where the characters never move, only change facial expresions. Maybe the some head tilt, and eyes movements when idle. It could smile from time to time, etc. When angry, it could use a sort of beep (like a windows warning sound). Maybe she'd start to get "worried" if she doesn't detect mouse movement during some time. And get angry if you don't hold the mouse over after some time?.

But I still need to think a way to produce a design modular enough to allow things like head tilt. I'm not sure Photoshop it's the best for that, but It's my only option.


Of course, we could have more than 1 pose, but then It'd look weird without a properly animated transition.

[deusprogrammer]

I agree about using mini-style graphics for an alpha, since It'd help us on doing all the work faster and have an idea of how many frames are required and how much work its needed.

I have been making a Vis-tan lineart the whole evening, and I'm not even finished....I can tell you that it's an slow and tedious process since I'm using a mouse...

I know that some Japanese series/H-Games release from time to time CD's with special content, and sometimes they release things like these, but I'm not sure if they're mostly static images or if they're animation heavy. It'd help us to decide how to make this.
Also, I have seen on the SOS-dan imageboard (NejinOniwa should know) desktop helpers, but I have never tried one of these, so It'd be nice to know how much animation they have and what they do. I think they don't do anything aside sitting there in the windows, but anyone else have tried them?

...
Or...maybe doing this as H-games do, where the expressions is the only thing that changes. Of course, several poses, but not TOO heavy animated, at least for a beta release.

If you want a Graphire2 Tablet, I have one I would be more than happy to give you.  I just upgraded to an Intuos3.  And most H Games (and Anime in general) cut down on their animation budget by only animating eyes and mouths and by looping animations while animating only when necessary.

[Darknight_88]

If you want a Graphire2 Tablet, I have one I would be more than happy to give you.  I just upgraded to an Intuos3.  And most H Games (and Anime in general) cut down on their animation budget by only animating eyes and mouths and by looping animations while animating only when necessary.

ah, don't worry. In fact, learning to use a tablet while I'm already busy in uni would take too much time. And I have no moneys . And no, I don't accept gifts , but ty lol.

Indeed, the H-game way to do things would be useful for this. I'm still worried about if transicions between poses without animation would look ok.

[C-Chan]

I wonder if it's a good time to bring up Infinity-san's old movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSNy1aoyBtw

Just to see if it inspires something along the lines of the Mini route.  ^___^
I'm just saying because I do have a Mini template vectorized already:

http://ostan-collections.net/downloads.php?view=detail&id=94

...so we can use it to start creating keyframes on demand if necessary.  ^.^

Oh, and don't use tablets either (they tend to be a liability when using Inkscape), but I will accept a nice delicious Tablet PC if you have one.  ^____^
(preferably one I can install Tablet Linux on..... ^.^)

[deusprogrammer]

And actually I have programmed something very similar to this for a webpage in Java.  It was called "Web Hostess" and I used my very own catgirl Melon-chan for the character.  It was only a face though and I essentially did for it what you were saying, just animating the eyes and mouth.  For animations for our desktop assistant, it wouldn't have to be too animated.  Just a few different stances (to convey body language) each with a set of eyes and mouths to match.  A variety of "stamps" we could put over the main sprite to indicate emotion (like the veins, the ghosty spirals, the sweat drop, snot bubble, etc...).  And then the only thing you would have to worry about is transitions.  We should limit the stances to 4 or 5 at the most...maybe less...but we would need just enough to make it very, very cute!  For one thing I envision when there is little mouse movement to have her tap on the monitor glass from her side to see if you are there.  And something that would be hard to implement, but cute, would be for her to peek around open windows to see you (or even move them...but that would be annoying).  What else would be cute would be to empty your recycle bin you could just drag it into her open hands so she can go empty it for you =3.  I could think of so many reasons to drag something into her hands or mouth...like an icon you could give to her to praise her (like candy)...lol I'm thinking about this too much.  If I could detect the insertion of USB devices I could have her sit there holding the device looking confused about it.  Once again these are all just conjecture and ideas, because I think these would be cute...but then again now I have some ideas for things to draw =3.

Added after 2 minutes:

If you want my old Wacom Graphire2 Tablet, you are welcome to it.  It has a mismatched Graphire4 stylus with it though lol.  The Graphire4 stylus is perfectly compatiable though and actually a lot better than the Graphire2 stylus.

Added after 8 minutes:

I am at work right now...I work in a Tech Support center...I have been drawing all night in between calls...I have so many ideas for new drawings now!

[Darknight_88]

Well, those are nice ideas but I'm not sure if we should implement them at the first version. I would settle as greeting you at the start, displaying CPU, HDD, RAM and net statistics, and reacting to mouse movement (lack of movement or if the mouse was hovering over her), using "full body" artwork, Visual novel style (no animation except face and different poses without transicion)

Or If we were to implement movement then we should use the mini-style that C-chan proposes, which could be easily animated. Full body artwork wouldn't work as it'd be a lot of work to animate it, at least for a first version.

...

Anyway, I won't be able to do anything until maybe next monday, when my exams will be over. And even then...I told ya I'm not the most dependable guy in this place with all my absent periods
But I'll try to help

[deusprogrammer]

I know, I know =3.  These are all just ideas right now.  It would be great too to have her slap your hand away if you try to click anywhere around her breasts.

[C-Chan]

Sounds like a plan then.... ^^

My advice then would be to compile an active listing of all the postures and gestures that the OS-tan Assistant will use, so that we can start thinking of all the animation (or pseudo-animation) that will be required.

So far....

- Hand waving (olbigatory)
- Foot stomping
- Mouse shoving (if it's inactive)
- Recycle/Trash bin depositing
- Hand slapping (if you point near breast a lot).

FYI, these are my previous experiments with OS-tan animation (both unfinished, I'm ashamed to say.... ^^;)

[NejinOniwa]

Ara...now THIS is something seriously sugoi, ne! Unfortunate that I don't have any animation or programming skills to contribute with, but I'll try all else things that i can find.

First of all...
When this was mentioned I remembered the fact that I already have a pseudo-version of this sort of thing deep down in my archives. I uploaded it on Rapidshare for you guys to be able to take a look.
http://rapidshare.com/files/54049451/rbxpver2.1a.zip
It's more of a dock than a desktop mate/helper anyways, but I thought it would be worthwhile to mention. I might have something more in my deep archives, tell me if you want to know and I'll have a look.

Anyways, if there's anything that I might be able to do I'd be happy to assist.
And also...

Also, I have seen on the SOS-dan imageboard (NejinOniwa should know) desktop helpers, but I have never tried one of these, so It'd be nice to know how much animation they have and what they do. I think they don't do anything aside sitting there in the windows, but anyone else have tried them?

The one i gave you the link to is sort of a docked window, but it has buttons for computer shutdown and restart, and is voiced and animated much. Not a full-body view of XP-sama (it's her, if you didn't know already), but a good thing regardless. And I don't know of the SOS-DAN /img's helpers, but I have seen some Lucky Star ones over at AnimeSuki forums, though. Wouldn't surprise me if the SOS-dan had them, though, seeing as they're way bigger. I'll check their forums.

//Nei