3. Setting the Stage: Background Elements
Welcome back, Lens Creators!
Ready to make some more Lenses? This time we’re leveling up into the real-world and using AR to reimagine our surroundings.
By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to ...
- Identify how Lenses work in the real world
- Manipulate background elements of a Lens
Materials
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Step 1: Explore
Why would we want to make our own Lenses?
Take a minute to explore this page for ideas: https://www.snapchat.com/create
Think about it…
Chances are, your reasons have some sort of real-world application. It could do with using creative skills in a job, wanting to impact people’s lives, being an activist with your art, helping people with art therapy, etc. AR Lens designs can have all sorts of uses in real life, too.
Step 2: Brainstorm
📝 Write as many ideas as you can think of to answer this question: In what scenarios would you need to build your own AR Lens?
Some tips for brainstorming:
- Ask: What kinds of clients might ask you to make a custom filter?
- Ask: What if you had an event and wanted to make a Lens for that event? What kind of events could it be?
Step 3: Create
For this activity, you will be creating Lens with a custom background. You’ll be using the Segmentation Template. This basically separates the background and the foreground into two layers. The result is a Lens with a custom background, like this.
Choose a real life situation from the brainstorming session, then build a Lens with a custom background that is related to that situation.
1. 👻 Open the Lens Studio software on your computer.
2. 👻 Find and open the Segmentation template.
3. 💻 Watch this Segmentation tutorial video below by Lens Creator Roman Jaquez. Follow along the tutorial with these sample assets (optional).
4. 🎨 Develop your own Lens using the Segmentation template.
5. 🤳 Save and preview your work on the Snapchat app on your phones!
6. 💬 If you have any questions, try this resource below or submit your question on the Unit #3 Padlet.
7. 💻 Save your progress on your computer.
8. 📤 Save a screenshot of your Lens as a .PNG to upload to the Unit #3 Padlet.
If you’d like, you can also Preview the Lens and save a video copy.
Step 4: Share
1. 🤳 Ready to roll out your Lens? Upload it as a screenshot (.PNG) to the Unit #3 Padlet to share with the rest of the AR Lens Challenge community.
2. ✏️ In the caption of your photo, write your answer to one of the following question:
- What was successful about your Lens? What could be improved?
- What other real-life Lens would you want to make next?
Extra Credit
Use this link to add animation to your Lens: https://docs.snap.com/lens-studio/references/guides/adding-content/2d/2d-animation