Some Of The Software I Use For Content Creation

Just Some Of The Software I Use

 Introduction

 As a content creator, there are a number of programs and applications I use. Some expensive, some cheap and some are free. Some of the applications run off of the internet from a website. But, in any case, I use a good number of applications. I will list the ones I use the most and give a description of them. Some may be familiar to most but I will at least explain what I use them for.

 

Reallusion's iClone 7

I use Reallusion's iClone for most of the animation that I do. I use it to create reels for my Instagram account and YouTube videos. The reels are generally much shorter than the YouTube videos and are simpler to produce. For the reels, I just use iClone and another program for the voices of the characters. 

 

The current version of iClone (iClone 8) is a bit pricey. It is currently around $499. However, there are times when you can find it at a lower price. So you may want to check the website from time to time in order to see if the price has dropped. I usually wait a year or two before I buy the most recent version. The price usually drops substantially by that time.

 

There is a free 30 trial version that you can try out, to see if you might be interested in purchasing it after the 30 days are over. That's how I got started. I got started with version 5. I downloaded the trial version and within about an hour or so of playing around with it, I decided to purchase it. You basically have to create an online account and you are only permitted to use one license per computer. CLICK HERE to visit the Reallusion website to find out more. Below is a screenshot of iClone 7. It has a character loaded that is dressed as a Roman soldier. the characters load in what is called a T-Pose.

 

Daz Studio 

Daz studio was where I really got my start. It is a 3D art and animation program but most really use it for still images. It is a program similar to poser. In fact, some people who used to work for Poser broke away and started their own company. I've used Poser but found Daz to be a bit more user friendly. Also, Daz Studio is a free program. No 30 day trial, it is completely free. They give you a limited amount of content with the free download but there is a lot of content available for purchase.

What I mean by content is such things as characters, clothing, props, scenery and more. Some items are cheaper than others but most items are on sale from time to time. They allow you to keep a wish list where you can add items that you may be interested in. Then you just check in every now and then to see what may be on sale. CLICK HERE to visit the Daz website. 

 

Other than content, there are also some cool features you can purchase such as morphing dials that allow you to edit a character's appearance. Things like the distance between the eyes, height of the eyes, height, size and length of the nose, mouth shape, height and size. Every feature on the face can be altered to fit your specifications. You can also change the shape of the body. You can make your character heavy, muscular or thin. They even have some things that allow you to make the characters look older.

The main thing to remember is that the morph dials will only work on the generation of character that it is designed for. For example, the most recent version of their characters is Genesis 9. So any morph dials you purchase to use in Daz Studio have to be made for the Genesis 9 series. The same is true regarding clothing and hair. If you purchase hair that is designed for a Genesis 9 character, it won't work on a Genesis 2 character. So you need to pay attention to that. Below is a screenshot of a character loaded in Daz Studio.

 

 Reallusion's Character Creator 3

Reallusion's Character Creator is one amazing program. When Character Creator first came out, it really advanced the quality of the characters in iClone. What's also great about it is that you can convert characters you create in Daz Studio for use in iClone. You can even convert the clothing from Daz to be used in iClone as well. Much of the clothing, hair and characters I use in iClone was converted from the content I had in Daz Studio.

Character Creator also allows you to modify characters in the same manner that Daz Studio does, with the use of sliders. You can also dress the characters, add hair or change the skin textures as well.  I convert a lot of content from Daz in Character Creator, for use in iClone. Sometimes there are issues but most of the time, I don't have issues. I will say, as a disclaimer, that not everything will convert over for use in iClone. So remember that. The current version of Character Creator is Character Creator 4. That is also available for a free 30 day trial download. Below is a screenshot of Character Creator 3.

  Reallusion's 3dXchange

Reallusion's 3dXchange is a program that allows you to convert props that are in various different file formats into the file formats that iClone uses. I use it mostly for converting Daz props into the iProp file format that iClone uses. I also use it to convert motion capture (mocap) or animation files from Daz. 3dXchange will no longer be available in the future. It's features will be incorporated into iClone and Character Creator. But I still use it because the process is so easy in that program.

Revoicer

Revoicer is an app that allows you to do text to speech. It is good for use with different characters. It;s an app that is web based. You run it right off of the website. I purchased the basic version. It gives you about a dozen or so different voices to use for your characters. At this time, Revoicer seems to offer more than most text to speech applications because you can change the tone of the characters' voices to match different emotions, like anger, sadness, fear and more. You can check it out on Revoicer.com.

 

 PowerDirector 365

CyberLink's PowerDirector is a video editing program. I have owned a few different releases of PowerDirector in the past. I currently use the subscription version called PowerDirector 365. It has all of the usual video editing features like, titles, transition and other effects, music track and other sound tracks.  It also has a very nice collection of sound effects available. CLICK HERE to go to the site.

Cakewalk By Bandlab

In the past, I used Cakewalk Music Creator for recording and sound editing. Cakewalk was bought up by Bandlab. You can now download a free version of Cakewalk's Sonar recording program. Just go to Bandlab.com. It's also a collaboration website too, where you can collaborate with other members on music projects. HERE IS A LINK to a music video I did that used most of the programs listed in this article, including Cakewalk Music Creator.

 

 Microsoft Expression Web

Microsoft's Expression Web is a web development program. Microsoft stopped updating it after version 4. I actually bought the program years ago. It eventually became available as a free download. I still use it. I originally started out on Microsoft FrontPage, Expression Web's predecessor. It is currently available for free download using THIS LINK. I must warn you though, the download begins as soon as the page is loaded. So if that scares you, then don't do it. The file name says it's a free trial but if you install it, you don't have to put in a license key. It's basically good to go forever. Below is a screenshot of the program in use. I downloaded from the location I linked to above. You can also view a site I created with it: CraypoeComics.com.

 

Soundraw AI Music Generator 

Soundraw is a great tool for people who don't record their own music. It's a good tool for people who do as well. Simply because the audio quality is so good. I do my own recording but the music on Soundraw is cinematic. Which works great as a background for videos, to give it that cinematic sound. It is a subscriber-based plan. Below, I've added the embed code for an Instagram reel I created using some music generated there, in the background. The link to the site is RIGHT HERE.

 

 Windows Paint 

Windows Paint comes with every release of the Windows operating system. I use it to zoom in and touch up some of the 3D images I create, whenever there are some slight flaws in the image. I also use it to convert from one image file format to another. When I take a screenshot, I paste it into Paint. Then I save it in the image file format of my choice. The screenshots included in this article were done using Paint.

 

Windows Notepad 

I use Notepad mostly when I do web development. If I want to copy text from a document or a web page and paste it into a web page I am creating, I paste it into Notepad first. That removes whatever text formatting that may have been used on the text. That includes font type, font size, bold, italic and alignment. So I then copy it from Notepad and paste it into the web page I am working on and it will have the same formatting as what is already in the page I am working on.

 

In Conclusion

So now you know how I do some of the things I do. Maybe not exactly how, but I direct you to the programs and applications I use. So if you want to try to become a content creator yourself, I hope this information will be helpful. Thanks for reading the blog and if you find it interesting, informative or helpful, please check back from time to time to see what's happening. Also, it would be nice if you could spread the word or post links to the blog on your social media pages. Until next time.

Bob Craypoe

 

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How People Using Your Instagram Embed Code Helps You

 The Upsides To Other People Sharing Your Embed Code

About Your Instagram Embed Code

Instagram embed code allows someone else to incorporate your Instagram posts into their own website or blog. Every one of your Instagram posts include embed code. I've included an example embed code in use from one of my Instagram posts in this blog entry, down below. You can also use your embed code to include one of your posts as an added feature to one of your web pages or your blog, just as I have done here. So there are a lot of purposes and functions for embed code.

You can find the embed code by opening one of your posts. There is an area where there are three dots, in the upper right hand corner. Click on that area and a menu appears. One of the options listed is "Embed." Click on that option and your embed code is there. You can copy the code and put it within a web page or blog. It is in HTML. So add it to your HTML code. The post will then be displayed. This blog is hosted by Blogspot. Blogspot allows you to add HTML code to your blog. At the bottom of this post is an example of the usage of embed code from one of my Instagram posts.

Here is the menu of options that includes "Embed" to access your embed code.

 

Here is what it looks like where you copy the embed code. 

 

 How Others Using Your Embed Code Helps You

The way I see it, someone using embed code from one of your Instagram posts is really a form of unpaid promotion. Advertising costs money. Somebody using your embed code displays something that includes a link to your Instagram page. It also displays your user name. So you get full credit for your post and they include a link to your page. So, maybe you think someone is ripping off your idea, but in reality, they are not. You are getting full credit for your idea and more attention is actually being directed to it. I don't see anything wrong with that.

If your Instagram posts are unique, they will stand out anyway. That will make it more likely someone else will use embed code from one of your posts. So you might want to make sure your posts are interesting and unique. That picture of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich you had for lunch might not be perceived as being all that interesting to others. Try to make sure the image quality is good and the overall quality of your images, in general, are somewhat high and unique. That would make it much more likely that people would find your posts to be interesting.

Try To Do Some Branding

If you try to use some form of branding in your Instagram Posts, that would help you even more when trying to promote your Instagram page, your business or yourself. As an example, I do 3D art and animation. I use the characters I created over and over again. There is one in particular that I use most frequently. The reason is to build a familiarity with my characters. People using my embed code actually help with my branding by posting something that include the use of my characters.

In my 3D art and animation programs, I created my own unique characters. I often use Daz Studio to create the characters and then convert them for use in another program called iClone from Reallusion. Each of those characters is an avatar file in iClone. Only I have access to those files, so it prevents others from using them. That is how I am able to manage to be one step ahead of anyone else regarding the use of my characters. So, I will always be the one who creates the original image or animation and will always be the one who posts them first. No way of getting around that. And if you like what I post, then maybe you should follow me.

You need to find something that may set you apart from others posting on Instagram. Something that is unique and stands out. Try to think outside of the box. Try to think of something that you may have access to that others don't. Do you live on a farm? Well images of your various farm animals could set you apart from others because not everybody has access to farm animals.

Do you have unique pets that most others don't? Something like rare animals? Maybe you can do Instagram reels of them. Reels and images of animals are very popular on the most platforms, not just Instagram. Many of them go viral. Maybe you have a cute little puppy that does some funny things. Try to catch it on video. If it is decent quality and truly cute and/or funny, you may just have the makings of a viral video. People love posts that include cute little animals. And if you are good at capturing those moments in videos that are of good quality, you might really have something there.

Going Beyond The Embed Code 

Embed code is not the only way your Instagram page can be promoted for free. just simply posting a link to your Instagram post on your other social media pages can have the same effect. Also, asking your friends to repost your posts will help to. You'd be surprised how other people would be willing to do so. If you think about it, it's not really asking for much because it really is something that takes such little effort and it is a  good friend should have no problem doing that for you, assuming the quality is good. There are some exceptions of course. Like if your post contains vulgarity or if your friend has a Facebook page for their business. They need to maintain the impression of professionalism on their business page.

Links to your Instagram posts in groups on various social networking platforms could be very helpful. Just make sure that the post is relevant to the subject matter of the group. Posting something about animals would be suitable for a group that is geared towards animals. Posts having to do with sports would be fitting for a group page that specializes in sports. Any funny post would do well in a jokes or humor based group page. Otherwise a post may be thought of as spam or shameless self promotion. That will solicit negative reactions.

In Conclusion

I've explained why someone else using embed code from your Instagram posts is beneficial to you. It's free advertisement and promotion of your Instagram account. You using it in your web pages or blogs also helps to promote it but also adds additional features to your blogs or websites. It also helps in the area of branding, as I try to do. You need to not look at someone using your Instagram embed code as ripping off your original ideas. The embed code displays your user ID on Instagram and links to your Instagram account. You will always get credit for your post. It's not like someone is able to steal credit for it.

You may even want to encourage people you know to use your embed code. Just make sure that you are promoting your best work. Nobody will want to use images or reels from your account if they are of substandard quality. Be honest with yourself when looking at your posts. I have taken down some of my previous posts because they didn't meet my current standards. As I've added new content on my Instagram page, I slowly removed the older content that didn't seem to be of the same level of quality. It's good to look everything over from time to time to see if they match your current standards. Over time, your standards have a tendency to get higher.

I hope you have found this article to be helpful, interesting or informative. If you like my blog posts, please return every now and then to see my new posts. Please also consider posting links to the blog entries on your social media pages. That would be a great help to me and would also be greatly appreciated. Until next time, bye.

Bob Craypoe

 

  

 

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Interested In Writing A Blog? Here's Some Tips!

 Some Things You Need To Know About Writing Blogs

First Some Basic Facts

So maybe you've been considering writing a blog. That's great. Writing blogs can be both challenging and fun. And even if you're not so good at it at first, you will get better over time. That's just how it goes. Then one day you will look back at your earliest posts and realize how much you have improved. You may even cringe when you read your old blog posts. That's okay, though. You can edit those old posts, using your current skill level.

But, just starting out, you should probably know of some of the facts and statistics regarding blogs and blog writing. First, how often you should post. For the best results, at least three times a week. That may sound like a lot but you don't have to start out at that frequency. You can start out by posting just one blog entry a week. Then work up to two and, later on, three. Nobody says that you have to go full throttle right away. You should know that, to be successful at blogging, you need to post regularly.

Article length is so important. Search engines favor longer blogs with more words over shorter blogs. The absolute minimum, according to some, is at least 500-700 words. That is the absolute bare minimum. For the best results, around 2,000 words or more. Search engines will then give you a much better ranking in the search results.

Search engines regard blog posts with more words to be higher in quality. The logic behind that is that a blog entry with more words is most likely more detailed, more informative and more professional. So you need to remember that and really try to get to the point where you can write a blog with as many as 2,000 words. The search engines also take into account the frequency at which you post a new blog entry. They think that frequency is an example of your level of professionalism. So domains or subdomains of blogs that post more frequently will be favored. The various search engines index websites regularly. So the various changes, such as new content, are noted.

Mind Your Grammar And Spelling

When someone reads a blog post and they see numerous spelling and grammatical errors, they may be inclined to think that the information given in the blog may be less reliable. The blog entry you write could be completely factually correct, but the person reading it may disregard what you're saying if it is poorly written, because a poorly written blog is perceived to be less professional. It's just how things are. and it's unfortunate as well. So it is important that you try to ensure that your skill levels pertaining to spelling and grammar are up to snuff.

One thing that helps to improve spelling and grammar is to read. However, you need to read a bit differently than normal. Try to read a book with an analytical approach. That means that you analyze the sentences as you read them. Analyze the grammar, spelling and the words used. If you see a word you don't understand, look up the definition for it. That will enhance your vocabulary. Observe the usage of words that sound the same. People often get them confused. Words like there, their and they're are often confused with each other.

One mistake that I see often, mostly in social media posts, is someone saying more then, rather than more than. If I had a dollar for every time I've seen that one, I'd be a millionaire. The correct way is more than. If You go to Amazon.com, you can run a search for grammar guide books that can help with your grammar. 

Some Search Engine Optimization Tips

Search engine optimization (SEO) is important too. There are certain things you can do to improve it. We've already mentioned the frequency and length. But other factors come into play. They are the usage of keywords, usage of headings and subheadings. Blogs are best broken up into sections and separated by headings and subheadings. Those headings and subheadings should contain important keywords or description of what follows in that section. The section that follows the heading or subheading should also contain the same words. An example is the fact that the heading above this text contains the term search engine optimization.

Just don't overuse the keywords. The search engines see that as a form of spam and will actually penalize you for it. One thing you can do as far as finding good keywords to use is to run a search on the best keywords and you should be able to find some tips. Also be mindful of common terms or phrases used by bloggers who write blogs in the same area of interest as yours. See how the pros do it. Let's say you want to write a sports blog. Run a search for the top sports blogs. The ones listed in the top of the search results are there for a reason. They are doing something right.

Use Headings And Subheadings

Each section of the blog article should have its own subheading. The reason is that a reader can quickly scan the blog for the section that may interest them most. The subheading is larger than the regular text and is easier to see when someone quickly scans over the article. The unfortunate truth is that not everybody reads the entire blog article. However the reader, after reading the section, may find that section to be so interesting that they decide to read the entire article. I find myself doing that quite often.

Various Features To Offer In Your Blogs

There are a number of features you can add to your blogs to make them more interesting. Images, embed codes from YouTube or Instagram, relevant links and so forth. An image is something that catches someone's eye. Some studies have determined that social media posts that include images draw in more people and are more likely to be clicked on. So if you post your articles on your social media pages, make sure they include at least one image. Most platforms will display an image from the post if you post a link to your blog. 

 

If you have a blog post that refers to certain things, you could provide links to sites that are relevant to the subject matter of the blog. This makes your blog seem more helpful. If you have your own Instagram account, you could use embed code from your Instagram posts. This not only adds something interesting to your blog post but could also steer the reader to your Instagram account.

Methods Of Blog Promotion

There are many ways to promote your blog. First of all, you need to be on multiple social media platforms. You need to be on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (now X), LinkedIn and so on. You need to post a link to your latest blog entry to all of the platforms you are on. No point in being shy about it. I myself am currently on five different social media platforms.

Ask your friends to share your posts on their social media pages. If you think they would be supportive of you and your efforts, don't hesitate to ask them. What would it hurt? If you have a website, post links to your blog from your website. Post a link to your blog from all of your social media accounts. Most of them give you an option to include links on your profile page. If you don't promote your blog, you will get very few  people actually seeing your blog posts. Just be careful not to post links to the same blog posts too many times. That will actually annoy people.

If you know people who have a website, ask them if you can do a guest blog post. Website owners should be happy to add content to their websites. It makes the site more valuable to have more content. As long as the subject matter of your blog matches the subject matter of the website. You may also ask the webmasters of other sites, of people you don't know. There is usually contact info like an email address on every website. You can ask for an opportunity to do guest blog post on their website and post a link to your blog so they can see examples of your work. If they like the quality of your work, they may consider granting you that guest blogger opportunity. Just make sure that you are allowed to post a link to your blog with a short bio about yourself.

 

Always proofread

Always proofread your articles. That is the last thing you should do right before posting. I've actually, in the early days, posted some articles that I didn't even proofread. Then I read them and notice the mistakes. I don't do that anymore. I proofread everything before I post it now. I'll sometimes miss some mistakes but nobody is perfect.

 

Sometimes it seems that no matter how many times I proofread an article before I post it, I end up missing something anyway. I sometimes go back to read some of my old blog posts and spot an error of some kind. I'll go back in and fix it. So it's a good idea to go back every now and then and check your old posts for typos and other things.

Studies have also shown that the more time someone spends writing an article, the better the quality generally is. It might seem obvious to most but some people like to take shortcuts. Those shortcuts and time savers usually mean lower quality. So take that extra time to proofread. Proofreading doesn't just catch typos, spelling errors and grammatical errors, you may also see that some things could have been worded better.

In Conclusion

I can't give every tip there is to give regarding the subject of blogging in a single blog entry, but I think I covered a lot in this article. There is a lot of competition out there between the various blogs that are online. There are millions upon millions of blogs on the Internet. You will need to stand out from the rest in order to do well. That could involve a unique perspective regarding the subject matter at hand or information you feel may be lacking. In any case, be unique and be yourself. Also do what you can to promote your blog. It may not yield the results you want right away, but if you are persistent, things will improve. Below is  link to a book that could be helpful in assisting you with English grammar.

Bob Craypoe 

 

 

Basic English Grammar For Dummies

 

 

 

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Basic English Grammar For Dummies

What Makes A Good Content Creator?

 How The Term "Content Creator" Is Subjective

So What Is A Content Creator?

There is a lot of talk about content creation and content creators. What people usually think that a content creator is is someone who creates original content to be used on the Internet. Content creation can also be a collaborative effort with multiple creators being involved. It could be a blog entry written by one person that displays an image created by a different person. Both are content creators.

All websites need content, as well as blogs. Videos on YouTube are also content that's been created by somebody somewhere. Instagram posts can be considered content, as well as posts on other social networking platforms. Content creations are not only all over the Internet but they are the primary reason people go on the Internet. 

 

Below is an image I created for one of my websites. The website contains many images and lots of text. Some of the text is public domain. For example, I have many classic poems on the site. About 1,800 poems or so. Public domain basically means that anyone can use it without it being a copyright violation and can be used without permission. Poems from the eighteen hundreds fall into that category because they are so old. The website also contains articles created by myself. I also created music lessons for various instruments. It is a site that consists of over 3,000 pages. I created most of the images on the site. The rest are public domain.

Unethical Use Of Content Created By Others

There are instances of what I consider to be unethical use of content. The first is the use of content created by someone else without their permission. Content that is also not public domain. People work hard to create their own original content. Nothing is more unfair than for someone posting it on the Internet without their permission. That doesn't include the sharing on social media sites of someone else's post. There's nothing wrong with that. It's when you post something on your social media page that isn't a share of the creator's post. Because the creator deserves the credit for his or her creation or original post.

I have a section on the website I mentioned above that provides lessons in balalaika chords. I created the lessons and the images. All my creation, and it's not public domain. Which means its not free to be used by anyone else without my permission. Well I did a Google search using the term "Balalaika Chords By Key" to see where my site would rank. In the past, I was on the top of the page of results. I occasionally do this to see the current ranking. But one time I saw one that outranked mine but had an image created by me. It was from a PDF file on SCRIBD.com. It was posted there without my permission. Posted here: https://www.scribd.com/doc/297196585/Basic-Balalaika-Chords#. And it was uploaded to the site by someone listed as Bogdan Tudose. He's uploaded other things as well. I don't know if they were something else he may have used without permission. But in my case, he never asked for permission from me.

So I went to the site and saw it was all my creation. My original image and all the rest, word for word. Like someone did a screenshot of every page in that section of my site. But the real kicker was the fact that they had a better search engine ranking and showed up higher in the search results. Here is a link to my site where that feature is: http://drpsychotic.com/balalaika/chart_explain.html. If you compare the two, you should easily be able to see the similarities.

 

 Some Quick Information About Copyrights

On the US copyright website, there is a question and answer section. One of the questions on the site is the the one displayed below and it includes the answer to the question.

 

"Do I have to register with your office to be protected?
No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created"

 

Now if you want to do a lawsuit, you will need to register your work. However, you can publicly claim your work was used without permission and list the people who used your work. If they claim that your accusation is false and want to sue you for making the accusation publicly, the burden of proof is on them. That means they have to prove that what I am saying is not true. Pretty damn hard since my web host can go back to the time it was originally posted on my site. They keep backups. 

 

Use Of Embed Code 

Embed code from someone else's creation is fair game as far as I'm concerned.  The reason is that, for example, any post on Instagram or YouTube has embed code that someone could use to incorporate it into their website or blog. A lot people know that going in. If you don't want people using embed code that displays your work on their site or blog, then simply take your work off of the platforms that include embed code of your works. Unfortunately that just means your work is seen by less people.

Another thing about embed code is that it at least gives credit to the creator and provides a link to the creator's page, where more of their works can be seen. This could be a great source of free promotion. So you get credit for your work and free  promotion. That sounds good to me. Below, I have included an example of the use of embed code. It is from an Instagram post of mine.

The Lack Of Creativity Of Some So-Called Content Creators

 Some people like to call themselves content creators even though just about everything they upload to the Internet is either highly derivative or outright stolen, Some of the "content" they create is just glorified advertisements passed off as content. Just trying to sell some service or product. One good one is selling you some service that gives you access to a site that instructs you on how to get more views or followers on Instagram or other platforms.

I've been to one of those sites. And they basically instruct you how to rip off other people's ideas on Instagram and post it yourself to get more Instagram followers, more views and more likes. Then you can be a "content creator" too. I don't thing that's right or ethical. Some may disagree and that's fine. That's how I feel about it.

 

There is nothing ethically wrong with creating something you call content that is just a little more than an advertisement. It's just that a lot of them rank very high and show high in your feed. It pushes things you may have much more interest in lower in your feed. That irritates me.

In Conclusion

I consider myself a pretty good content creator. I can create original images, original articles, my own websites and so forth. However, I openly admit that I do, on occasion, use some public domain works created by others. But use of public domain works is ethical. And when I do use those public domain works, I list the creator or the source. In some of my blog posts I will give some ideas about content creation you could try yourself. I hope you enjoyed this post or found it to be informational. If you liked it, please tell people about it or post it on your social media pages. Thanks for reading it.

Bob Craypoe

 

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Using Instagram Embed Code For Websites And Blogs

About Instagram Embed Codes

What Exactly Are Instagram Embed Codes?

Instagram embed codes consist of HTML code that allows you to embed Instagram content into a page of a website or blog. The code contains a javascript that enables the function. The Instagram content will then be viewable on the page. All Instagram posts include embed code. You just copy the code and paste it into your page. Images and reels can both be displayed through the use of embed code. You can also get embed code for your Instagram profile and it will display your most recent posts.

You can use embed code from your posts as well as the posts of other users. Using the posts of other users is a way of including the content created by other people with your own original content. Let's say you are a blog writer but not an image creator. You could include an image or short video clip, in the form of a reel, with the writing in your blog post.  Below is an image that displayed an Instagram post. The encircled area (three dots in the upper right hand corner) is what you click on to see the options available for the post. Click on the image below to see it at the full size.

The image below here shows the options available for the post.

The options listed as part of the options available include the "Embed" button that allows you to get the embed code for the post by copying it.  You can click on the image above to view it a full size.

Why Should You Use The Instagram Embed Codes?

There are a number of good reasons to use Instagram embed codes. Let's say that you have a blog. You worked hard to write it but you have nothing graphical to make it more interesting and visually appealing. Assigning an Instagram reel to it could make it somewhat more interesting. You have to do whatever it takes to make your blog more interesting. That could mean the difference between having a successful blog or an unsuccessful blog. There is so much competition online. You need to do whatever it takes (ethically) to try to rise above the rest.

You could create your own Instagram reels and images as well. Having Instagram reels and images will draw attention to you that could be directed to your blog and/or website. Your Instagram profile allows you to post links. So why not use what you have already created for your Instagram uploads to put in your webpages or blogs?

Using Embed Codes For Someone Else's Content Is a Win/Win Situation

Some people might think that it is unethical to use embed codes from content someone else created. I don't believe that to be true. I really think that it  is a win/win situation where both parties actually benefit. If you were to use embed code from some content creator's Instagram post, there is a link included in that embed code. And that link will take you to the creator's original Instagram post and you can see the other posts of that person. It's really a form of advertising that benefits the originator of the post.

 

So it should now be obvious as to how you using embed code from someone else's Instagram post is mutually beneficial. You get to use something that makes your blog or website more interesting and they get free promotion. Nothing wrong with that, as far as I am concerned. I believe the original poster should not only appreciate it but should also feel flattered that someone else thinks their post is worthy of reuse.

In Conclusion

Using embed code from an Instagram post could be a great addition to your own creative works and could help to make your efforts not only more interesting but more successful as well. It's easy to do, it brings attention to the original content creator's work as well as that content creator's Instagram page. It may lead to more Instagram followers as well. I've included an example of the use of Instagram embed code below, so you could see an example of it in use. The code is from one of my original Instagram posts. 

 

I hope you have found this blog post to be interesting and/or helpful. I you enjoy the content I create, please tell your friends and post a link to my blog on your social networking pages. Thank you for visiting my blog and reading this post.

Bob Craypoe

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Creating A 3D Set

 What Building A 3D Set Looks Like

What Exactly Is A 3D Set?

I work in various 3D art and animation programs. Many of the things that I create will often require the use of a 3D set. A 3D set is sort of like a set that may be used in a television program. For example, the3 old show "I Love Lucy" had a set that was on stage that consisted of the rooms of the home the Ricardos lived in. The same is true regarding basically every show on television. Sets are also created in 3D programs for various uses. Below is an example of a 3D set in the process of being created by me.

The set displayed above is one that I was creating in the 3D program iClone. It is a Victorian era based set, which I intend to use most obviously, for projects that will utilized Victorian era characters. This particular set was created one wall at a time. I created one wall (the back wall) first. Then each wall that followed was basically a copy of the first one. Then I positioned each wall to create the basics of what was to become the room.

After the walls were positioned, as well as the floor, furniture was brought in, as well. A carpet was also put in place and I ended up with what you see above. The view you see of the room is an overhead view from a distance that shows that it is an actual set instead of just an image. Multiple cameras can be used that could display the set from different angles.

Why Create A 3D Set?

There are two main purposes of creating a 3D set. The first being that you usually need a background of some sort when creating a 3D image or animation. The second reason is that you can reuse the set and apply cameras that will capture the set from different angles. That makes creating the 3D set well worth the time it takes to do so. And the more experience you get doing it, the better you will get at doing it. With that experience you will also find ways of doing it quicker.

The more you intend to use the set that you've created, the more valuable it actually is. Let's say that you intend to do a series of animated shorts that will, at times, use the set you just created. Well it's continued use really makes it a time save in the end. Even if it initially takes a lot of time to create the set. It quite simply pays for itself in the time spent creating it. Below is an image of characters being placed in the set that was created and displayed above.

Placing The 3D Characters In The Set

The image above shows characters being placed within the set. I gave them no special pose or anything of that sort and the placement of the characters within the set was basic as well. The image is really only meant to provide an example of the set being used. Here you see characters dressed in Victorian era clothing placed within a Victorian era set. Just as you would place Western themed characters within a western themed set. No rocket science there.

The characters depicted above are the lord and lady of the manor with their butler and maid. If one wanted, one could use the same characters within the same set over and over again. Just provide different scenarios and different camera angles each time. The possibilities could really be endless.

In Conclusion

The purpose behind this blog post is to demonstrate how some of what I create as a content creator is done. It is designed to show people some of the behind-the-scenes work done to create some of my content. It also serves as somewhat of a tutorial for people interested in the possibility of getting into 3D art and animation. The programs used for what was created in the examples displayed are Reallusion's iClone and Character Creator and DAZ Studio. The Links to their sites are displayed below. Thank you for reading the blog. If you like what you read here, please check back from time to time and post links to the articles or the blog site on your social media pages.

Bob Craypoe

 

Reallusion's Website

 

DAZ Studio Website