Snapchat: Create Your Own Custom Lenses Using Lens Studio

Creativity can flourish on Snapchat thanks to the image-sharing app providing users with the ability to make and design a lens through its Lens Studio. The benefits of creating custom lenses is that they can be shared with with friends and other Snapchatters. What’s more, any Snapchat user is just one download away from building and publishing their own original AR lenses.

Once the Snapchat app is installed on a device, users can simply tap their face when it is displayed on the screen to initiate the lens feature. From here, users can browse the available selection and pick from popular ones that add animal features or even manipulate a user’s face. The image-sharing app also allows users to distort their voice while simultaneously altering their appearances. Furthermore, people can send these fun images to friends or post them on their Snap story. Alternatively, unique pictures and videos can be saved and uploaded to other social media platforms.

Those interested in becoming a Lens Creator on Snapchat will need to visit the website and download the Lens Studio for free. This tool grants individuals the ability to build and design their own AR images. In fact, the program includes custom shaders and advanced tracking technology to help adapt to a variety of real-world parts. Moreover, the program also helps individuals design lenses for both iOS and Android. To make things easier, there’s the option of using a behavior helper script to craft the design without code. Although, those experienced in coding can use JavaScript to experiment with more complex designs.

What The Lens Studio Offers

While individuals can design lenses from scratch, Snapchat understands that not everyone has experience creating graphics and so the program includes templates. The 3.1 release of Lens Studio offers full-body trigger templates that will create effects when a person performs a pose or a dance. The new attachment template supports full-body tracking by letting creators attach objects to joints. Believe it or not, machine learning is an integral part of the development process and SnapML lets users design lenses to apply art styles that attach images to objects, while the software helps the program understand the scene. This means that small interactions and movements that people perform will reflect different actions in the Snap. Similarly, Spectacles 3 will show unattached augmented reality designs in the environment that a person is filming.

The final product is not for creator use exclusively, as anyone can gain access to the lens by using the unique Snapcode and Lens Link to interact with the maker’s custom design. Furthermore, those who can create quality lenses may also gain the opportunity to receive payment and become an official Lens Creator, thanks to the Residency Program. Basically, this program lets creators apply for the chance to receive funding, along with the added benefit of getting help from Snapchat’s tech and creative teams to complete the project within a month.

Those who manage to complete the residency will obtain a verified account with a creator profile. Although, anyone who downloads Snapchat’s Lens Studio and publishes a custom lens is a creator in their own right. The download requirements include having the latest driver and the proper graphic card installed on either a Windows 10 or macOS (10.13 or later) device. For those that have ever expressed an interest in creating their own Snapchat lens, they just need to download the Lens Studio, then find the right inspiration to design an original piece.

Source: Lens Studio

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