Custom Characters

What are Custom Characters?

Custom Characters allow you to create personalized characters for your height comparisons. You can upload your own images, set custom heights, and reuse them across multiple projects.

Perfect for:

• Adding yourself or friends to comparisons
• Including family members in height charts
• Creating original characters (OCs)
• Comparing pets or objects
• Adding fictional characters not in our database

Creating Custom Characters

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Navigate to Dashboard > My Characters
2. Click the "Create Character" button
3. Fill in the required information:
   • Name: Give your character a descriptive name
   • Height: Enter the height in meters (e.g., 1.75)
   • Image: Upload and crop a character image
4. Click "Create" to save

Image Requirements

Supported Formats:

• PNG (recommended for transparency)
• JPG/JPEG
• WebP
• GIF (first frame only)

File Size Limits:

Image Recommendations:

• ✅ Use transparent background PNGs for best results
• ✅ Center the character in the image
• ✅ Full-body images work best for height comparisons
• ✅ High resolution images (at least 500px tall)
• ❌ Avoid heavily cropped or zoomed images
• ❌ Avoid images with lots of background clutter

Image Cropping Tool

After uploading an image, you'll see the crop and adjust interface:

Cropping Features

Crop Box Controls:

• Drag the box: Reposition the crop area
• Drag corners: Resize the crop box
• Maintain aspect ratio: The crop box adjusts proportionally

Zoom Controls:

• Zoom slider: Scale the image in/out
• Mouse wheel: Quick zoom while hovering over the image
• Drag image: Fine-tune position inside the crop area

Cropping Tips

1. Center your character: Make sure the character is centered in the crop box
2. Include full body: For accurate height comparisons, include the entire character from head to toe
3. Remove background: Crop tightly to remove unnecessary background
4. Preview before saving: The saved result matches exactly what you see in the crop box

Setting Heights

Height Input

Supported Units:

• Meters (default): 1.75 m
• Centimeters: 175 cm
• Feet: 5.74 ft
• Inches: 69 in

The system automatically converts between units for consistency.

Height Guidelines

Common Height Ranges:

• Average adult human: 1.5m - 2.0m
• Children: 0.5m - 1.5m
• Basketball players: 1.9m - 2.3m
• Fantasy characters: Any size!

Tips:

• Be precise for accurate comparisons
• Use consistent measurement sources
• Round to 2 decimal places (e.g., 1.75 not 1.749832)

Managing Characters

Viewing Your Characters

Access all your custom characters at Dashboard > My Characters.

Each character card shows:

• Preview image: Cropped character image
• Name: Character name
• Height: Character height in meters
• Action buttons: Edit or Delete

Searching Characters

Use the search bar at the top to quickly find characters by name.

Editing Characters

1. Find the character in your character list
2. Click the "Edit" button on the character card
3. Update any information:
   • Name
   • Height
   • Image (optional - upload a new image if needed)
4. Click "Save changes"

Deleting Characters

Warning: Deletion is permanent. Characters used in existing projects will be removed from those projects.

1. Find the character you want to delete
2. Click the three-dot menu on the character card
3. Select "Delete"
4. Confirm the deletion

Using Custom Characters

Adding to Comparisons

1. Open any height comparison tool or project
2. Look for your custom characters in the character library
3. Click on a custom character to add it to your comparison
4. Your character appears with the correct height and image

Custom Character Badge

Custom characters display a special badge in the character library to distinguish them from database characters.

Character Quotas

Your custom character limits depend on your subscription plan:

When you reach your quota:

• A warning message will appear
• You'll be prompted to upgrade your plan
• You can delete unused characters to make room

Learn more about subscription plans →

Best Practices

Image Quality

For Best Results:

1. Use high-resolution source images
2. Crop tightly to remove background
3. Use transparent PNGs when possible
4. Ensure the character is well-lit and in focus
5. Avoid blurry or pixelated images

Naming Conventions

Good Names:

• ✅ "John Smith (Dad)"
• ✅ "My OC - Sarah"
• ✅ "Golden Retriever - Max"
• ✅ "Me (2024)"

Avoid:

• ❌ "Character 1"
• ❌ "Untitled"
• ❌ "abc"

Organization

• Delete unused characters: Keep your library organized
• Use descriptive names: Make characters easy to find
• Group related characters: Use naming prefixes (e.g., "Family - Mom", "Family - Dad")
• Update regularly: Keep heights current as people grow

Advanced Tips

Width Settings (Optional)

You can optionally set a custom width for your character:

• Auto-calculate (recommended): Width is calculated from image aspect ratio
• Custom width: Manually set width in meters for precise control

When to use custom width:

• Comparing very wide or narrow objects
• Creating stylized comparisons
• Matching specific proportions

Multiple Versions

Create multiple versions of the same character:

• Different outfits or poses
• Different time periods (e.g., "Me - 2020", "Me - 2024")
• Different states (e.g., "Character - Normal", "Character - Transformed")

Troubleshooting

Upload Failed

Solutions:

• Check file size (must be under your plan's limit)
• Verify file format (PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF only)
• Try a different browser
• Compress the image before uploading

Image Quality Issues

Solutions:

• Upload a higher resolution source image
• Ensure proper lighting in the original photo
• Use a transparent background if possible
• Try cropping closer to the subject

Character Not Appearing

Solutions:

• Refresh the comparison tool page
• Check that the character was successfully saved
• Verify you're logged into the correct account
• Clear your browser cache

Cropping Not Working

Solutions:

• Try refreshing the page
• Ensure JavaScript is enabled
• Use a modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
• Check browser console for errors

Next Steps

• Learn about Managing Projects →
• Explore Subscription Plans →
• Return to User Guide →