Digital Alan

So this post is a scary heap of images of me. Just from a whole heap of different avatar creators.

My Avatar Editor
The first tool off the ranks is My Avatar Editor, formally Mii Editor. That previous name is important, as the tool has the same graphics and range of options as the Mii Editor on the Nintendo Wii. It can be used to create stylised versions of people. The tool is very similar to that on the Wii (sub-categories on the Wii are categories in the editor), so will be easy for Wii owners to use. The avatar can be saved as jped or png images, but is not saved on the editor's server, which is an element of safety for classroom users. To the right is an avatar I made using this editor, which is very close to the one I use on my Wii.



Meez
The Meez service allows the use to create avatars, primarily for the use in the service's own games, however they can be exported to different online services or saved to the local computer. For longterm storage and editing, an account with the service is required (but free). The avatars are based off a lot of prebuilt components, a large proportion of which must be paid for with money or site coinage (not sure how its obtained). Personally, I had quite a few difficulties with this site because I could not see the selection options, making it difficult to know what I was changing.
On the right is the animated avatar that I made of myself using this service. Yes, that is Clone Trooper armor from Star Wars, I couldn't help myself and this is about self expression.

Build Your Wild Self

This service is run by the New York Zoo and Aquarium and allows the user to create an avatar containing a range of animal components. The base image is boy or girl, so it will suggest that the age and gender of the user. What I like about this service is that the creation of the avatar could be used as a self-expression exercise, where an explanation about one's self is given for each animal piece used. The one downside with this service is that its not actually intended for avatars, a copy of the image is obtained by bringing up the printable version from which the image can be saved. The image should then be edited to remove the user's name.
One the right is the image I created. I have reindeer horns because I often get myself into arguments which I find it difficult to get out of; bat wings because I would love to have wings and the bat style best fit my personality; and the gibbon arms, well, the hands looked cool at the time, not sure how I can relate to swinging through trees though.

Simpsons Avatar

The Simpsons Movie site gives users the ability to create an avatar which looks like a character from The Simpsons (and Futurama to a lesser extent). The user can select from a range of predrawn components for each part of their avatar. Some of the components are age indicative, particularly the child body size.
On the right is the avatar I created with the site. I did have difficulty with saving the image and in the end I obtained it by screen capturing and saving.










DoppleMe

DoppleMe is a free service which allows users to create an avatar with or without creating an account on their service. Users pick between a range of options for facial expressions, hair, clothes, etc. However some of the content is only available to logged in users and then some of that content is only available with continued use of the service. With out creating an account the avatar can be saved as an image file. When logged in, it can either be saved locally or embedding links are provided for full image or face closeup.

To the right is the DoppleMe I created, linked to the account I created. I went for a suit this time, I felt like something different.

Evolver

Evolver is a tool to create high quality 3D avatars with (almost) photo-realistic appearance. They provide two methods to create the avatars: face feature recognition via an uploaded photo or self creation by blending reference faces. The latter option I found to be very difficult as you need to determine which two faces you wish to blend for a given facial feature, and how much of each face you need to pick. Avatars from this service may not be appropriate for use in online services, as a realistic image of yourself is the same as using a photo. Even if the avatar is not based on the user, it may attract unwanted attention. Additionally, the avatar you create with this service could be useful in other application.
On the right is the avatar I created with this service by uploading a photo. Its a fair creation apart from the hair - I couldn't find one of the right messiness.