Most Animated Story messages say exactly what to do, in plain words. Here are the ones you are most likely to see, and the next step for each.
Start with the set up box:
The box at the top of the panel lists everything Animated Story needs, with a green tick or a numbered list of steps for each: the Voice Engine, Lip Sync, Pictures and your Spending limit. Follow the steps in order and the dots turn green by themselves.
If you see Voice Engine not running:
The voices are recorded by the free ResultsAiX Voice Engine app on your computer.
- Click the download button in the set up box if you do not have the app yet.
- Install it, open it, and wait until it says it is ready. The first start downloads the voices, which takes a few minutes.
- Keep it open. The dot turns green by itself.
- Click Make everything again. Nothing already made is lost or paid for twice.
If a character has no voice yet:
Click Edit on their card in step 1, pick a voice (your own cloned voice is under My cloned voices), click Save, then Make everything again.
If the panel says Pictures need an AI key:
Connect Google Gemini or OpenAI under Settings, Your AI keys, or set Pictures by to Free practice.
If Google says the key is on the free tier:
Google allows a free Gemini key no pictures. Turn on billing for the key in Google AI Studio (Set up billing), or set Pictures by to ChatGPT. If both keys are connected, ChatGPT draws the picture when Gemini asks for billing.
If moving clips pause or stop:
Google limits clips per minute and per day. The plugin waits out the per minute limit by itself. For the daily limit it tells you, and switches this video to Still picture so you can finish it now. See Moving Clips With Google Veo (Optional).
If you see Your monthly limit is used up:
This month's story pictures and clips have reached your Animated Story monthly limit, and nothing more was charged. Click Make voices and lip sync (free) to finish the free parts now, or raise the limit in Settings, What each AI does.
If the faces change between scenes:
- With Free practice pictures this is normal: free engines cannot copy a reference picture. Switch Pictures by to Google Gemini or ChatGPT for the real video.
- With Gemini or ChatGPT, check the character has a reference picture: their card shows it instead of needs a picture. Describe the look in more detail, or use their own photo.
If a line mentions something that is not in the picture:
Change the line, or change Where they are and write the conversation again. The writer keeps every line true to the place you chose, including the time of day.
If you want lip sync:
The lip sync dot tells you where you are.
- Lip sync: coming soon: it arrives with a Voice Engine update. The Voice Engine updates itself.
- Lip sync not set up: in the Voice Engine, click GPU, then Lip Sync, then Add Lip Sync. It is a one-time free download and needs an NVIDIA graphics card.
- Lip sync: downloading: leave the Voice Engine open until it turns green.
- Lip sync ready: each scene takes about 1 to 2 minutes on Best, or less with Fast draft.
Until then, or on a computer without an NVIDIA card, every scene plays with its picture, voice, captions and a gentle camera movement.
The Error Log:
Diagnostics, Error Log keeps the last 7 days of problems in plain words. Use Problems, Never finished and Everything to filter it, and Download .txt to attach it to a support ticket.
A real example:
One morning the owner of Yoursite Studio opens her story before opening the Voice Engine. The set up box reads Get set up first: 2 things to do, with the Voice Engine steps at the top. She opens the app, the dot turns green, and Make everything carries on from the scenes that still needed a voice.
If Write the conversation is greyed out:
The writer needs an AI key. Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini under Settings, Your AI keys, then reload Create Video. You can still click + Add a scene by hand and type the lines yourself.
If a scene's Lip sync button is greyed out:
Lip sync needs a picture and a voice first. Click Make picture and Make voice on that scene, or Make everything.
If a photo will not upload:
Use a JPG, PNG or WebP picture under 15 MB, and tick the permission box before you click Use my own photo.
Tips:
- Keep the Voice Engine open whenever you work on a story.
- Test new ideas with Free practice pictures first.
- If support asks for details, the Error Log download is the quickest way to share them.