Rigging character for facial expressions.

Rock Bottom

Hey all,

I am planning on making a character but also wanted to be able to make the character do different expressions. My question is,

Do i HAVE to model each and every expression or is there an easier way around it?
And i noticed that Daz Studio 3D has quite a nice "Option" menu for all the expression. How should i go on about doing this?
And once i have done all the expressions if i have to do them manually, lets say i make another character would i have to make every expression for the other model or i could use the same "facial rigging" from the previous character?

Elyaradine

What software are you using? Daz?

Generally, you do have to model each face shape. In Softimage, however, you could try using Face Robot to automate the process, though it takes some practice and tweaking to get it looking okay. You could also transfer face shapes using Softimage's GATOR, as far as I know.

Mark Dygert

I make morph targets all day long, its not that hard, there are a lot of tools and scripts out there, especially in 3dsmax.
I even suggest that if your final output has to be a bone based rig, that you do morphs first and use a series of helper points pinned to the face, the bones follow the helpers and you get to animate it easily.

To quote Richard Williams

"I hope you're not looking for a way to make animation be less work because animation is nothing but work!"

What software are you using, and what is the end result? Rendering just for fun, real time game? If so what kind of hardware and what does it support?

Valandar

If you're using DAZ studio, there's a few ways you could do it - but most of them are highly impractical at this time because pf the funky rigging system (inherited from Poser) that overcomplicates some things.

The only two reasonable ways are:

1 ) Model each and every potential facial shape morph, from expressions to phenomes

2 ) Model "building block shape" morphs, that can be combined into nearly any expression or phenome.

Obviously #1 takes a LOT more work, but #2 takes a LOT more forethought and planning.

Rock Bottom

well i am using 3Ds max, Daz Studio and Zbrush.

@Vig: It´s a real time game. i am Using Unity Pro for making the game. it also has its character animation tools but i prefer making everything outside the box

equil

keep in mind that unity doesn't have built in support for blendshapes/morphtargets.

you could check out these scripts; http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/62478-Skinned-morph-targets-blend-shapes-in-Unity and
http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/62651-Mesh-Modifiers (unreleased)

Unfortunately, from what i understand, unity doesn't handle vertex animations very efficiently. I'd try and see how far I could get with a bone based facial rig.

Rock Bottom

pardon my noobness lets see if i got it right. so Vertex Animation means making 1 face at a time and then changing them from one to another to create various expression? and bone facial rig means making the expressions with a Skeleton in max? if Vertex Animation is what i think it is then could i still make the animation in 3Ds max and export the animation to unity?