OC3 Entertainment has released* a new version of FaceFX, its automated facial animation system used on games including Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Heavy Rain and the recent BioWare and Bethesda RPGs.

The software generates animation automatically from audio data, with the option to use text files to aid lip-sync.

FaceFX 2012 takes things a stage further, with support for basic full-body animations, along with animation compression and the option to use ‘emoticons’ – text strings that trigger facial gestures: for example, using the ‘?’ at the end of a question to cause a character to raise their eyebrows.

Face FX Studio Professional 2012 costs $1,995, while plug-in versions for Softimage, 3ds Max, MotionBuilder and Maya each cost $199.

Read a full list of new features in FaceFX 2012

Visit the FaceFX product site

*Actually, it shipped last month, but we completely overlooked it until Max Underground posted the news. Thanks, Max Underground.

Tags: 3ds max, automated, automatic, FaceFX 2012, facial animation, games, Maya, OC3 Entertainment, softimage