Faceshift has released Faceshift 2014, the latest version of its markerless facial motion-capture system, improving tracking quality and speeding up calibration workflow.

The software, which works with a Kinect or Asus’s Xtion Pro Live sensor, enables users to scan a series of facial expressions to create a custom 3D avatar, and to record facial animation data in real time.

The animation data may be streamed live into Maya, MotionBuilder or Unity, or exported in a range of standard file formats, including FBX.

New calibration workflow, improved tracking quality
New features in Faceshift 2014 include a quicker workflow for training the software when setting up to track a facial performance, including the option to adjust eyelid and eye position in the 3D scene manually.

There is also a new Neutralize button to reset the character’s neutral facial expression to match the current frame of a video: handy for evening out small variations in expression between takes.

Tracking quality has been improved, with less jitter and “more refined expressions”; while UI changes include the option to view the audio waveform or annotated frames in the timeline.

Users can also transfer their Faceshift licence to a mobile workstation when going out on location, although the limit of five times per year seems a tad restrictive.

Pricing and availability
Faceshift 2014 is available now for Windows and Mac OS X. The Pro edition of the software costs $1,500/year; the Freelance edition, which lacks the option to stream live into other 3D packages, costs $800/year.

You can also get a perpetual licence for non-commercial use for $150.

Read a full list of new features in Faceshift 2014 on the product’s website

Tags: calibration, Faceshift, Faceshift 2014, facial, Kinect, markerless, Maya, mocap, motion capture, MotionBuilder, Neutralize, new features, price, Unity, Xtion Pro Live