Bannaflak – aka developer Niels Johansen – has released Face Cap, an interesting free iOS app that enables users to record facial motion capture data on an iPhone X and export it in FBX format.

Record facial mocap on an iPhone X, including both motion data and blendshapes
Face Cap takes advantage of the depth-sensing capabilities of the iPhone X’s front camera – normally used for facial recognition – to capture facial motion data.

The data can then be exported as an ASCII-encoded FBX file for editing in other software.

As well as facial position and rotation data, the app exports “over 50 facial expressions”: as well as the animation data, the export includes the mesh and blendshapes.

Suggested uses range from VR chat all the way up to VFX: presumably more previs than final effects, but the Bannaflak site includes a sample recording with both raw and cleaned data that you can test yourself.

Pricing and availability
Face Cap is available for iOS 11.0+, though you’ll need an iPhone X. The base app is free; to unlock the option to export longer recordings (anything over three minutes) requires an in-app purchase of $9.99.

Download Face App from the iOS App Store

Tags: animation data, app, ASCII, Bannaflak, blendshape, download, Face Cap, facial mocap, facial motion capture, FBX, free, head mesh, iOS, iPhone X, motion capture, Niels Johansen, record facial motion capture on iPhone