Tutorial: Advanced Facial Blendshape Networks
The Gnomon Workshop has released Advanced Facial Blendshape Networks, a guide to creating blendshape-based facial rigs, recorded by Blur Studio Facial Modeler Adam Spring.
The workshop provides over six hours of video training in Maya, ZBrush, Wrap, and Photoshop.
Extract blendshapes from 3D scan data to create realistic facial rigs
In the workshop, Spring sets out how to create blendshape-based facial rigs suitable for use in VFX, animation and game cinematic projects.
He begins by exploring how to extract blendshapes from 3D scan data and organize them into primary and combination shapes, for use in facial rigging.
To help organize the blendshapes, Spring uses free Maya plugin Simplex.
He also explains how to generate wrinkle and blood flow maps from scan data, and how to use them to construct a dynamic shader within Maya.
To test the blendshape setup, Spring uses the free app Live Link Face to capture facial motion data on an iPhone.
The workshops uses a FACS data set from 3D Scan Store that is not available to the public, but the process of creating FACS blendshapes is covered in this Gnomon Workshop tutorial.
About the artist
Adam Spring is a Facial Modeler at VFX and animation facility Blur Studio.
Over the past five years, he has also worked on character pipelines for clients including MPC, Activision and Ubisoft, focusing specifically on facial modeling and FACS.
Pricing and availability
Advanced Facial Blendshape Networks is available via a subscription to The Gnomon Workshop, which provides access to over 300 tutorials.
Subscriptions cost $57/month or $499/year. Free trials are available.
Read more about Advanced Facial Blendshape Networks
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