Well, that's how you do it in XSI so hopefully you could do it that way in Max as well. Each frame contains a different facial shape which corresponds to the "Character Facial Animation Shapekey Set". Then you export those 34 frames as a .VTA file and compile it into the .QC for the model (make sure you include your Frame 0 facial reference pose in the export). Once you compile that .QC file you should be able to take your character into Model Viewer and control the facial expressions under the "Flex" tab. However, I did all of this using a pre-Orangebox version of the SDK so things might have changed since then.
On Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 1:15 PM, Jake Breen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Can I just skip the morpher step, and simply make a 34 blend animation > and create the flexes using a single head? > > Jed wrote: > > Cannonfodders guide is a good guide but makes things over complex. > > > > You can simply set-up your animation as 34 frames and for each morph > > target it set it to 100% for it own frame. i.e. > > > > shapekey 0 - frame 0 - 100% > > shapekey 1 - frame 1 - 100% > > ... > > shapekey n - frame n - 100% > > > > Be aware though that you'll need to watch the percentage of other > > frames as they'll tween so make sure each morph is the only one at > > 100% each frame. > > > > You can then export the VTA with all the shapekeys in a single > > animation which is what Valve use with the SDK examples. > > > > - Jed > > > > On 25/03/2008, Jake Breen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > >> Well I kinda remember Cannonfodder's tutorial and he had it multiple > >> meshes, of the exact same mesh in the same scene and then used morpher > >> and applied the facial expressions to it. Then deleted the heads. But > >> I'm so lost after that. > >> > >> > >> Ben Mears wrote: > >> > Facial setups for custom characters is completely attainable. I > worked > >> > through the process in XSI and had pretty good results. The steps > are > >> > outlined in the Valve Wiki here: > >> > > http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Character_Setup_Overview#Export_a_.smd_File > >> > . > >> > The main problem I had was that after the initial Orangebox update > my facial > >> > flex controllers didn't work anymore so I had to revert back to a > previous > >> > version of the SDK. Besides that it worked out pretty good and I > didn't have > >> > too many problems setting it up. It really depends on how much time > and > >> > effort you put into manipulating the facial verts into the > expressions. > >> > Also, I was doing this in the pre-Orangebox SDK and from the looks > of it the > >> > Episode 2 SDK should be way better. It does look like the steps for > Max and > >> > Maya differ from XSI, for XSI you set up different facial poses on > different > >> > keyframes and in Max/Maya you create multiple versions of the head > with the > >> > different facial poses. Hope this helps! > >> > > >> > On Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 7:09 AM, Sam Goldwater <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > >> > > >> > > >> >> Good to know, nice one Jed. > >> >> > >> >> On Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 12:13 PM, Jed <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> >> > >> >> > >> >>> I've rigged a few custom character models with facial animation > and > >> >>> it's not actually that hard to be honest. > >> >>> > >> >>> The "quality" comes from how good your morphs are, how many you > have > >> >>> and rig then. I have a gut feeling Alyx uses more than the default > >> >>> shapekey set but all the models I've made use the stock shapekey > set. > >> >>> > >> >>> It's not my greatest work (someone else model + morphs targets) > but I > >> >>> was asked to rig the Candy model from Dinohunters. Thats a > complete > >> >>> custom model with the full set of morph shapekeys. > >> >>> > >> >>> I've done quite a few others and written a few tools to help in > the > >> >>> process but nothing thats out there yet. > >> >>> > >> >>> - Jed > >> >>> > >> >>> On 25/03/2008, Sam Goldwater <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> >>> > >> >>>> Can anyone think of examples of Alyx quality facially rigged > custom > >> >>>> characters? Is it attainable only having the citizen model to > work > >> >>>> > >> >>> from? > >> >>> > >> >>>> On Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 9:29 AM, Tom Edwards < > >> >>>> > >> >> [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> >> > >> >>>> wrote: > >> >>>> > >> >>>> > Open the sample citizen model and scrub the animation slider. > >> >>>> > >> >> That's > >> >> > >> >>> how > >> >>> > >> >>>> > you do it. :-) > >> >>>> > > >> >>>> > Jake Breen wrote: > >> >>>> > > Okay so I was following > >> >>>> > > > >> >>>> > > >> >>>> > >> >> > http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Character_Facial_Animation_Shapekey_Set > >> >> > >> >>>> > > > >> >>>> > > And thats the only thing I can find about facial flexes. So > what > >> >>>> > >> >> do > >> >> > >> >>> I do > >> >>> > >> >>>> > > next? > >> >>>> > > > >> >>>> > > >> >>>> > >> >> > http://oxihosting.com/files/100/Postal%202%20Port/MikeJs%20Army%20of%20heads.jpg > >> >> > >> >>>> > > > >> >>>> > > > >> >>>> > > > >> >>>> > > _______________________________________________ > >> >>>> > > To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list > >> >>>> > >> >>> archives, > >> >>> > >> >>>> > please visit: > >> >>>> > > http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlcoders > >> >>>> > > > >> >>>> > > > >> >>>> > > > >> >>>> > > >> >>>> > > >> >>>> > _______________________________________________ > >> >>>> > To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list > >> >>>> > >> >>> archives, > >> >>> > >> >>>> > please visit: > >> >>>> > http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlcoders > >> >>>> > > >> >>>> > > >> >>>> > >> >>>> > >> >>>> > >> >>>> -- > >> >>>> ------------------ > >> >>>> Sam Goldwater > >> >>>> www.polygonfiction.com > >> >>>> ------------------ > >> >>>> _______________________________________________ > >> >>>> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list > >> >>>> > >> >> archives, > >> >> > >> >>> please visit: > >> >>> > >> >>>> http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlcoders > >> >>>> > >> >>>> > >> >>>> > >> >>> _______________________________________________ > >> >>> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list > archives, > >> >>> please visit: > >> >>> http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlcoders > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >> -- > >> >> ------------------ > >> >> Sam Goldwater > >> >> www.polygonfiction.com > >> >> ------------------ > >> >> _______________________________________________ > >> >> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list > archives, > >> >> please visit: > >> >> http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlcoders > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> > _______________________________________________ > >> > To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list > archives, please visit: > >> > http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlcoders > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, > please visit: > >> http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlcoders > >> > >> > >> > > > > _______________________________________________ > > To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, > please visit: > > http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlcoders > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, > please visit: > http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlcoders > > _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please visit: http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlcoders
