QuickStartLipSync: Difference between revisions

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==Prelude==
==Prelude==


FacePoser is Valve Software's tool to lipsync characters and control facialal animations. The lipsyncing in FacePoser is done automatically by the program, which if done manually usually looks sub par. The amount of time and effort an animator would need to spend too reach the quality of FacePoser, it would take an extreme amount of time and effort.
FacePoser is Valve Software's tool to lipsync characters and control facial animations. The lipsyncing in FacePoser can be done automatically and quickly by the program, or manually and more time consuming by the user. The lipsyncing in FacePoser works on a set of standardised rules based on phonemes. Phonemes define how words are constructed by using individual sounds. The models in Half-Life 2 have mouth shapes for each of these sounds, so by combining these shapes, realistic lipsyncing can be created.


The lipsyncing in FacePoser works on a set of standardised rules based on phonemes, phonemes are how each word is constructed out of individual sounds. The mouth has a shape for each of theese sounds, so by combining theese you get perfect lipsyncing.
More information on phonemes can be found [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoneme here].
 
More on phonemes here [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoneme Wikipedia]


==Start Screen==
==Start Screen==


This is the screen you are presented with (Minus the G-Man) when you first start FacePoser. To start off, load a model from the file->load model dialog. I chose G-Man because I'm going to be using a segmant dialog for the phoneme extraction process.
This is the intial layout of FacePoser (minus the G-Man.) To start off, load a model from the File->Load model dialog. In this case, the G-Man was chosen.




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==Getting it to lipsync==


First you need to have an actual wav file and to know the location of said file, you also need to know what was said in the wav file. The contents of my wav file "Rise and shine Mr Freeman, Rise and shine" Also note that you need in  the case  of abreviated words spell it out properly, so Mr would be spelt as Mister.
To have a character lipsync, an actual wav file is needed, along with what was said in the wav file. The dialogue of the wav file in this article is, "Rise and shine, Mr. Freeman. Rise and shine."


Open up the "Phoneme Editor" tab you will be presented with a blank slate, right click inside of that slate and select load, then navigate to your wav file. When you open it you will be presented with this.
==Phoneme Editor==
 
Open up the "Phoneme Editor" tab. The window will show a blank slate; right click inside of that slate and select Load, then navigate to the wav file. After opening it, this will come up:




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Right click again and select redo extraction, you will be presented with an textbox where you must enter the speech the wav file contains.
Right click again and select Redo Extraction. A textbox for the speech in the wav file will pop up. Fill in the dialogue and push OK. Note that phonetically spelled words will result in better lipsynching; so "Mister" would have better results than the abbreviated word, "Mr." Words with more than three syllables should also be spelled phonetically.




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Once it has finished extracting, you will be presented with this screen.
Once the extraction is finished, the phonemes will be laid out on the wav file:




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You will notice if you click the play button, it will play the sound but the lips of the character will not be moving, you need to commit the extraction. Right click and commit extraction.
Right click and choose, "Commit extraction." This saves the phonemes into the wav file for lipsynching. Push Play, and the character will lipsync to the audio.
 
The character will now move their lips perfectly with the original voice.




[[category:Choreography]]
[[category:Choreography]]

Revision as of 23:24, 6 July 2005

Prelude

FacePoser is Valve Software's tool to lipsync characters and control facial animations. The lipsyncing in FacePoser can be done automatically and quickly by the program, or manually and more time consuming by the user. The lipsyncing in FacePoser works on a set of standardised rules based on phonemes. Phonemes define how words are constructed by using individual sounds. The models in Half-Life 2 have mouth shapes for each of these sounds, so by combining these shapes, realistic lipsyncing can be created.

More information on phonemes can be found here.

Start Screen

This is the intial layout of FacePoser (minus the G-Man.) To start off, load a model from the File->Load model dialog. In this case, the G-Man was chosen.


Initialscreen (Medium).jpg


To have a character lipsync, an actual wav file is needed, along with what was said in the wav file. The dialogue of the wav file in this article is, "Rise and shine, Mr. Freeman. Rise and shine."

Phoneme Editor

Open up the "Phoneme Editor" tab. The window will show a blank slate; right click inside of that slate and select Load, then navigate to the wav file. After opening it, this will come up:


Phonemestart.jpg


Right click again and select Redo Extraction. A textbox for the speech in the wav file will pop up. Fill in the dialogue and push OK. Note that phonetically spelled words will result in better lipsynching; so "Mister" would have better results than the abbreviated word, "Mr." Words with more than three syllables should also be spelled phonetically.


Wordlist.jpg


Once the extraction is finished, the phonemes will be laid out on the wav file:


Phoenemeeditorend.jpg


Right click and choose, "Commit extraction." This saves the phonemes into the wav file for lipsynching. Push Play, and the character will lipsync to the audio.