First run

Make sure you’ve setup FACSvatar (real-time with Unity3D or offline Blender) by following the instructions here: Default set-up

  • Real-time: Modified OpenFace –> FACSvatar modules –> Unity3D
  • Offline: (Modified) OpenFace –> .csv –> FACSvatar modules –> Blender

Visualization: Unity3D - real-time

  1. Have FACSvatar project opened in Unity3D
  2. Press play button

Visualization: Blender - offline

Sorry, these instructions are still a mess. Look at the Blender tutorial video for clearer instructions.

  1. Do these steps before running other FACSvatar modules.
  2. Copy the first 2 lines of code found in FACSvatar/blender/facsvatar_zeromq.py into the Blender terminal (but change path to match your system’s path to that file).
  • Windows: Change / to \\
  1. Your Blender now freezes and waits for data from Blend Shapes module. (You can safely send 1x a cancel command in terminal that runs Blender to cancel listening for data).
  2. Yes, I know, the freezing part is bad. This, and all these instructions, should be gone once the Blender component of FACSvatar is turned into a Blender add-on.
  3. Data is streamed into the timeline of Blender and can be modified following the normal workflow of Blender.

FACSvatar modules

Open 3 terminals

  1. Start bridge module
    1. source activate facsvatar
    2. cd *your_path*/FACSvatar/modules/process_bridge
    3. python main.py
  2. Start FACS to Blend Shapes module
    1. source activate facsvatar
    2. cd *your_path*/FACSvatar/modules/process_facstoblend
    3. python main.py
  3. Start OpenFace offline module (input)
    1. source activate facsvatar
    2. cd *your_path*/FACSvatar/modules/input_facsfromcsv
    3. python main.py

Congratulations, you should now see an avatar in Unity3D / Blender move its head, eyes and face!

If you want to use your own FACS values extracted from a video do:

  1. OpenFaceOffline.exe –> menu: Recording settings –> Output location
  2. OpenFaceOffline.exe –> menu: File –> Open Video.
  3. Copy .csv from your output location to your_path/FACSvatar/modules/input_facsfromcsv/some_folder
  4. Run OpenFace offline module with: python main.py --csv_folder some_folder --csv_arg -1

Real-time (needs Windows PC)

You want to use your own facial expressions in real-time you say? Skip starting the OpenFace offline FACSvatar module and instead start the modified OpenFace GUI: OpenFaceOffline.exe –> menu: File –> Open Webcam.

Warning, pretty heavy on the CPU of the PC.