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Version: 3.9.0

Face Avatar Drive

face avatar drive

Use Face Avatar Drive to drive the deformation component. This results in movement that matches facial expressions. Face Avatar Drive is in the Head & Face category.

Input

NameData TypeDescription
EnterTriggerTrigger the node.
DeformationComponentThe deformation component to drive.

Output

NameData TypeDescription
ExitTriggerTrigger the next node.

Example

face avatar drive example

This example uses Face Avatar Drive to control the alienAvatar object’s deformation.

face avatar drive node

How to Use Face Avatar Drive

Face Avatar Drive allows you to track the position and movements of the facial features. You can track all features of the face or only particular features.

face avatar drive demo

Add a Face Avatar Drive Node

Add the Face Avatar Drive node from the Visual Scripting panel. This node controls the Deformation component to drive the 3D Face Avatar deformation with facial movement.

Prepare a 3D Face Avatar Model

The Face Avatar Drive node maps the movement of key points of your face that are recognized by the camera to the key channels of the blend shape of the face avatar model.

Set Up the Blend Shape

The Face Avatar Drive node controls 52 facial features but only supports one blend shape. You must prepare one blend shape with different channels that match the facial feature name in the following table.

tip

The Face Avatar Drive feature only recognizes the matched naming targets and will ignore the other channels. You don’t need to create all 52 channels. Just pick the ones you need for your effect.

To create the blend shape, use a digital content creation tool, like Autodesk® Maya®.

NameData typeDescription
eftCentralRight
eyeBlinkLefteyeBlinkRight
eyeLookDownLefteyeLookDownRight
eyeLookInLefteyeLookInRight
eyeLookOutLefteyeLookOutRight
eyeLookUpLefteyeLookUpRight
eyeSquintLefteyeSquintRight
eyeWideLefteyeWideRight
jawForward
jawLeftjawRight
jawOpen
mouthClose
mouthFunnel
mouthPucker
mouthLeftmouthRight
mouthSmileLeftmouthSmileRight
mouthFrownLeftmouthFrownRight
mouthDimpleLeftmouthDimpleRight
mouthStretchLeftmouthStretchRight
mouthRollLower
mouthRollUpper
mouthShrugLower
mouthShrugUpper
mouthPressLeftmouthPressRight
mouthLowerDownLeftmouthLowerDownRight
mouthUpperUpLeftmouthUpperUpRight
browDownLeftbrowDownRight
BrownInnerUp
browOuterUpLeftbrowOuterUpRight
cheekPuff
cheekSquintLeftcheekSquintRight
noseSneerLeftnoseSneerRight
tongueOut

↓ avatarDrive_23_freshBlend.zip

alien fbx

Import a 3D Model

Import the model and make sure the Import Blendshape checkbox is selected. You can also view all blend shape channels in the Inspector panel.

import 3d model

Add a 3D Model to the Hierarchy panel

Drag and drop the model from the Assets panel to the Hierarchy panel. You can see that the Deformation component is auto-generated since the model contains blend shapes.

add 3d model to the hierarchy panel

Pin the Deformation component to the Visual Scripting panel as the input of the Face Avatar Drive node.

lik model to face avatar drive node

Create a model setup like the one shown in the screenshot below. Then the facial expression will be updated.

face avatar drive node setup

Now you can control your avatar!

Demo Effect: Face Avatar Drive With a Head Tracker

Check out this tutorial to learn how to add a Head Tracker as the parent to make your face avatar follow your head.

face avatar drive demo head tracker

Demo Effect: Customize Face Avatar Drive With the Face Avatar Result Node

You can also play with the Face Avatar Result node to create more advanced interactions.

customize face avatar drive demo

In this example, Face Avatar Result is used with eyeBlinkRight in the blend shape channel to control the right eye of the alienAvatar object. In the Deformation component channel of the alienAvatar object, select Set eyeBlinkRight to add the node.

set eyeblink graph