FaceFX includes plugins for the following Autodesk products: 3D Studio Max, Maya, Softimage, and MotionBuilder. FaceFX plugins are used to generate bone poses and import animation data. Max, Maya, and XSI plugins feature powerful scripting functions that let you integrate FaceFX data into your custom production pipeline.

In addition to animation plugins, the FaceFX Studio application can export animation data to FBX files directly. OC3 Entertainment also maintains Ogre exporters for 3D Studio Max and Maya.

A powerful command system forms the foundation of FaceFX Studio. Every operation performed from the application has an associated text command. As a result, FaceFX can be used as a powerful command line tool for batch-processing animations or performing other tasks as part of an automated system.

Events are a powerful system that enable one FaceFX animation to play another FaceFX animation. They also form the backbone of the FaceFX Studio gesture system which generates head, eye, and body movements from an audio file.

The event system gives the animator high-level control over a character. Changes can be made to the animation by simply zooming into a problem area and telling the system to generate a new take for that section of the animation. Randomized animations can be generated and previewed quickly, commonly bypassing the need for more time-consuming editing.

FaceFX version 1.7.x is integrated with the award winning Unreal Engine 3 (www.unrealtechnology.com). Triple-A game developers and mod developers alike can experience the power of generating high-quality facial animations with FaceFX directly from UnrealEd. FaceFX is licensed with UE3 by default.

FaceFX Features in UE3

• The FaceFX application is fully integrated with UnrealEd.
• Animate normal maps with custom UE3 Face Graph nodes
• Trigger FaceFX animations from matinee

The FaceFX Software Development Kit is used to load, store and play animations inside of your game. While not required, integrating the FaceFX SDK has major performance benefits over exporting animation data with FaceFX plugins.

FaceFX SDK Features

• Load and play FaceFX file formats directly from your game or application
• Mount external animation sets to manage memory footprint
• Calculate bone transforms on the fly for memory efficient animation data