Real-Time Interactive Facial Animation

Marc Escher

Gael Sannier

Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann

MIRALab

University of Geneva

24 rue General-Dufour

CH-1211 Geneve 4

SWITZERLAND

Marc.Escher@cui.unige.ch,

Gael.Sannier@cui.unige.ch,

Thalmann@cui.unige.ch

 

 

Abstract

In this paper we describe methods for the generation of real-time facial animation for various virtual actor using high level-actions. These high-level actions allow the user to forget the technical side of the animation, and focus only on the more abstract, more natural, and intuitive part of the facial animation. The mechanisms developed to generate interactive high-level real-time animation are described and details are given on the method we use to blend several action to a smooth facial animation. These techniques have been integrated in a C++ library which functionalities are described. We integrate the result in an interactive real-time application. This application allows a user-friendly control of virtual humans’ facial animation and speech in real-time. It provides tools for an interactive creation of virtual stories or storyboard.

Keywords: Virtual Human, Virtual Face, Real Time Facial Animation, MPEG-4