FaceRig 3D Software | MULTIMEDIA SCIENCE Teacher Tools Blog

Overview

“FaceRig is a program that aims to enable anyone with a webcam to digitally embody awesome characters. The output can be recorded as a movie or streamed to Skype, twitch, Hangouts, or any service that traditionally uses a webcam in real time”.
~ FaceRig Steam Service Ad

I recently ran into the FaceRig software available from an online gaming service called Humble Bundle for the grand sum of $5.40. See the following URL:

https://www.humblebundle.com/streaming-software-bundle

The software is also available from the FaceRig website for around $20.

https://facerig.com/

The software is quite sophisticated and a harbinger of technology to come. First you choose a 3D avatar and background. Then, by using your webcam, the program maps dots onto your facial features. Then when you talk or move your head, those lip, face, and head motions are mimicked by your avatar. The results can be recorded and are extremely realistic even without tweaking the extensive optional control panels.

Example Movie

As a teacher, the first idea that came to me was to create a recorded avatar that could be used by a substitute to introduce and explain a planned lesson to my classes. You can view this short and incomplete video at:

http://www.darngoodsolutions.com/free/trump2.mp4

I’m sure that with a little experimentation, teachers could come up with multiple creative uses for these avatars.

Pros

Once set up, the software is very easy to use
There are a good number of provided avatars with several more that can be downloaded for free
Facial movements are mimicked quite well by the software – this includes eyes, eyebrows, mouth, and lips
It is easy to produce the final video with excellent results
Sound special effects can be added – great to mask the identity of your voice

Cons (see the suggestions below)

The software takes a bit of time to set up properly
The interface is confusing in some places
Laughing and other uttered noises other than speaking do not look realistic
The video is saved in the .webm format which is not uniformly supported
The software has trouble mapping your face if you are wearing glasses
So far I have been unable to figure out how to import new backgrounds into the software
There seems to be a few bugs that can be worked around

Suggestions

When setting up the connection from FaceRig to your web cam, note that this control is NOT in the opening screen Options but located in a set of controls on the right (green) after you Launch and click on the UI+ button in the controls at the top(dark blue) of the screen
In order to get your face to show up in the small viewing box and your videos to come out right, you may need to experiment with the image sizes that are available
You can convert the .webm videos produced by the software into other formats (.avi, .mp4, etc.) by using the free Zamzar online tool:
http://www.zamzar.com/convert/webm-to-mp4/
I found that setting the sound options on the opening screen and choosing my webcam as the audio source did not work. What did work was not seeing this option at all.

Conclusion

This software would seem to be on the cusp of the 3D and 3D avatar “revolution,” bringing this technology to the “masses.” The quality of the end product and the final ease of use far outweighs a few bugs and some time to get the software set up properly. Teachers should find a multitude of uses for their created 3D avatar movies in their classes, online, and in communications with students. I would give the software a 4 out of 5 star rating and when the bugs are removed a strong 5 out of 5 star rating.