I've been off and on learning how to use FaceFX for over a year now, and it's so frustrating, since it's the last thing I need to do in order to finish my project.
Can anyone help me learn how to properly set up an FXA file? I thought I wrote the batch export script right, but apparently not, since the sliders don't do anything when I set everything up in UDK.
Please be as simple as possible with explaining, cause I'm completely new to Maya as well as FaceFX, and don't know all the advanced terminology.
Thank you so much to anyone who decides to help me
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Here's a screen cap, in case it helps. http://postimage.org/image/ia5s89xm3/
You need to actually create the FaceFX poses in Maya. Make sure you are keying the bones and creating the proper poses and that your batch export script is looking for the correct poses on the correct frames (you can use any frame you like, but you have to put it in the script). The poses must be different than your FaceFX reference pose. To export a reference pose key the face bones in the character's neutral position and use the export reference pose feature of the FaceFX Maya plugin. Alternatively you can export poses one by one using the FaceFX exporter GUI in Maya -- you're not required to use a batch export script if you don't want to. In the FaceFX exporter in Maya you need to save the .fxa file. Then you import that into a FaceFX Asset in UnrealEd (right click on the FaceFX Asset and import from .fxa). The FaceFX Asset you import onto must be attached to the same character you're working with in Maya (it must have the exact same skeleton and bone names or FaceFX won't be able to find the bones). Also your poses must match the FaceFX poses in the mapping tab in FaceFX Studio (click new default mapping there if no mapping exists). The pose names must match _including capitalization_ for FaceFX to animate them when analyzing audio (but this is not required just to test the pose by moving sliders). Check the FaceFX and / or Unreal console / logs for clues as to why things may not be moving.
This video tutorial should help:
http://facefx.com/content/introduction-facefx-plugin-maya
I followed the tutorial exactly step by step, but at 1:05, when he gets done clicking all the bones, it shows Slade's face changing automatically as he slides along the timeline. My meshes don't do this. I'm guessing this is the point where I create the poses? I have no idea how to do that :(
You have to move the bones in Maya to position them into the correct place to create the pose and then key them. Do you know how to animate in Maya? Setting up the poses is a manual step, usually done by an animator. Alternatively you can hire an animator to set it up for you, or you can just purchase a character that is already set up. These are the targets you need to create in Maya: http://facefx.com/documentation/2012/W76
Thanks, I'll try it out for myself and if all else fails, I'll see if a friend can help out.