New 2D Facial Rig: A Game-Changer for Your Animation Process

We have done this before, however this time we use Geometry Nodes!
The 2D face rig we created years ago was unique and had great potential. This one is easier to use and will teach you some interesting Geometry Nodes techniques.
I'm a fan of this character style and the design choices. I'm able to put my spin on it by pulling the 2D shapes out into this semi-3D look. And now, animating these face shapes is super animator-friendly with this new setup.
Projecting the face onto the mesh was previously done with the modifier stack, but who uses that anymore? Come on! Everything should be Geometry Nodes right!?
We can customize this setup to be everything we want, so think outside the box and let me know what else you can come up with.
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If you have a question about anything you saw in the video, something that you missed, or maybe I missed, or if you have any other requests ask me in the comments!
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Пікірлер: 42

  • @MVARTZ
    @MVARTZ7 ай бұрын

    Go thank @dwnsdp in the comments, because that comment reminded me to share the project files to this KZread tutorial! Project files: mvartz.gumroad.com/l/NewFaceRig

  • @zacharykatz2157
    @zacharykatz2157Ай бұрын

    Hey, so i followed along, and I've done this on my rigged character, but when i move the head, the eyes don't move with the character, how could i make the eyes move with the head?

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    Ай бұрын

    Hey! I just paste a comment here that helped someone else out with a similair question.. Right, I see what's happening here. The mesh I use are separate primitives stuck together. That's the style I was going for. If you have something else try these two solutions, let me know if any of these work for you: 1. Separate geometry node setup from mesh. - create a new plane at the origin of the head/face bone. - open the node tree editor and make new geo nodes setup. Then Grab the face rig geonodes we made and create a new version by pressing the 2 (or other number) next to the name field. This makes it unique. - Replace the geometry input by the character mesh | drag and drop from the outliner. - Then connect that up to the shrinkwrap target instead. - Apply mirror if necessary. Check the start and end point location of the mesh line that spawns the eye shapes. - Parent the plane to the face bone. Not by armature, but ctrl P and select bone from the dropdown 2. Use a meshcage - Duplicate the character model or the face section. (When you do the latter you must tell blender when to use armature and when to use the mesh deform modifier by way of vertex groups) - Grow the meshcage slightly so everything falls inside - Use a mesh deform modifier to bind the character to the mesh cage. - If you don't know how to set up a meshcae check this short video: kzread.infoiot_Wuj46Yk?feature=share You can also combine these two. Separate the mesh and bind the new plane and face geometry nodes to the mesh by way of a mesh deform modifier. Use a mesh as close to the face as possible. This way you can use similar weight painting as the original face mesh.

  • @kathrynprater2767
    @kathrynprater27673 ай бұрын

    This was a wonderful tutorial!! Could never have completed this without you! 9.9/10 stars! If I could change one thing, it would be for you not to skip over somethings. Most of the video I needed to completely pause and really analyze what you had done. But really, there's a pause button so no true complaints!

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    3 ай бұрын

    What a truly wondeful way to start my day. 10/10 comment👌😊 Glad you could work out those things anyway I try to be better every video. It's difficult to have a tutorial be super engaging and in depth at the same time. Striking a balance between them is a constant struggle. But I thing I'm swaying more to value than entertainment lately. Hopefully the upcoming tutorial will be an example of that. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed it

  • @TylPhumin
    @TylPhumin7 ай бұрын

    Thanks for the nice vid! ill try to make sense of it later~ (im new to blender) I was wondering if it's possible to have some "partial animation" with this kind of style? For example the eyes that have a - line and then irisis to one side. Make them so that the line stays but the irises can go left and right, depending on tracking? x: or , for example if i have heart eyes, I can make them pulse in size while their active? things like that~

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    7 ай бұрын

    Jup that is totally possible! Especially the pulsing animation is just animating the scale value. The line eyes could be done in several ways. But maybe easiest would be to seperate the line and circle and join then together later, the you can slide the pupils left to right. But there are, as with everything in 3D, so many way to accomplish anything

  • @SmoStory
    @SmoStory7 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much! One question: normally I like to select the bones of my face rig and say "Create Pose Asset" to have it in the Asset Shelf /Asset Browser. Do you think it would be possible to do this with the different facial expressions well? It would be so great to have a preview of the facial expression as thumbnail in the Asset Shelf.

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    7 ай бұрын

    Yes! For example, you could use a driver. Say the Z value of a single bone drives the integer value that changes the face shapes. If the bone is 1 unit high, it selects face shape 1. 3 units high it selects face shape 3. You get the gist. Limit the range of this bone so you don't accidentally go too far. Change the bone in pose mode, and create a new asset. And change the preview in the asset browser using the camera. If you don't know how to change the preview, in this video I do just that: kzread.info/dash/bejne/hoyfmNukiNiaqZM.htmlsi=mnSQX7r6WtaIEij7&t=70

  • @taboii7695
    @taboii7695Ай бұрын

    how do i get the eyes to inset with mesh boolean like you mentioned in the video?

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    Ай бұрын

    I used a slightly scaled duplicate of the eye instances and used a boolean. mvartz.gumroad.com/l/NewFaceRig?_gl=1*1qfbm7f*_ga*NzYyMDM5NTExLjE3MTcwOTg4NTE.*_ga_6LJN6D94N6*MTcxNzA5ODg1MS4xLjEuMTcxNzA5ODg3OC4wLjAuMA.. Here's a option to get the files

  • @containedhurricane
    @containedhurricane2 ай бұрын

    Excellent tutorial, although it's a bit confusing after 15:00. Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    2 ай бұрын

    Glad to hear most of it was excellent! I hope you could work out what I did after 15:00 minutes. The blend file is available so you can use that to study too

  • @containedhurricane

    @containedhurricane

    2 ай бұрын

    @@MVARTZ Yeah, thanks so much for the blend file. I wouldn't have understood the last parts of the tutorial without it

  • @dwnsdp
    @dwnsdp7 ай бұрын

    Is there a blend file available

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    7 ай бұрын

    Thnks for reminding me! Check the pinned comment to find the link🫶

  • @VtwoGamers
    @VtwoGamers3 ай бұрын

    Hey I was following along. I'm very new to all of this. I got lost at the HEADgeomotry thing. it came out of no where and it wasn't explained how to get it there. any help would be awesome. I'm making a gift for a friend and I really like this facial Rig

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    3 ай бұрын

    What an awesome friend! 🤩 I'd behappy to help if you provide the time code and specify what you're missing

  • @VtwoGamers

    @VtwoGamers

    3 ай бұрын

    @@MVARTZ Thanks so much. did you rename the group input node to HEADgeometry? other than that I'm guessing each part is a single mesh? can it be done with multiple? I had some trouble doing it with multiple so I can adjust my mesh accordingly. thanks for your reply

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    3 ай бұрын

    Yes I renamed the geometry input to HeadGeometry and colored it. Sorry if that wasn't clear... I'm happy you point this out. Sometimes I'm to close to the project and start to live in a bubble ahaha. Questions like yours help me better understand how to explain even better in future projects👌🏻

  • @fpsmaster65
    @fpsmaster653 ай бұрын

    Is this ok for game character creation?

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    3 ай бұрын

    Don't think this is an optimal setup for game engines

  • @sendalmiber4106
    @sendalmiber41066 ай бұрын

    it won't move when i move head with rigging bone, any solution?

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    6 ай бұрын

    Can you be more specific? What isn't moving? Check if the armature modifier is placed before the geometry nodes or after. Maybe if you swap them it will work. I can't tell you more without knowing the details of what you've tried

  • @sendalmiber4106

    @sendalmiber4106

    6 ай бұрын

    So, the face (eyes etc.) can't move when I move my character's head using the rig, then when I put a geometry node above the armature modifier, my character's entire body doesn't move.

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    6 ай бұрын

    Right, I see what's happening here. The mesh I use are separate primitives stuck together. That's the style I was going for. If you have something else try these two solutions, let me know if any of these work for you: 1. Separate geometry node setup from mesh. - create a new plane at the origin of the head/face bone. - open the node tree editor and make new geo nodes setup. Then Grab the face rig geonodes we made and create a new version by pressing the 2 (or other number) next to the name field. This makes it unique. - Replace the geometry input by the character mesh | drag and drop from the outliner. - Then connect that up to the shrinkwrap target instead. - Apply mirror if necessary. Check the start and end point location of the mesh line that spawns the eye shapes. - Parent the plane to the face bone. Not by armature, but ctrl P and select bone from the dropdown 2. Use a meshcage - Duplicate the character model or the face section. (When you do the latter you must tell blender when to use armature and when to use the mesh deform modifier by way of vertex groups) - Grow the meshcage slightly so everything falls inside - Use a mesh deform modifier to bind the character to the mesh cage. - If you don't know how to set up a meshcae check this short video: kzread.infoiot_Wuj46Yk?feature=share You can also combine these two. Separate the mesh and bind the new plane and face geometry nodes to the mesh by way of a mesh deform modifier. Use a mesh as close to the face as possible. This way you can use similar weight painting as the original face mesh.

  • @sendalmiber4106

    @sendalmiber4106

    6 ай бұрын

    @@MVARTZ thanks mate, that really helpful

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    6 ай бұрын

    Glad I could help😉

  • @3dtweettv
    @3dtweettv29 күн бұрын

    2D mouth only works in front view. How to make it work for all views.??

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    29 күн бұрын

    You mean they don't work as in they're not reading as mouth from other angles? Or is the rig not working for you, say not displaying all mouth shapes?

  • @3dtweettv

    @3dtweettv

    29 күн бұрын

    @@MVARTZ I mean for side view this mouth shape will not work. Have to make side facing mouth shape again for side view.

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    29 күн бұрын

    @@3dtweettv yea that's inherent to this style I suppose

  • @garymankey6186
    @garymankey61866 ай бұрын

    Your tutorial is great till you speed up the videos like the details just are not important. This is a very complicated, creativity sucking and hair ripping, just to add 2d face. But that is my opinion.

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    6 ай бұрын

    I appreciate your honesty, but we have to agree to disagree. I understand you might find this difficult. However, I'm just trying to help by sharing possible solutions for artists. Alternative methods which simultaneously teach skills that, imo, can be used in different scenarios too. It's up to you all to envision what that could be, that's part of the fun of this line of work. Out of curiosity, what details do you feel you missed? In the end it can be that this technique is just not for you. That's totally fine, but we like to keep it constructive😉

  • @vahnvallain
    @vahnvallain4 ай бұрын

    Pls make more clear tutorial

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    4 ай бұрын

    Will do my best buddy🤙

  • @vahnvallain

    @vahnvallain

    3 ай бұрын

    ​@@MVARTZ how to use it to install in the driver for animation

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    3 ай бұрын

    @@vahnvallain sorry could you possibly rephrase that, right now I don't know what you're saying

  • @vahnvallain

    @vahnvallain

    3 ай бұрын

    @@MVARTZ im trying to put it in the bone(driver) for face rig

  • @MVARTZ

    @MVARTZ

    3 ай бұрын

    is this helpful For example, you could use a driver. Say the Z value of a single bone drives the integer value that changes the face shapes. If the bone is 1 unit high, it selects face shape 1. 3 units high it selects face shape 3. You get the gist. Limit the range of this bone so you don't accidentally go too far. Change the bone in pose mode, and create a new asset. And change the preview in the asset browser using the camera. If you don't know how to change the preview, in this video I do just that: kzread.info/dash/bejne/hoyfmNukiNiaqZM.htmlsi=mnSQX7r6WtaIEij7&t=70