ZRT Face Trainer Demonstration | Wrapping Tutorial - Custom Face Preparation

ZRT Face Trainer Demonstration | Wrapping Tutorial - Custom Face Preparation from Puppeteer Lounge on Vimeo.

Here you go! A video going over the entire process of preparing your custom face for training using Ziva Dynamics ZRT Face Trainer!! Bring your custom faces to life with the ZRT Face Trainer. This experimental technology trains any face mesh to perform the most complex facial expressions in real-time using a comprehensive library of 4D data and proprietary machine learning algorithms!

Ziva Rapid Face Trainer Result

So here it is the result from ZRT Face Trainer and below are my thoughts:

Looks like its all blend-shape driven process with a base FACS based logic driven face rig setup. Your base model which is termed as "target mesh" gets converted to match the topology of ZIVA base model (termed as "source model") which I believe already has all the necessary face setups and connections. Once you upload your file to ZRT Face Trainer portal, it takes a few hour for the preview result to be published. During the process of training in my opinion ZIVA Rapid Trainer essentially swap the face through some blend-shape algorithm and possibly face swapping AI similar to deep fake to get the result! This workflow is good for fast output for non real (living) human or CGI generated hyper real model and may not be suitable for CGI digital double. In our case we used our in-house 3D scanned digital double and the result doesn't match the real character in terms of facial expression. For CGI digital double face rig based on actual 3d scans of facial expression of the actor is essential. But anyways this looks promising and in my opinion a GAME CHANGER! Finally the Face Trainer just provides you with a video preview, there is no mesh file, rig file or animation file provided with this early access which is a bummer! As I could have dig deeper and also do a nice little render with custom animation 🙂

Ziva Real Time Face Trainer Access Granted

Looks like we (Puppeteer Lounge) are the first 5500 artists to get our hands on the ZRT Face Trainer. Time to dig in and the process begins with marker setups and wrapping with WRAP3D!

Rig Demo Reel Break Down by Chenyu Hsieh

Rig Demo Reel Break Down from Chenyu Hsieh on Vimeo.

Rigging demoreel by Chenyu Hsieh. Chenyu participated in Puppeteer Lounge Ziva VFX quadruped setup training workshop. Well done!

ZIVA VFX Hyper Real Character Setup | Breakdown

ZIVA VFX Hyper Real Character Setup | Breakdown from Puppeteer Lounge on Vimeo.

This breakdown shows realistic character setup driven with ZIVA VFX toolset (a plug-in with an offline FEM anatomy simulator). This rig features in Puppeteer Lounge Rigging Workshop 3 with ZIVA VFX & BCS training workshop. The physics based anatomy created with ZIVA VFX software reduces the time and cost required to build life-like, anatomical characters for films and games.

A Quick Intro to ZIVA VFX

ZIVA VFX featured Puppeteer Lounge student Atsushi Yasuoka's work in their latest demo! Check out some of the amazing work by Atsushi here: http://www.noribros.com

Human Musculo-Skeletal Model | Anatomy

Human Musculo-skeleletal model for tissue-skin simulation with ZIVA VFX tool-set. Learn to setup realistic character rig at Puppeteer Lounge with ZIVA VFX tool-set. Watch breakdown by Puppeteer Lounge's student Atsushi Yasuoka below:

Dinosaur breakdown by Atsushi Yasuoka

Dinosaur from noribros on Vimeo.

Ziva VFX Dinosaur breakdown by Atsushi Yasuoka. Well done Atsushi! Watch Atsushi's Ziva VFX Musculo-skeletal breakdown below.

ZIVA VFX Muscle Simulation Breakdown by student Atsushi Yasuoka from Puppeteer Lounge on Vimeo.

Learn to setup realistic character rigs at Puppeteer Lounge with ZIVA VFX tool-set.

CGI Tiger

CGI Tiger from Puppeteer Lounge on Vimeo.


ZIVA VFX Hyper Real Quadruped Setup | Musculoskeletal Breakdowns from Puppeteer Lounge on Vimeo.


The CGI Tiger features in Puppeteer Lounge ZIVA VFX Hyper Real Quadruped Setup training workshop. Francisco did a good job with the fur and render :)

ZIVA Lion Breakdown

Ziva Lion Breakdown from Ziva Dynamics on Vimeo.

ZIVA VFX Lion breakdown by ZIVA Dynamics. Learn to setup realistic character/creature rig with ZIVA VFX tool-set here at Puppeteer Lounge.

ZIVA VFX Hyper Real Quadruped Setup | Musculoskeletal Breakdowns

ZIVA VFX Hyper Real Quadruped Setup | Musculoskeletal Breakdowns from Puppeteer Lounge on Vimeo.

Here is the finished output of Tiger walk-cycle test with ZIVA VFX state of the art tissue system. Overall a great tool-set! Me together with our in-house artist had a great time bringing the tiger to life. There are a few glitches here and there which we will improve with iteration. Again for those of you who would like to learn and explore the world of ZIVA VFX tissue system, please feel free to check out Puppeteer Lounge Rigging Workshop. Thanks :)

Making a Lion with Ziva

Walk Cycle Fascia 2 from Ziva Dynamics on Vimeo.


Walk Cycle Muscles from Ziva Dynamics on Vimeo.


Making a Lion with Ziva. This is an excellent resource for creating realistic digital quadruped. Check it out!