facify

Maya Python tool to automate curve-based rigging for flexible mouth/eye animation.

Video Link

Features

• Joints aim constrained to locators bound to a high-density curve
• Wire deformer to drive high-density linear curve with a low-density cubic curve
• Controls angled to follow joint direction/face curvature
• Blendshape-based Smart Close system for adjustable blink/close attributes

Instructions

• Place wy_facify.py and wy_facifyUI.py in your Maya Scripts folder, found in:

  • Windows: C:\Users\<Your-Username>\Documents\maya\<20xx>\scripts
  • OSX: /Users/<Your-Username>/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya/<20xx>/scripts
  • Linux: /home/<Your-Username>/maya/<20xx>/scripts

• Restart/open Maya, then open the Script Editor by:

  • Going to Windows > General Editors > Script Editor

    or

  • Left-clicking the {;} icon at the bottom-right of your Maya window

• Copy/paste and run the following code in your Script Editor:

   import wy_facifyUI
   reload (wy_facifyUI)
   facifyUI = wy_facifyUI.FacifyUI()
   facifyUI.createUI()
  

  to launch the Facify tool UI.

• (Extra) Save the UI launch code to a shelf button:

  • Go to File > Save Script to Shelf in the Script Editor
  • Type in a name for the button (e.g. "Facify"), and hit OK
  • Facify should now be saved as a button in your shelf.

Details

Technologies: Maya, Python

Developer: Wayne Yip

Contact: [email protected]