Using Characterizer for dental smile makeover simulation

[KQ Al Hamad]

Hi there, I am a dentist and interested to explore if I can use the Characterizer to simulate a 3D virtual rendering of a new smile makeover.  My idea is that in dentistry, we can digitally design new teeth and align them to a frontal face image with a wide smile showing the existing teeth and gum. The question is:

Can I use this image to replace the image that shows the original teeth in the adobe characterizer so that I can choose "no style" and show the original face with the new teeth? If possible, I can ask the patient to record the video in the characterizer in the standard fashion and obtain a 3D video rendering of the future teeth.

[TheOriginalGC]

I'm not sure what you're trying to do, but just to confirm, Character Animator cannot render in 3D or work with 3D input.

[KQ Al Hamad]

What I am trying to do is to use the animator to show the original face, not a character (which in principle is against the aim of using the tool), and then amend/edit to show the face with the new teeth. The teeth will be designed using a  3D software but added to a 2D face image. Would the animator allow showing the original face? and would it allow some tweaking to add over the new teeth (from the 2D wide smile image) and then render the character (her the real face) talking with the new teeth?

[oksamurai]

I think technically this would be possible, if the 3D software was able to export or render into a layered PSD file you could rig to become a mouth set. But if it's a real photo I think it won't look very realistic in the end and might have too much of an uncanny valley feeling — see Characterizer for how this might look, except with 3D teeth over top of a 2D image. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z02AcZhxSfs

[KQ Al Hamad]

Thanks for the reply. Please note that I am trying to use the same face (no character) and use the functionality of the software for the purposes of showing an add-on new teeth design.  I will be experimenting to finalize the workflow but first I have the following questions on the characterizer:                                                                  1. When you are in the workspace immediately after the capture step, and with the "no style" selected- I mean your real face is still selected not a character: Can you generate a puppet using the real face? The icon " generate puppet" will become active only after selecting a character.  Otherwise, I may use an actual face photo and use it as a character                                                                                                                                           2. The software provides a set of captures to the various face shapes and visemes, can I add extra capture (a wide smile for example), and then can I add a trigger to that capture?

[oksamurai]

1. Characterizer does not currently allow for export without stylizing.

2. This is tricky, because what Characterizer actually does is creare a full face capture for each viseme. So to swap between a normal and wide mouth would mean you either have to be swapping between the entire heads or erase the parts you don't need for the mouths in one.

From what I understand, I feel like the stylization and limitations of Characterizer probably isn't the solution you want.

[KQ Al Hamad]

Thanks for your assistance. I realised that after trying the software. It's a pity.

nevermind  I enjoyed watching and learning along the way