- Using Heads in Studio
- Importing Heads
- Importing Face Accessories
- Accessory Skinning
- Animating Heads
- Troubleshooting
- Error Messages
- Warning Messages
- Facial Animation
- Animating Heads
- Creating Basic Heads
- Creating Face Accessories
- FACS Poses Reference
- Creating Basic Heads
- Reference Files
- Modeling Requirements
- Rigging
- RootFaceJoint
- Face Bones
- Adding Face Bones
- Skinning Face Bones
- Adding Controls
- Posing
Using Heads in Studio
You can import character models with animateable heads into Studio and use the automatically generated FaceControls instance to pose or animate the face.
To set up heads with facial animation in your experience:
If you want to experiment with pre-made heads before making your own , Roblox has a reference experience you can access to see how heads interact with Studio’s interface, as well as two reference models and accessories you can import directly into your own experience:
Reference Files | Description | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head Animation In-Experience Editor | A reference experience that allows you to preview a Goblin and Blocky head with various accessories using an editor. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Head Schema Reference | A reference experience with a head Blocky model with FaceControls . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Goblin Character Model | A Goblin character model with an animateable head. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Blocky Character Model | A Blocky character model with an animateable head. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Blocky Face Accessories and Clothing | A .zip file of Blocky-specific accessories, including: Importing HeadsYou can import any model with a head from a .fbx file into Studio. If you would like to include face accessories such as a beard or mustache, you must import and equip the face accessories separately. At this time, use the Avatar Importer for importing models with facial animation data. To import a head into your experience: In the menu bar, navigate to the Plugins tab and click Avatar Importer .
Select the type of avatar you want to import to use your head. If you’re unsure, select Rthro . A file browser displays.
Select your head .fbx file, then click the Open button. A popup warning displays with a warning that you may not be importing an Rthro character.
Select Continue as Rthro . The character displays in your workspace, and the Output window prints all upload details.
If you are importing your own head model and an error or warning message displays in the Output window, see Troubleshooting for guidance on how to handle your specific error or warning message. Importing Face AccessoriesYou can import and equip face accessories that you want to deform with the facial expressions of your head. For example, when you import and equip eyebrows as a face accessory, you can animate the eyebrows to move with the character’s eyes. By default, when you import a face accessory, it imports as a MeshPart object. Using the Accessory Fitting Tool , you can convert the MeshPart into an Accessory instance that is compatible with the head. To import a face accessory: In the Avatar tab, use the 3D Importer to import the custom model into the workspace.
Using the Accessory Fitting Tool , convert the MeshPart into an Accessory instance. You can preview the accessory on your imported model by making the Accessory instance a child of your character Model . You can only equip character-specific face accessories with their designed character. You can also save the Accessory instance to your toolbox and use the asset ID at any time in your experiences. For information on equipping accessories by applying a HumanoidDescription , see Customizing Characters with Humanoid Description . Accessory SkinningYou can enable the WrapLayer.AutoSkin property in the accessory’s WrapLayer instance to apply the skinning of the head to the face accessory. This allows a face accessory to fit and follow a character’s expressions without having to apply any skinning influences to it during the 3D modeling process. The following options are available for the WrapLayer.AutoSkin property: Animating HeadsAnimateable head MeshParts include a FaceControls instance which allows you to access your facial pose properties. You can adjust these properties in the Animation Editor to animate your head. For more information, see Animating Heads . TroubleshootingWhen importing custom head models, the Output window displays an error or warning message if there were any issues during the configuration process. Error MessagesError messages indicate a failure to properly import a model with a head. Reference the following table for a summary of all head error messages and troubleshooting tips:
Warning MessagesWarning messages indicate a potential issue with an imported head model. Reference the following table for a summary of all head warning messages and troubleshooting tips: Facial AnimationA head part that supports facial animation is a specialized skinned head MeshPart . This type of body part allows you to: An animatable head model contains an internal facial rig , or bone structure, that drives the deformation of the viewable geometry. When creating a dynamic head in a 3D modeling software, modelers save these bone deformations as individual poses . When importing a head that supports facial animation into Studio, Studio creates a FaceControls instance you can use to access and combine these individual poses to create expressions and animations. Unlike typical skinning , you can not access the facial Bones of a head mesh directly in Studio. For information on implementing heads in Studio, including information on how to import custom heads and face accessories in addition to a reference experience and example model files, see Using Heads in Studio . Animating HeadsYou can animate any supported head through the Animation Editor by manually setting poses on the animation track, using the Face Animation Editor to quickly create complex expressions, or using the Animation Capture tool to automatically track facial movements from your webcam. After you create, save, and publish a head animation to Roblox, you can play the animation from a script or replace a character’s default animation with your new animation. Creating Basic HeadsUsing third-party modeling tools, you can either modify a rigged character model to meet head requirements, or create a head from scratch. For step-by-step instructions on how to add face bones, apply skinning, posing, and mapping poses on a head model in Blender, see Creating Basic Heads . This guide includes several reference files you can use to compare and track your progress. Creating Face AccessoriesSimilar to creating heads, you can design and model face accessories using a third-party modeling software and import the models as a cosmetic Accessory in Studio. When created correctly, equipped accessories stretch and deform as the head animates and emotes. See Creating Face Accessories for step-by-step instructions on setting up a reference model as a face accessory. This guide includes several project files you can use for reference and covers details on time-saving steps, such as auto-skin transfer. FACS Poses ReferenceAnimateable heads use the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) as a universal system that allows modelers and animators to reference similar facial features and head geometry across different head models. When creating your head in a third-party modeling software, see FACS Poses Reference for a list of the base facial poses, their descriptions, and video examples. Creating Basic HeadsThis guide covers advanced topics. Before you begin, you should have prior knowledge on modeling, UV mapping, rigging, animation, and how to set up a character in Blender or Maya . You can create or modify an existing model to support animated heads in a third-party modeling software, such as Blender or Maya . When creating a head, your character model must meet the following requirements: To meet these requirements, you can apply the steps in this guide when designing and posing your own head. This guide covers the basic processes of adding facial bones, posing, and mapping 5 basic FACS poses in Blender on a simplified reference character (Cubie), then exporting the model. For reference, this guide uses Blender version 3.0 . If you are using another version of Blender, there might be minor differences in UI and settings. Reference FilesThe following are head reference files, including all example files from this guide:
Modeling RequirementsMany character models already include a head with distinct facial features, but they might require minor modeling adjustments for head compatibility. When modeling a character with a head, ensure the head mesh meets the universal mesh and modeling standards for Studio import, as well as the following requirements: You can follow along the rest of this head creation process using a rigged Cubie character that meets these modeling requirements. This version doesn’t include any facial rigging or pose data so you can use it as reference in this guide. RiggingYour character must have an internal bone structure to drive the vertices of the face geometry and make facial poses. Unlike rigging a humanoid model , Studio doesn’t require a specific bone hierarchy for a head. However, in order for the facial rig to work properly, the rig must include a RootFaceJoint bone and additional face bones . RootFaceJointThe RootFaceJoint is a bone that is parented under the standard R15 Head bone. This RootFaceJoint bone does not control any vertices, but it must parent all other face bones. In Blender, you can quickly add a bone by extruding a child bone from the Head bone and then map the bone name as a property in the Head_Geo mesh. To add a RootFaceJoint bone: In Blender, open the Cubie-Model-Only.blend project.
Click on any bones to select the armature, then switch to Edit Mode . In the Outliner , click on the Head bone. In the Viewport , press E and drag your mouse up to extrude an additional child bone from the Head bone. In the Outliner , rename this bone Face . You must map the RootFaceJoint so Studio can properly locate that joint and hide all of the children joints and their bones within the FaceControls instance on import. Face BonesFace bones drive the bending and deformation of the face geometry. Each poseable face feature of your head typically requires at least one bone. Complex features, such as eyes and mouth, might require several bones to make certain poses possible. The rigging and skinning process depends on the character model and differs between tools and modelers. It’s important to plan out the full range of facial poses your character requires to avoid additional adjustments to your head bones later. The following instructions describe a basic process of adding face bones and skinning , or applying influences, to the reference model’s eyes and eyelids . You can continue to apply this technique to the rest of the facial features that need articulation, such as the character’s mouth, cheeks, and jaw. After adding your bones and applying influences, you can create controls that can help make the next posing process more efficient. You can download a reference Cubie model with a completed rig with 30+ facial bones added and skinned. You can use this for a reference for unique bone placements not covered in this guide, such as cheeks, lips, and jaws. See Using Heads in Studio for download links of more complex characters. Adding Face BonesThe specific head bones your character requires depend on the poses you intend your character to use. The following examples cover the process for adding 1 bone for each eye and 4 bones for the eyelids to allow for blinking, winking, and gaze direction. When creating a face rig, use less than 50 face bones when possible and keep the bones organized and specific for their associated facial features. In general, high numbers of vertices and joints can impact your experience’s performance. Each eye requires one bone each, though you might opt to create a controller bone later that can control both eyes at the same time. To ensure that you position your bones symmetrically, you can enable X-Axis Mirror in the top-right of the Viewport. This moves bones that share the same name with opposing suffixes along the X-axis. To add bones to the character eyes: In Object Mode , select the armature and switch to Edit Mode . Click Add , then Single Bone . Do this twice. Rename one bone LeftEye , and rename the other RightEye . Enable X-Axis Mirror . Position the left or right bone centered at the model’s eyes. Adjust the bones horizontally and front-facing. A quick method for setting bones horizontally: Hold Shift and click both Eye bones. While still holding Shift , click the Face bone. Right-click in the viewport. A contextual menu displays. Select Parent , Make , then With Offset . EyelidsWhen adding bones, you can quickly create bones parented under the Face bone by selecting existing facial bones and duplicating them. This automatically creates bones parented under the Face bone. To add bones to the character eyelids: In Edit Mode , hold Shift and click both eye bones to select them. Press Shift + D and click to duplicate the bones in the same position. Do this four times to create 8 total new bones. With X-Axis mirror enabled , position each bone at the corners of the eyes. In the Outliner , rename all bones to reflect their specific position. Use the following names:
Skinning Face BonesYou can apply skinning to a character rig using several methods. The following example uses Blender’s Weight Paint mode to paint which vertices a single bone can control. Skinning is typically a time consuming step for complex characters and a background in skinning and facial posing is recommended. When applying detailed or shared influences for complex models, it’s recommended to enable Auto Normalize to prevent influence conflicts between bones. When parenting bones to the character using Automatic Weights, some of your vertices might already have influences applied. Always test your influences to make sure influence assignments are correct. Both eyes in the example project require full influences on the pupil within the eye geometry. Depending on the design of the eyes, you might need to adjust influences to create realistic eye poses. To add influence to the LeftEye: In Object Mode , click the head geometry, then hold Shift and click any bone to select the armature. Switch to Weight Paint Mode . Toggle to X-Ray viewing mode or Material Preview Mode to better visualize the vertices. Hold Shift and click the LeftEye bone to select it. The name of the currently selected bone displays on the top left of the Viewport. Paint influence on the vertices within the eye. For this example, ensure that the pupils are red, or fully influenced by the selected bone. Switch to Object Mode , then click on any bone to select the armature. Switch to Pose Mode with the armature selected. Test the influences of the eye bone by grabbing the bone and moving it. The mesh below should follow. Repeat these steps for the right eye. EyelidsEach of the eyelid bones require their own separate influences. While the example poses only manipulate the top eyelids, being able to control the bottom corners of the eyelids is important for other poses, such as LeftCheekRaiser and RightCheekRaiser . To add influence to the left eyelid: In Object Mode , click the head geometry, then hold Shift and click any bone. Switch to Weight Paint Mode . Switch to X-Ray viewing mode or Material Preview Mode to better visualize the vertices. Paint influences on the closest vertices to the bone. When complete, hold Shift and click another bone to begin applying influences to the closest vertices. Perform this step for each eyelid bone. Switch to Object Mode , select the character mesh, then switch to Pose Mode to test. You can download a version of this project with the bones skinned up to this point as reference. Adding ControlsSince creating heads requires saving several poses consecutively, while not required, controls can help you pose your bones quickly and effectively. You can create controls by adding external controller bones that influence the internal ones, making it easier to access and pose as well as reset to a neutral transformation. You can create controls in many different ways. The following example uses Bone Constraints and simple geometrical shapes included in the reference Blender project to quickly set up easy-to-access controller bones for the character’s facial bones. For more information on rigging and constraints, see Blender’s documentation for additional details on character rigging and object constraints . Some facial features, such as lips, jaws, and tongue, might require a single controller bone that controls several facial bones at once. See the complete reference file for an example of this type of implementation. To start creating face bone controls: To create custom bone shapes for easier control bone access: Switch to Object Mode and select the Controller armature object. Switch to Pose Mode . Select a controller bone, such as LeftEye_Con . Switch to the Bones Properties panel and expand the Viewport Display section. Select one of the custom shapes included in the project. In the reference project, the shape objects share similar names to the face bones. Set the X rotation to -90 . Set any additional scaling if required. Perform steps 3-6 for all your controller bones. You can hide the original face bones at this point. (Optional) Set up Bone Groups to assign colors to your controller bones: Navigate to the Object Data Properties panel. Create a new bone group. Change Color Set to a color theme of your choice. Click Assign to assign the currently selected controller that color. You can perform this step in batches. Test your controllers in Pose Mode . PosingPosing is the process of manipulating the bones of your head mesh into a specific position per animation frame. After the model’s head has been rigged, you can begin the process of saving poses to the timeline. This data enables Studio to access each facial movement and animate or blend facial poses to create dynamic expressions. When posing the bones of your character’s head mesh to new positions, follow the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) as a reference for your facial expression poses. FACS is a comprehensive, anatomically-based system for describing all visually discernible facial movement, and it allows for all facial animations to be shareable between characters. This means that once you create a facial animation, you can reuse it for any character with a animatable head with a FaceControls instance. Each frame within your modeling software’s animation timeline can contain one unique FACS pose, so when you want to create multiple FACS poses, you must save each FACS pose to a different frame. You must also include a frame with your character having a neutral face with the face controllers and bones set to their default values. This ensures that Studio can calculate the bone position differences between your character’s neutral expression and each FACS pose. For this reason, set Frame 0 as your character’s neutral expression, and save FACS poses starting at Frame 1. The following image is an example of Blender’s animation timeline with 5 frames. Frame 0 has the character’s neutral expression, and frames 1-4 have FACS pose data.
There are 50 base poses that you can use in Roblox to portray a wide range of face emotions for your characters. When you are deciding which poses you need, remember that FACS pose names are always based on the orientation of the character, not the camera. For example, LeftEyeClosed closes the character’s left eye, which is to the right of the camera view. You might not require all 50 base poses for your character. For example, a simple robot that opens its mouth and blinks can just have JawDrop , LeftEyeClosed , and RightEyeClosed . Nevertheless, the more expressive you want your character to be, the more FACS poses you need to include in your animation timeline. It’s recommended to save the base poses that you intend to use with your head in alphabetical order, then use any frames afterwards for combination poses . The following steps outline the process of posing 5 poses with the facial bones created in our reference, but you can apply these steps for any additional poses for a more expressive head. To pose your face bones in Blender: Ensure that the animation timeline playhead is set to the correct frame. Adblockdetector |