• Load the Base scene we created in the previous section to give us a starting-point that has all of our set-up completed for us.
  
  
• File | Select Audio File lets us browse to choose: Audio/WelcomeToFacialAnimation.wav.

Play Video
(36.3MB)

• NOTE: By Selecting an audio file, TAFA automatically sets our scene's length. We can manually set the length of our scene under File | Specify Project Length.
  
  
• NOTE: We can change our FPS (Frames-Per-Second) setting at any time during our work in the Audio Control Panel window.

• Add a Track to our X-Sheet that will hold our Dialogue Keyframes by clicking on the New Track icon in the Morph File window.
  
  
• Scrub through your audio track by clicking-and-dragging on the Audio Waveform Track in the X-Sheet to hear each frame's audio played as fast or slow as you move your mouse.
  
  
• Drag-and-Drop Dialogue Icons from your Morph File's "Dialogue" Group onto your Dialogue Track to create Keyframes!
  

• NOTE: TAFA fully supports Cutting/Copying and Pasting of Keyframes. Select a range of frames by dragging over unselected frames in the X-Sheet and press <ctrl- X/C/V> (respectively) or right-click on the Track for more options!
  
  
• NOTE: Dragging a selection of frames will Slide the selection up or down on the X-Sheet!
  
  
• NOTE: All this can be done in real-time, even while the animation is playing!

• To adjust a Dialogue Keyframe's Strength, and how that strength is applied to the left and right halves of your model, <ctrl>click on a Dialogue Keyframe to open the Adjustment Window where you can use the T-Bar to modify your Key Strengths in real-time, even while the animation is playing!

• Click on the New Track icon in the Facial Palette Window to add a new Track to your X-Sheet that will hold animation data for your currently chosen Facial Palette.
  
  
• Click the Record Button on the Audio Control window, (or press the <X> key,) and TAFA gives you a three-second Pre-Roll as you move your mouse into the Capture Area of the Main Window.
  
  
• Facial Animation Records your mouse-movements as you Puppeteer animation from your current Facial Palette onto your pre-existing animation, (playing-out the pre-existing animation at the Record Speed set in your Audio Control window)!

• NOTE: TAFA lets you have a virtually unlimited number of Tracks, (limited only by your system's memory,) and with groundbreaking advances in animation technology, plays hundreds of Tracks as quickly as it plays a handful! So add as many Tracks as you need to make your facial animation perfect!
  
  
• NOTE: If you need to re-record a specific area of your Puppeteered Tracks, select the desired range and activate Punch- In/Out on the Audio Control window!

You can modify a Puppeteered, Quad Key by <ctrl>clicking on the Puppeteered Keyframe. This opens an Adjustment Window in which you see a small representation of the Capture Area, complete with "cross-hairs!"

You can use this technique on empty frames within a Puppeteer Track to Keyframe Quad Keys for ultra-fast, ultra-high-precision animation!

• NOTE: Individual Tracks can be De/Activated through their right-click menus. This is a huge help when evaluating an animation for final perfection!

• File | Create Motion Designer File to "mix-down" your animation into an .MDD file for use in the next step: applying Facial Animation to your full character animation!