Reprinted from a Caligari press release:
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (Nov. 12, 2001) — Caligari Corporation today announced trueSpace 5.2 with a new
Facial Animator tool that generates animated human facial muscle movements directly from speech or text
input using high level animation controls. This new version of Caligari’s award-winning 3D modeling program
also features Key Frame Editor animation enhancements.
Facial Animator can use a generic model of a human head or a model provided by the user. The model can
then be matched to a real human face with trueSpace5.2’s new texture editor that uses two photographs of
an actual human face and converts them into a fully textured 3D model.
The new Lip-Sync capability enables users to automatically create facial animation directly from speech by
generating speech-related human facial muscle movements for the entire human face. Users can also easily
combine speech animation with key-framed animations for high-level control of character emotions. Smiles,
frowns, and expressions of anger, relief, or other emotion can be simply created by adjusting slider values.
In addition to Facial Animator, trueSpace5.2 also includes an enhanced Key Frame Editor. All vertex and
bone animation parameters are now available for editing in track and function curve views, and animation
tracks can be assigned to individual vertices or bones. All function curves for a single animation parameter
are now displayed simultaneously on one screen for easy editing.
trueSpace5.2 combines high-end modeling, rendering and animation power with an intuitive interface that
allows for real-time direct manipulation in a hardware-accelerated, integrated, 3D perspective workspace.
Used extensively for product design, web design, graphic design, and multimedia, the software delivers
advanced features including hybrid radiosity rendering, a full complement of NURBS-based modeling tools
and advanced surfacing features. trueSpace5.2 also offers both linear key-framed animation and non-linear
physics-based animation with properties such as wind, gravity, and collision detection.
trueSpace5.2 will be available in December 2001 for $595 with 60 days of technical support. Current
trueSpace5.1 users will be able to upgrade for $99; the upgrade is free for proTeam subscribers.
