Abstract: Techniques for animating a 3D facial model using images of a human face are described. An embodiment of the method of the invention involves matching an image of a human face to a point in a space of human faces and facial expressions based upon a description of a space of human faces and facial expressions obtained using a training data set containing multiple images of human faces registered to a template and multiple images of human facial expressions registered to the same template. The point in the space of human faces and facial expressions matching the human face can then be used in combination with a set of mappings from the space of human faces and facial expressions to a plurality of facial expressions for a 3D character model to deform a mesh of the 3D character model to achieve a corresponding facial expression.

Abstract: A system and method for automatic rigging of three dimensional characters for facial animation provide a rigged mesh for an original three dimensional mesh. A representative mesh is generated from the original mesh. Segments, key points, a bone set, and skinning weights are then determined for the representative mesh. The Skinning weights and bone set are placed in the original mesh to generate the rigged mesh.