GenHead v3.1:

GenHead is standalone software tool that is designed to enable both professional and amateur digital content artists to quickly and easily create 3D heads from 2D digital photographs. The resultant component parts (mesh and texture), including a 'bone rig' for animation, can be exported into industry-standard art/animation tool suites in a variety of file formats, mesh resolutions and texture sizes.

Overview of the GenHead:

GenHead ideally requires a front and profile photograph of the target. If a front profile is all that's available GenHead will synthesis a profile when creating the 3D head. No special equipment is required, a standard digital camera (>4MP) will suffice. A little care in taking the pictures will help ensure you get the best possible 3D head.

GenHead guides you through the process of turning your photo into a 3D head, so no experience is necessary:

• First of all you import the photos (there is a preview window so you can check you've got the right ones.)
• Next GenHead prompts you to correct any problems with the images in order to get the best possible result. You can correct their orientation and you may adjust the brightness and colour balance.
• After that, GenHead requires that you to place a series of markers around the face. An active Help window shows you where to place each marker, making it a simple process.
  This whole process takes only a few minutes, then GenHead prompts you to generate a 3D head.
• A new window is automatically loaded in which you will see your original 2D front and profile images in their own pane, and a seperate pane with the resultant 3D head. These panes can be scaled as required as can the images
• At this point GenHead gives a you a number of tools with which to modify the geometry and texture to high LOD. The shape and the texture mapping can be altered together or independently, delivering quick results and the flexibilty to get the head exactly right.
• The 3D preview window immediately updates as you make changes so you can see the effects of your changes. The preview mesh can be shown in various modes; including a new high-quality mode where the bump and specular maps are also rendered.
• GenHead automatically generates a bump map.
• GenHead can generate left or right symmetric, or assymetric heads; and the symmetry of the shape and texture can be set independently.
• When you are happy with the 3D head you've created it can export it in a variety of formats:
  - maya binary (.mb)
  - fbx,
  - dotXSI,
  - vrml
  - obj.
• The supplied mesh is a high quality quad mesh (which enables easy subdivision, in ZBrush for example). There are 4 export mesh resolutions: 1, 2, 5 and 9k. All of these mesh resolutions come complete with a bone rig for animation
• The meshes can be imported into Maya (.mb file compatible with 6.0, 6.5, 7.0), Max, SoftImage and other packages where finishing touches, e.g. adding hair, can be made. Animation can then generated, and to speed this up the bone rig is supplied with an animation which cycles through sample expressions and visemes.