Documentation Center artzone:pub:software:mimic

Mimic Configuration Files (DMC)

2011-11-01T17:42:01+00:00

This page exists within the Old ArtZone Wiki section of this site. Read the information presented on the linked page to better understand the significance of this fact.

Mimic Configuration Files (DMC)

Mimic configuration files have the extension .dmc. These files define the phonemes, expressions, and gestures available for your current session. You can use them as either generic Mimic assets with no specific character in mind, or as part of a larger library of configuration files that contain customized phonemes, expressions, and gestures for use with specific characters.

Mimic ships with a few default configuration files. The included default.dmc file is intended for use with the reduced-resolution Victoria 1 figure included with your copy of Mimic. Each default or custom configuration file contains a library of phonemes, expressions, and gestures. You can customize each library's default elements to create customized phonemes, expressions, and gestures. You can modify phonemes already defined by the configuration file using the Timeline and save these customized definitions for phonemes and gestures, and/or new or customized expressions to new configuration files for later use.

Customizing configuration files inside Mimic involves modifying the basic configuration file elements by modifying its stored phonemes and gestures, and/or adding or customizing its stored expressions. Saving these modified files expands your library for future use.

You may need several configuration files in order to complete a project. For example, different people behave and express emotions differently. Also, any one person might behave and emote differently in varying situations. To accommodate this, you might want to develop several configuration files for different characters and even for different moods. When developing storyboards, you should consider which of your available configuration files to use or modify to achieve your desired effect.

Mimic ships with several configuration files, some of which are specific to DAZ figures such as the reduced-resolution Victoria 1 figure included with your Mimic package. Other files are designed for less specific characters. These basic configuration files are simple and address basic speech behaviors. They work with a few of the fundamental shapes involved in forming words. For example, there are a couple of configuration files designed to be used with custom characters. These files are intended to show modelers what types of speech morphs they might want to create for these figures. Mimic also includes the P3Standard.dmc file for use with the standard figures included with MicroSmith Graphics Poser versions 3.0 and higher. Please refer to your Poser documentation for information on applying and using morph targets within Poser.

Accessing Configuration Files

To access the sample configuration files included with your copy of Mimic:

Open the Session Manager by selecting File > Session Manager from the menu.
Click the folder icon to the left of the Configuration File (DMC) field to open a standard Browse dialog box that allows you to browse to the folder containing your desired configuration file. Select the file, then click OK to add the file into the Session Manager.
Click OK in the Session Manager to exit back to the main Mimic workspace.

Saving a New Configuration File

To save a new configuration file, select File > Save Configuration File (DMC) from the menu. A standard Save As dialog box appears, allowing you to select your desired folder and filename.

As mentioned earlier, configuration files contain definitions for:

Display Window

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Display Window

The Display window shows your lip-synching animations in real-time as you work. By default, you should see your figure in its default pose looking at you straight on. Depending on the configuration file you use, the entire figure may be shown or only certain parts may be visible (such as the head and neck). Hiding unused body parts improves system performance and is highly recommended.

You may need to zoom in to the face to help synchronize phonemes to words more precisely. You may also want to see your figure from a different angle (such as matching the figure's angle to a preview video in the Video window). To do this, you must use the toolbar on the left side of the Display window. From top to bottom, the buttons in this toolbar are:

Rotation, Translation, and Zooming

The top three buttons adjust your viewing angle and distance. Use these buttons as follows:

Place your cursor over the desired control.
Press your mouse button.
Drag in the desired direction.
Release the mouse button when you obtain your desired view.

Rotation

The Rotate button is the top button in the toolbar. It acts as a trackball, allowing you to see your figure from any angle. The center of rotation is that part of the figure that is centered in the display. Clicking and dragging the mouse in any direction rotates the figure about that center pivot.

Translation

The Translate button is the second button from the top in the toolbar. It pans the camera left, right, up, and down without changing the display angle. Clicking and dragging the mouse in any direction moves the figure in the same direction. For example, dragging the mouse to the left moves the figure to the left.

Zooming

The Zoom button is the third from the top in the toolbar. It allows you to adjust your viewing distance. You can zoom in for close-ups or zoom out to see more of the figure. Clicking and dragging the mouse up zooms in and going down zooms out.

Center, Hide, and Reset

The lower three buttons in the Display window toolbar work with a single mouse click; no dragging required.

Center

The Center button is the fourth button from the top in the toolbar. Clicking it centers the visible portion of the figure in the Display window, with the figure facing forward.

Example:

Before centering:
After centering:

Hide

The Hide button is the fifth button from the top in the toolbar. Clicking it hides all portions of the figure that are completely out of view and off-screen. For example, if you have the entire figure displayed (see “Reveal” below) and translate/zoom in to the face and the upper body, clicking this button will hide everything except the head, eyes, chest, and upper arms.

TIP! For optimal system performance, you should hide all body parts except those you'll be working with in Mimic. The configuration files included with Mimic load figures with all body parts hidden except the head, eyes, and neck.

Reveal

The Reveal button is the bottom button in the toolbar. Clicking this button reveals the entire figure from head to toe. You may need to zoom out in order to see the entire figure in the Display window.

Creating New Expressions

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Creating New Expressions

To create a new expression:

Right-click anywhere in the Expressions palette and click Add.

A new expression appears at the end of the palette labeled New Expression. This new expression is blank, meaning it has no assigned channels.
You can edit and rename this expression as described in “Editing Expression Definitions.”

Deleting Expressions

2011-11-01T17:42:01+00:00

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Deleting Expressions

To delete an expression from the Expressions palette:

Select the expression you wish to delete in the Expressions palette.
Right-click on the Expressions palette and choose Delete from the context menu.
A confirmation message will come up. Check the name of the expression to verify the correct expression is being deleted. Click on Yes to delete the selected expression or on No to cancel the deletion.

CAUTION! If you don't select the expression you want to delete, the currently selected expression will be deleted instead. Make sure you check the expression name on the confirmation dialog before clicking on Yes.

Duplicating Expressions

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Duplicating Expressions

To create a copy of an existing expression:

Select the expression you wish to duplicate in the Expressions palette.
Right-click on the Expressions palette and choose Duplicate from the context menu.

A new expression appears called Duplicate of <Expression> , where <Expression > is the name of the expression you copied (for example, Duplicate of Happy). This duplicated expression uses the same channels as the existing expression, meaning you can use it as a base for creating a new expression.
You can now edit and rename this expression as described below.

Editing Expression Definitions

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Editing Expression Definitions

Please refer to “Adding Expressions” for a tutorial on changing expression definitions. If the expression you wish to edit is a duplicate of another expression, it will already have the source expression's channels.

To edit an expression definition:

Double-click the expression you wish to edit. The Expression Definition window appears as shown here.
The Name field displays the expression's name. You can rename the expression by typing your desired name in the field.
The Channel area displays all of the morph targets and parameters assigned to the currently selected expression. The combination of each of these channels forms the final expression.
To remove an existing channel that you no longer wish to use in the current expression definition, highlight the channel you wish to delete in the Channel area, then press the Delete key.
To add in any other channels you need for the current expression, click the Add more to definition button to open the Object Tree window.
Double-click on the desired body part to open the Object window for that body part. In most cases, you will select the head in the Object Tree window, however you are not limited to this. Select your desired body part and channel using the Object Tree and Object windows and adjust the channel's value offset, minimum, and maximum values as needed.
Click and drag the desired channel from the Object window to your expression's Definition window.

The new channel will be added at the bottom of the list with a default strength of 1.
If you wish to adjust the strength of any channel, select the channel and enter your desired strength in the Strength field. Remember that DAZ Studio and Poser express morph target values in percent (0-100%), while Mimic uses decimal values (0.0-1.0).
Check your results by clicking the Preview button in the Expression Definition window. Your expression will appear in the Display window. You can see how your expression looks at different strengths by clicking and dragging the Preview Strength slider. If you find that your expression looks better with a preview strength other than 100%, you should adjust the strength of the channels comprising the expression.
The Color field allows you to specify a color for the expression so it stands out in the Palette window. To select a color, either click anywhere in the Color field or click and drag the slider inside the Color field. See “Phonemes” for an example of a color change.
When you are finished making your changes, close the Expression Definition window by clicking the Close button at the upper right corner.

Inserting Expressions

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Inserting Expressions

Mimic displays animated expression clips in either of the Expressions Tracks in the Timeline. Please see “Timeline” for more information about the Timeline, and “Expressions Tracks” for more information about the Expressions Track. The sequence of expressions during a speech segment creates the corresponding emotion. Expressions can be manually inserted at your selected location according to the following rules:

An expression's default length depends on the level of zoom in the Timeline.
The expression appears with its midpoint at your selected insertion point.
If your insertion area overlaps an existing expression, the new expression will be shortened accordingly.

There are several ways to add expressions to the Timeline:

Click and Drag: You can insert expressions into the Timeline by clicking and dragging. To do this, click and drag your selected expression from the Expressions palette to your desired location in the Expressions Track in the Timeline, then release the mouse button. If you drag to a point inside an existing expression, your selection will replace that expression.

Result of click and drag - replace:

Result of click and drag - new:
Expressions Context Menu: Right-clicking in an empty portion of either of the Expressions Tracks in the Timeline opens the Expressions context menu, which includes the Insert option. To add an expression in this manner:

Select the expression in the Expressions palette that you wish to insert.
Right-click the empty space in either of the Expressions Tracks where you want to insert your expression, then select Insert from the context menu.

Your selected expression appears at your selected location in the Timeline.

Edit Menu: You can also insert expressions into the Timeline using the Edit menu, as follows:

Select an expression in the Expressions palette.
Click any empty area in either of the Expressions Tracks in the Timeline. If you want to insert the expression at a specific point on the track, move the Current Position Indicator to the space where you want the phoneme to be added.
Select Edit > Insert from the menu.

Your selected expression appears in the Timeline at the location of the Current Position Indicator.

Modifying Expressions

2011-11-01T17:42:01+00:00

This page exists within the Old ArtZone Wiki section of this site. Read the information presented on the linked page to better understand the significance of this fact.

Modifying Expressions

As explained in “Expressions,” an expression is represented by a collection of morph targets or parameters that define different deformations or changes in the figure's shape. Mimic lets you modify expressions in several ways, which are discussed below.

Editing, Swapping, and Removing Expressions

Mimic animation, duration, strength, and interpolation (transition) from the previous expression in the Timeline. You can also swap expressions in the Timeline with the selected expression in the Expressions palette and can split or remove expressions from the Timeline.

For specific information on editing, swapping, and removing expressions from the Timeline, see the “Expressions Track” section.

See the following topics for more on modifying expressions:

Viewing Expressions

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Viewing Expressions

Expressions are visible in the Expressions palette, which is contained within the Palette window. Unlike phonemes, you cannot copy and uncopy expressions as parents and children. You can, however, add new expressions, delete existing expressions, or duplicate existing expressions for use as the basis for creating new expressions. For example, you may want to create an Ecstatic expression. In this case, the existing Happy expression might serve as a great starting point.

Interface Overview

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Interface Overview

- Links need updating -

Menu Bar

The Menu Bar appears at the top left of the Mimic workspace. Clicking any menu item opens a drop-down menu with additional options. For example, clicking File opens the File menu. The menu bar contains four menus:

File: Accesses file-related functions. Refer to “The File Menu” for more information about this menu
Edit: Accesses clipboard functions and application preferences. Refer to “The Edit Menu” for more information about this menu
Window: Opens or activates windows and palettes. Refer to “The Window Menu” for more information about this menu
Help: Accesses Mimic help and copyright information. Refer to “The Help Menu” for more information about this menu.

Windows

Aside from the viewports, the main Mimic interface consists of several windows that contain the application's functionality. You can move, show, hide, and resize windows. The available windows are:

Session Manager: The Session Manager is where you load the source files for your animation. Refer to “Session Manager" for more information on working with the Session Manager.
Display: The Display window shows you a preview of your animation. You may view animated sequences and can also freeze at any point in the Timeline. Refer to ”Display Window“ for more information on working with this window.
Video: The Video window can display an imported animation file (see ”Supported Video Formats“ for a list of supported formats). For example, you can import a live action movie of a person talking to help you fine-tune your animation for added realism. Refer to ”Video Window“ for more information about this window.
Object Tree: The Object Tree contains a list of every bone (body part) in your figure. It allows you to select body parts and channels affected by speech animation. Refer to ”Object Tree Window“ for more information about this window.
Phonemes and Expressions: The Palette window displays the available phonemes (speech components) and expressions (emotions) as they are defined in the currently loaded configuration (.dmc) file. Mimic allows you to load, create, and save custom configuration files. Refer to ”Palette Window“ for more information on these windows.
Gestures: Gestures help add realism to your scene by including head movements such as nods, eye blinks, etc. The Gestures Track appears in the Timeline window. Refer to ”Gestures Track“ for more information.
Timeline: The Timeline window displays the sound file waveform, text (if any), phonemes, expressions, and gestures in chronological order. Use this window to select which events occur at any given point in your animation. Refer to ”Timeline“ for more information.

Scroll Bars

In some cases, there can be too much information to fit within a window. Information may overflow horizontally and/or vertically. If this happens, a horizontal and/or vertical scroll bar will appear, as appropriate. Scroll bars allow you to quickly navigate large amounts of information. To use a scroll bar, click and drag it in the desired direction. Release the bar when your desired information comes into view.

Each scroll bar has arrows at either end. Clicking one of these arrows nudges the scroll bar a small amount in the desired direction.

Customizing the Layout

Mimic gives you a degree of control over the interface, allowing you to customize it to your specific uses and needs. Mimic also remembers window positions/hidden windows between sessions.

You can customize the interface by moving, resizing, and hiding windows.

Moving windows

To move a window, click the bar at the top of your desired window and drag it to its new location. All windows must remain within the Mimic workspace.

Sizing windows

To size a window, position the cursor on the sizing handle at the bottom right corner of the window you wish to resize. Click and drag the cursor to resize the selected window.

To adjust a window's width, drag the sizing handle left or right.

To adjust a window's height, drag the sizing handle up and down.

To resize the main Mimic panel, position the cursor on the sides or corner of the window, click, and drag the cursor to resize.

Hiding windows

To hide a window, click the Close button at the upper right corner of the window you wish to hide. To show hidden windows, use the Windows menu, as described in ”Window Menu.“

Installation - Macintosh & Windows

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Installation - Macintosh & Windows

This section describes the installation process for Mimic on both Windows and Macintosh computers. Before installing Mimic, you must read, understand, and agree to the End User License Agreement (EULA) and learn how Mimic protects artists' copyrights. The EULA appears during Mimic installation.

To install Mimic Pro on either a Macintosh or Windows system:

(Macintosh only) Unpack the zip file to access the installer.
Double-click on the Mimic installer icon to start the installation.
If a previous version of the plug-in is already installed, you will be prompted to remove the current version to prevent possible conflicts. Click on Yes to continue.
Read the Welcome screen and click on Next.
Read the Software License Agreement and click on the radio button next to I accept the agreement, then click on Next to continue.
Read the Ready to Install text and click on Next.
Once the plug-in has been installed, read the Important notes and click on Next.
In the Completing install dialog, click on the checkbox next to Launch DAZ Studio if you want to use the program immediately; click on the checkbox next to View the <plug-in> Readme then on Finish to close the installer and view the readme.

The Light Controls Window

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The Light Controls Window

To access the light controls, choose Window > Light Controls from the menu. The Light Controls window comes up.

This window has the following functions:

Selecting Lights

To select a light, single-click your desired light in the list. The Light Controls window always displays eight lights. You can simulate adding lights to your scene by selecting them and turning up the brightness and can simulate their removal by turning the brightness to 0.

Renaming Lights

Select the light you wish to rename, then enter your desired name in the Light Name field above the light list, which updates to show the light's new name in real time.

CAUTION! Changes to lights cannot be undone so make sure you have a copy of the current light set available to reload if needed.

Position

Click and drag the Position widget left, right, up, or down to aim the selected light. The Display window updates in real time, allowing you to position your lights accurately.

Color

Clicking the Color button opens a standard Color Picker, allowing you to set your desired color for the selected light.

Brightness

You can brighten and dim lights by clicking and dragging the Brightness slider. Dragging to the right increases the brightness and vice-versa. Mimic always displays eight lights in the Light Controls window. Turning a light's brightness to zero (slider all the way to the left) simulates turning that light off.

Closing the Light Controls

To close the Light Controls window , click on the X button at the top right of the window.

The Edit Menu

2011-11-01T17:42:01+00:00

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The Edit Menu

The Edit Menu allows you to perform standard editing functions and to set global Mimic preferences. To access this menu, click on Edit in the menu bar. You can also access the Edit menu's Timeline-specific functions by right-clicking within the tracks inside the Timeline. Refer to “Phonemes Context Menu,” “Expressions Context Menu,” and “Gestures Context Menu” for more information.

Undo

To undo the last action you took select Edit > Undo from the menu or press Ctrl+Z. Undo functionality extends to actions performed in the Timeline such as editing a clip or a keyframe. These actions must have been performed during the current session. In other words, if you create an animation, save it, then close it, you will not be able to undo your previous actions when you reopen the file.

Insert

The Insert command inserts either a phoneme, expression, or gesture into the Timeline depending on which track is currently active in the Timeline.

To insert a phoneme, expression or gesture:

Click the desired track in the Timeline, being sure to use the Phonemes Track for phonemes, either Expressions Track for expressions, and the Gestures Track for gestures.
Click your desired phoneme or expression in the Palette window or select your desired gesture in the Gestures Track in the Timeline.
Do one of the following:
- Move the position indictor to the location where you want to place the new clip, then select Edit > Insert from the menu.
- Right-click on the location where you want the place the new clip and choose Insert from the context menu.
  
  The new phoneme, expression, or gesture will be inserted at the selected location.

Refer to “Timeline” for more detailed information on inserting into the Timeline.

Replace with Palette Selection

The Replace with Palette Selection command replaces the currently selected phoneme or expression in the Timeline with the currently selected phoneme or expression in the Palette window.

To replace a selection with the palette selection:

Click the phoneme or expression you wish to insert in the Palette window.
Click the phoneme or expression you wish to replace in the Timeline.
Do one of the following:
- Choose Edit > Replace with Palette Selection from the menu
- Right-click on the selected phoneme or expression and choose Replace with Palette Selection from the context menu.
  
  The Timeline selection is swapped for the Palette window selection. The inserted phoneme or expression retains the starting point and duration of the removed one.

Edit Strength

The Edit Strength command allows you to set the strength of the currently selected phoneme or expression.

To edit the phoneme or expression strength:

Click the phoneme or expression you wish to edit in the Timeline.
Do one of the following:
- Select Edit > Edit Strength from the menu
- Press Alt while dragging your cursor over the selected clip
- Right-click on the selected clip and choose Edit Strength from the context menu
The selected phoneme or expression changes to the editing mode.

NOTE! The first image above is what the indicator looks like when choosing Edit Strength from the context menu while the second image shows what it looks like when choosing Edit Strength from the Edit menu.

Drag the Strength Indicator up (increased strength) or down (reduced strength).

Split

The Split command splits the currently selected phoneme or expression into two separate phonemes or expressions, each with the same strength and half the duration of the original. The split will occur at the selected phoneme or expression's halfway point.

To split a phoneme or expression:

Click the phoneme or expression you wish to split in the Timeline.
Do one of the following
- Select Edit > Split from the menu.
- Right-click on the selected clip and choose Split from the context menu.
  
  The selected clip will be split in half.

Delete

The Delete command deletes the currently selected phoneme, expression, or gesture from the Timeline.

To delete a phoneme, expression, or gesture, do one of the following:

Click on the clip you wish to delete and choose Edit > Delete from the menu
Click on the clip you wish to delete and press the Delete key.
Right-click on the clip and choose Delete from the context menu.

Select All

The Select All command selects all phonemes, expressions, or gestures in the currently selected Timeline track.

To select all phonemes, expressions, or gestures in a timeline, do one of the following:

Click on the required track and choose Edit > Select All from the menu.
Right-click on the required track and choose Select All from the menu.

To select multiple, non-contiguous clips, press the Ctrl key and left-click on each clip to select.

To select all clips between two specific clips, left-click on the first clip, then press the Shift key and left-click on the second clip. The two clips and all clips in between will be selected.

Deselect All

The Deselect All command deselects all phonemes or expressions in the currently selected Timeline track.

To deselect all phonemes, expressions, or gestures in a timeline, do one of the following:

Click on the required track and choose Edit > Deselect All from the menu.
Right-click on the required track and choose Deselect All from the menu.

To deselect multiple, non-contiguous clips, press the Ctrl key and left-click on each clip to deselect.

To deselect all clips between two specific clips, left-click on the first clip, then press the Shift key and left-click on the second clip. The two clips and all clips in between will be deselected.

Flat

The Flat command selects flat interpolation between the currently selected phoneme/ expression/gesture and its counterpart in the currently selected Timeline track. Please refer to “Interpolation Methods” for more information about interpolation.

Linear

The Linear command selects linear interpolation between the currently selected phoneme/expression/gesture and its counterpart in the currently selected Timeline track. Please refer to “Interpolation Methods” for more information about interpolation.

Smooth

The Smooth command selects smooth interpolation between the currently selected phoneme/expression/gesture and its counterpart in the currently selected Timeline track. Please refer to “Interpolation Methods” for more information about interpolation.

Extra Smooth

The Extra Smooth command selects extra-smooth interpolation between the currently selected phoneme/expression/gesture and its counterpart in the currently selected Timeline track. Please refer to “Interpolation Methods” for more information about interpolation.

Preferences

The Preferences command opens the Preferences window, which allows you to specify your desired default phoneme length and frame rate, Poser directory, and an application that you can launch from within Mimic. You can also toggle audio playback on or off while scrolling in the Timeline.

To edit preferences:

Choose Edit > Preferences from the menu.
Edit the preferences as detailed below.
Click on OK to accept the changes and exit the Preferences window.
Click on the Close button (X) at the top right corner of the window to exit the Preferences window and discard any changes.

Default Phoneme Transition Time

The Default Phoneme Transition Time field determines the length of the phoneme clips that are automatically generated when Mimic analyzes a sound file. To set your preference, click or drag inside this field to adjust between Rapid (left) and Smooth (Right). Speeding up phoneme transitions reduces the transitional space between phoneme clips. The smoother your phoneme transitions, the more transitional space between phoneme clips.

Camera Lens

The Camera Lens slider allows you to adjust the camera's field of view. Moving the slider to the left narrows (flattens) the field while and moving the slider to the right widens the field, creating a fish-eye effect. By default, the slider is in the center (normal angle of viewing).

Mimic saves your camera setting in the scene file. It also remembers the previous camera state when you exit the application and restores it the next time you launch Mimic. If you load a scene file with a saved camera setting, the Camera Setting slider will change to reflect the setting stored in the file.

The Display window reflects your current camera setting in real time.

Frames Per Second

An animation's frame rate specifies how many individual frames there are in a single second of animation, or frames per second. Enter your desired frame rate in the Frames Per Second field. The more frames per second, the smoother your animation will appear, however this smoothness comes at the price of larger file sizes. Here are some commonly used frame rates:

NTSC Video: 30
PAL Video: 25
Film: 24
Shockwave: 12 or 15

Poser Path

If you have Poser 3 or higher installed on your system, enter the path to your Poser executable file (poser.exe on a Windows PC) in the Poser Path field. Clicking the Browse icon to the right of this field opens a standard Browse dialog that allows you to navigate to the folder containing the Poser executable file. Once you locate this file, select it, then click OK to accept your selection and fill in this field. This allows you to import character (*.cr2) files and export pose (*.pz2) files directly into/from your Poser library for immediate use.

TIP! Mimic only supports default Poser Runtime folders located underneath the main Poser installation folder. It does not support Poser 5/6/7's multiple Runtime feature.

Launch Program

You can launch any installed application from within Mimic by selecting File > Launch as described in the File Menu section. This function provides a convenient shortcut. For example, you can launch DAZ Studio to test your animations in a scene in progress. To specify an application to launch, enter the path to your desired application in the Launch Program field.

Clicking the Browse icon to the right of this field opens a standard Browse dialog that allows you to navigate to the folder containing the desired executable file (.exe on a Windows PC). Once you locate this file, select it, then click OK to accept your selection and fill in this field.

Play Phoneme Samples While Seeking

Checking the Play Phoneme Samples While Seeking checkbox plays audio fragments as you scrub or scroll in the Timeline. Clearing this checkbox causes Mimic to only play audio during animation playback.

Recording Options

To open your system's standard Recording Controls window, Choose Edit > Recording Options from the menu. Please refer to your operating system documentation for information on using its built-in audio tools.

The File Menu

2011-11-01T17:42:01+00:00

This page exists within the Old ArtZone Wiki section of this site. Read the information presented on the linked page to better understand the significance of this fact.

The File Menu

The File menu is where you access file-related functions. To access this menu, click on File in the menu bar.

Session Manager

To open the Session Manager from the Workspace, choose File > Session Manager from the menu. See “Session Manager” for more information about the Session Manager.

New

To load a new Mimic scene file, choose File > New from the menu or press Ctrl+N. This will close your current Mimic scene file and open a new blank scene. You will be prompted to save any unsaved changes.

CAUTION! If you open a new file without saving your current scene, all unsaved changes will be lost.

Open

To open a saved Mimic scene file, choose File > Open from the menu. This closes your current DAZ Mimic scene file and allows you to select a previously saved scene to work on. A standard Open File dialog box appears, allowing you to navigate to the folder containing your desired file and select it for opening. You are prompted to save any unsaved changes.

CAUTION! If you open an existing file without saving your current scene, all unsaved changes will be lost.

Save

To save changes to the current Mimic scene file, choose File > Save from the menu or press Ctrl+S. This will save the current scene overwriting the previous scene file. If you have not yet saved this scene, a standard Save File dialog appears, allowing you to select both the folder where you want to save your scene and the filename.

Save As

To save a new scene or save the current scene with a new name, choose File > Save As from the menu. This allows you to save multiple versions of the same scene so that you can easily return to a previous version. A standard Save As dialog appears, allowing you to select your desired folder and filename.

Export Pose (PZ2)

To export your animation, choose File > Export Pose (PZ2) from the menu. This allows you to export your animation as a multiple-frame pose file readable by SmithMicro Graphics Poser versions 3 and higher and by DAZ Studio. You can then launch Poser or DAZ Studio, import the correct figure, then apply the pose file to transfer your Mimic work on to the figure for final rendering. A standard Save As dialog appears, allowing you to select your desired folder and filename.

Save Configuration File (DMC)

To save the current configuration file, choose File > Save Configuration File (DMC) from the menu. This allows you to save your current definitions for phonemes, expressions, and gestures to a Mimic configuration (.dmc) file for future use. A standard Save As dialog appears, allowing you to select your desired folder and filename.

Create Movie Preview

To create a movie preview, choose File > Create Movie Preview from the menu. This opens the Video Preview Controls window, which allows you to create and export movies in AVI (Windows) or MOV (MacOS), and Flash (*.swf) formats. See “The Video Preview Controls Window” for more information.

Background Image

To add a background image to the scene file, choose File > Background Image from the menu. This opens the Background Image window, which allows you to load a background image into your Mimic scene file for additional realism. The background image appears in the Display pane and also exports when you create an AVI, MOV, or SWF movie.

To navigate to the folder containing your desired image, click the Browse button to open a standard Open dialog. You can also enter the complete path and filename in the text field. Click OK to load your selected image and close the Background Image window. To delete a currently loaded image, click the Delete button. Your Mimic scene file retains a link to the selected background image and loads it the next time you open the file.

CAUTION! Moving or deleting background images from their original folders will cause them to not appear in your scene.

Import Light Set

Controlling custom lighting gives your scene added realism and interest. To import a Mimic light set, choose File > Import Light Set from the menu. This opens a standard Open dialog box that allows you to import light sets for use in your scene. You can brighten, dim, position, and color lights using the Light Controls window. See “The Light Controls Window” for more information. Lights appear in the Display window in real time and are included when creating movies.

Export Light Set

To save a light set for future use in any Mimic scene file, choose File > Export Light Set from the menu. This opens a standard Save As dialog, allowing you to select your desired folder and filename. Light sets save in the proprietary *.dzl file format. You can brighten, dim, position, and color lights using the Light Controls window. See “The Light Controls Window” for more information.

Launch

To launch a third party application previously defined in the preferences, choose File > Launch from the menu. If no application was defined in the preferences, this option will be grayed out.. Select an application using the Preferences window as described in “Preferences.”

Exit

To exit Mimic, choose File > Quit from the menu. You are prompted to save any unsaved changes.

CAUTION! If you exit Mimic without saving your current .DMS or .DMC file, you will lose all unsaved changes.

The Help Menu

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The Help Menu

The Help menu is where you access Mimic documentation and information about your installation. To access this menu, click Help.

Help Topics

Selecting Help > Help Topics launches your computer's default Web browser and displays the Mimic ArtZone Wiki page at the DAZ Productions Web site where you can find links to the user guides.

DAZ Homepage

Selecting Help > DAZ Homepage launches your computer's default Web browser and displays the main DAZ Productions Web site (http://www.daz3d.com). You can access the DAZ online galleries, discussion forums, and free model archive from this link.

DAZ Store

Selecting Help > DAZ Store launches your computer's default Web browser and displays the DAZ Productions online storefront (http://store.daz3d.com).

Mimic Homepage

Selecting Help > Mimic Homepage launches your computer's default Web browser and displays the Mimic page at the DAZ Productions Web site. This link houses the Mimic online resources and contains links to tutorials, free custom configuration files for various figures, and a link to the Mimic FAQ page for when you get stumped. You'll also find a complete list of Mimic compatible products and an electronic copy of this manual. You can even view a demo reel containing animations created using Mimic.

Online Tutorials

Selecting Help > Online Tutorials launches your computer's default Web browser and displays the Mimic ArtZone Wiki page at the DAZ Productions Web site where you can find tutorials on using Mimic.

About

Selecting Help > About opens the About window, which contains the following information:

contact information for DAZ Productions
Mimic production credits

To close this window, click the Close button in the upper right corner.

The Window Menu

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The Window Menu

The Window menu allows you to customize the Mimic interface by activating windows. If a window is closed, clicking it makes it appear. If a window is open, clicking it makes it active. To access this menu, click on Window in the Menu Bar.

Display

Selecting Window > Display activates the Display window. Please see “Display Window” for more information about working with this window.

Object Tree

Selecting Window > Object Tree activates the Object Tree window. Please see “Object Tree Window” for more information about working with this window.

Palette

Selecting Window > Palette activates the Palette window. Please see “Palette Window” for more information about working with this window.

Timeline

Selecting Window > Timeline activates the Timeline window. Please see “Timeline“for more information about working with this window.

Video

Selecting Window > Video activates the Video window. Please see ”Video Window” for more information about working with this window.

Light Controls

Selecting Window > Light Controls activates the Light Controls window. Please see “Light Controls Window” for more information about working with this window.

The Object Tree Window

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The Object Tree Window

The Object Tree window appears when you select Window > Object Tree or when you click Add more to definition in either the Phoneme Definition (see “Editing Phoneme Definitions”), Expression Definition (see “Editing Expression Definitions”), or Gesture Definition (see “Editing Gesture Definitions”) window. It appears as shown here and lists every object (body part) of the figure you're working on. These objects appear in a tree view that displays the figure's hierarchy (see “Lesson 4: Adding Gestures”), with children appearing beneath and to the right of their parents.

You can move and resize this window as described in “Customizing Your DAZ Mimic Experience.”

Showing and Hiding the Figure

You can show all objects that comprise the figure you are working on by clicking the Show All button. To hide the entire figure, click the Hide All button.

Adjusting Individual Objects

Double-clicking an object in the Object Tree window opens that object's Object window, as shown here. This window lists the object's available channels (parameters and morphs).

To adjust an object:

Select the channel you wish to modify by clicking it. If needed, you can scroll through the list of available channels.
To set the channel's baseline value, enter your desired number in the Value Offset field. If this number is less than the value in the Min Value field, the selected channel will only be affected to the specified lower limit. If it is greater than the value in the Max Value field, the selected channel will only be affected to the specified upper limit. For example, setting the Value Offset for the channel displayed in the image above to any number above 3 will only affect that channel as if you had entered a setting of 3.

The Value Offset defines the selected channel's neutral position. Any phonemes, expressions, or gestures animated in Mimic are in addition to this constant state. The Min Value and Max Value fields serve two purposes: First, they prevent you from adjusting the baseline (Value Offset) too far and thus distorting your figure. Second, they prevent the affected phoneme/expression/gesture from exceeding these limits.

Morphs List

The figure's head morphs appear in a separate Morphs List that is grouped into four categories:

Brows
Eyes
Mouth
Phoneme

Copying & Uncopying Phonemes

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Copying & Uncopying Phonemes

As mentioned in “Viewing Phonemes,” Mimic allows you to assign phonemes as copies of other phonemes. This is useful in cases where the sound being produced causes the same mouth movements as another sound because it can save time and effort when modifying phonemes. You may choose to:

Edit a phoneme that is currently a copy of another phoneme (uncopy).
Make an independent phoneme a copy of another phoneme (copy). This will cause all copies of the phoneme being copied to become copies of the new parent phoneme.

TIP! If you adjust a parent phoneme, those changes will affect all copies of that phoneme. The ability to edit individual phonemes or make copies of them gives you fine control over the movements associated with each phoneme.

Here are some examples of why you might want to copy or uncopy phonemes:

You may be working with a figure that only has a few head morphs. In this case, it might make sense to consolidate phonemes by making them copies of selected parent phonemes.
Figures such as DAZ's Victoria 3 or Michael 3 include many dozens of head morphs. In this case, you may decide to uncopy phonemes so as to be able to add fine nuances to the different sounds.
Foreign languages and/or non-human figures might need additional fine tuning to get the phonemes to match your session's needs.
If you are trying to match an actual human's speech (such as matching a video in the Video window - see “Video”), you might want to tweak the phonemes to match individual mannerisms.

To copy a phoneme:

Double-click the phoneme you wish to copy in the Phonemes palette. The Phoneme Definition window appears.
Click the Copy Of button and select the phoneme to copy from the list that appears. You cannot make copies of copied phonemes; those appeared grayed out in the list.
If the phoneme you are making into a copy has one or more children, a Confirm dialog appears warning that all copies of the phoneme being modified will become copies of the new parent phoneme. Click Yes to proceed or No to cancel.
The affected phoneme and any copies will become copies of the selected phoneme and the Phoneme Definitions window will change to reflect that the current phoneme is now a copy of your selected parent phoneme.

The copied phoneme will also appear under its parent phoneme in the Phonemes palette.

To uncopy a copied phoneme:

If necessary, click the +sign next to the parent of the phoneme you wish to uncopy in the Phonemes palette to reveal your desired phoneme.
Double-click the phoneme you wish to uncopy. The Phoneme Definition window appears.
Click the Uncopy button.

The Phoneme Definition changes to display the phoneme's definition information (see “Editing Phoneme Definitions”). The uncopied phoneme will also appear on its own in the Phonemes palette.

TIP! An uncopied phoneme will initially have the same definition as its former parent phoneme.

Keep the following tips in mind when working with phonemes:

Spaces between phonemes are used for transitions between phonemes.
The Silence phoneme is the mouth in neutral (usually closed) shape.
You can precisely adjust morph motion by using space and silence, as well as adjusting the duration and strength of the phonemes.

Editing Phoneme Definitions

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Editing Phoneme Definitions

Please refer to “Working with Phonemes” for a tutorial on changing phoneme definitions. If the phoneme you wish to edit is a copy of another phoneme, be sure to uncopy the phoneme before beginning, as described in “Copying & Uncopying Phonemes.”

To edit a phoneme definition:

Double-click the phoneme you wish to edit. The Phoneme Definition window appears as shown here.

The Channel area displays all of the morph targets and parameters assigned to the currently selected phoneme. The combination of each of these channels forms the final phoneme.
To remove an existing channel that you no longer wish to use in the current phoneme definition, highlight the channel you wish to delete in the Channel area, then press the Delete key.
To add in any other channels you need for the current phoneme, click the Add more to definition button to open the Object Tree window.
Double-click on the desired body part to open the Object window for that body part. In most cases, you will select the head in the Object Tree window, however you are not limited to this. Select your desired body part and channel using the Object Tree and Object windows and adjust the channel's value offset, minimum, and maximum values as needed.
Click and drag the desired channel from the Object window into your phoneme's Definition window or double-click on the channel to add it to the Definition window. The Definition window must be open for this feature to work.

The channel will be added at the bottom of the list with a default strength of +1.
If you wish to adjust the strength of any channel, select the channel and enter your desired strength in the Strength field. Remember that DAZ Studio and Poser express morph target values in percent (0-100%), while Mimic uses decimal values (0.0-1.0).
Check your results by clicking the Preview button in the Phoneme Definition window. Your phoneme will appear in the Display window. You can see how your phoneme looks at different strengths by clicking and dragging the Preview Strength slider. If you find that your phoneme looks better with a preview strength other than 100%, you should adjust the strength of the channels comprising the phoneme.
The Color field allows you to specify a color for the phoneme so it stands out in the Palette window. To select a color, either click anywhere in the Color field or click and drag the slider inside the Color field.
When you are finished making your changes, close the Phoneme Definition window by clicking the Close button at the upper right corner.

Inserting Phonemes

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Inserting Phonemes

Mimic displays animated phoneme clips in the Phonemes Track in the Timeline. Please see “Timeline” for more information about the Timeline and “Phonemes Track” for more information about the Phonemes Track. The sequence of phonemes during a speech segment creates the lip-synching. In addition to the phonemes automatically created by analyzing the sound file, you may add phonemes to the Timeline manually. The new phoneme is inserted at your selected location according to the following rules:

A phoneme's default length depends on the level of zoom in the Timeline.
The phoneme appears with its midpoint at your selected insertion point.
If your insertion area overlaps an existing phoneme, the new phoneme will be shortened accordingly.

There are several ways to add phonemes to the Timeline:

Click and Drag: You can insert phonemes into the Timeline by clicking and dragging. To do this, click and drag your selected phoneme from the Phonemes palette to your desired location in the Phonemes Track in the Timeline, then release the mouse button. If you drag to a point inside an existing phoneme, your selection will replace that phoneme.

Result of click and drag - replace:

Result of click and drag - new:
Phonemes Context Menu: Right-clicking in an empty portion of the Phonemes Track in the Timeline opens the Phonemes menu, which includes the Insert option. To add a phoneme in this manner:
1. Select the phoneme in the Phonemes palette that you wish to insert.
2. Right-click the empty space in the Phonemes Track where you want to insert your phoneme, then select Insert from the context menu.
  
  Your selected phoneme appears at your selected location in the Timeline.
Edit Menu: You can also insert phonemes into the Timeline using the Edit menu, as follows:

Select a phoneme in the Phonemes palette.
Click any empty area in the Phonemes Track in the Timeline to activate the track. If you want to insert the phoneme at a specific point on the track, move the Current Position Indicator to the space where you want the phoneme to be added.
Select Edit > Insert from the menu.

Your selected phoneme appears in the Timeline at the location of the Current Position Indicator.

NOTE! If the Edit > Insert option is grayed out, then the location where the Current Position Indicator is already contains a phoneme. Move the Current Position Indicator to a blank space to activate the Insert command.

Modifying Phonemes

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Modifying Phonemes

As mentioned in Phonemes,“ a phoneme is represented by a collection of morph targets or parameters that define different deformations or changes in the figure's shape. Mimic lets you modify these phoneme definitions in several ways, which are discussed below.

Editing, Swapping, and Removing Phonemes

Mimic allows you to edit any phoneme in the Phonemes Track by adjusting its location in the animation, duration, strength, and interpolation (transition) from the previous phoneme in the Timeline. You can also swap phonemes in the Timeline with the selected phoneme in the Phonemes palette and can split or remove phonemes from the Timeline. These actions take place in the Timeline and are discussed in ”Phonemes Track.“

For specific information on editing, swapping, and removing phonemes from the Timeline, see the ”Phonemes Track“ section.

See the following topics for more on modifying phonemes:

Viewing Phonemes

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Viewing Phonemes

Phonemes are visible in the Phonemes palette, which is contained within the Palette window.

You will notice a + (plus) sign next to some phonemes. This indicates the presence of one or more phonemes that are copies of the parent. Copied phonemes may sound different than their parents but are represented by the same shape. In this example, the sounds AY, AH, and AX produce the same lip movements as AA (the parent) while each having distinct sounds. Mimic includes the copied phonemes to give you fine control over each phoneme should you decide to make changes.

Clicking the + sign expands the Phonemes palette to display the copies. When the tree view is expanded, the + sign next to the parent changes to a - (minus) sign. Clicking the - sign collapses (hides) the copied phonemes. Please see “Copying & Uncopying Phonemes” for more information about copying and uncopying phonemes.

Mimic Pro Reference Section

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Mimic Pro Reference Section

These pages are still in work. There are pages still to be added, links that need updating, and some pages may be split out because of length. (7/11/08)

Supported File Types

This section provides some basic information about the different file types used by Mimic. These are:

Sound: Sound files contain the speech to which you want to lip-sync your characters.
Text: Mimic includes additional tools that analyze text files to better identify phonemes in the sound file. Text files are not necessary but can help improve your results. Imported text also appears in the Timeline, giving you additional reference points when editing your sessions. These files must be plain ASCII text (with the extension .txt on a Windows PC).
Configuration: Configuration files store definitions for phonemes, gestures, and expressions.
Character: Mimic applies speech and gestures to Curious Labs Poser character files. Each character file references a polygonal mesh and defines its shape and size and a corresponding character file that defines how that mesh bends and morphs. Selecting a character file determines the figure you are working with when creating an animation. Please refer to your Poser documentation for more information about the CR2 file format and its relationship to figures. DAZ Studio by DAZ Productions supports the CR2 format, meaning that you can bring your Mimic sessions into DAZ Studio.
Video: You can import video files into Mimic for use as side-by-side comparisons while working on your animation sessions.
Session: Mimic session files allow you to store your work for later use and/or modification.

The Interface

This section gives a brief overview of the Mimic interface and shows you how to customize Mimic for your specific needs. Once you are familiar with how the interface works, subsequent sections will explain Mimic functionality in more detail.

Interface Overview

Session Manager

Mimic's Session Manager is the starting point of every Mimic session. The Session Manager is where you specify your session's files and basic settings. It appears whenever you launch Mimic. You can also access it at any time by selecting File > Session Manager from the Mimic Workspace.

When you have completed specifying your desired files and options, click on OK to enact your desired changes. If you are making changes to an existing session, the Confirm window pops up to warn you that you are about to overwrite one or more existing settings. Clicking Yes proceeds with the changes. Clicking No cancels them and returns you to the Session Manager.

The following topics describe each Session Manager function:

Mimic Workspace

The Mimic Workspace is where phonemes, expressions, and gestures are combined to create a realistic animation.

The Mimic Workspace consistes of the:

Menu Bar
Palette Window
Display Window
Video Window
Timeline

Click on the link below to learn more about the workspace:

The Mimic Workspace

Mimic Session Files (DMS)

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Mimic Session Files (DMS)

Mimic session files have the extension .dms and are only used by Mimic for DAZ Studio/Poser. When you launch Mimic, the Session Manager allows you to select files for use while working. Your selected files determine the results of the automated animation placed in the Timeline when you exit the Session Manager. Session files store the paths and names of the files you selected in the Session Manager along with any modifications you've made in the Timeline.

You can save session files by selecting File > Save or File > Save As from the menu.

Character File

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Character File

The Character File area of the Session Manager is where you load Poser character files (.cr2) files. Character files contain all of the information required to convert a static polygonal object into a fully poseable and animatable figure. The .cr2 format was developed by Curious Labs for use in Poser. Please refer to your Poser documentation for more information about .cr2 formats.

Mimic can accept most .cr2 files created using Poser 3 or higher. You can also use .cr2 files inside DAZ Studio.

TIP! Mimic only supports default Poser Runtime folders located underneath the main Poser installation folder. It does not support Poser 5/6/7's multiple Runtime feature. If you use Poser 5 or higher, be sure that any .cr2 file you load comes from the default Runtime folder.

TIP! Each figure is different and has its own .cr2 file. Please be sure to load the correct .cr2 file for the figure you are using in your animation for best results. Mimic 3.0 supports hair and other parented non-conforming props referenced by imported character files. Referenced props import in the correct locations (such as hair on top of the head) and follow their parents' motions (such as the head moving during gestures). This automatic function requires no user intervention.

Mimic 3.0 also supports transparency maps. Objects with transparency maps (such as hair) will display correctly in the Display pane and will render correctly to preview and Flash (*.swf) movies created from within Mimic. This automatic function requires no user intervention.

Please refer to your DAZ Studio and/or Poser documentation for information on adding and parenting props and using transparency maps and on saving character (*.cr2) files.

Character File Controls

The Character File area contains the standard controls, which are described in “Basic File Controls.”

Character Files and Morph Injections

Different figures have different amounts and type of head morph targets available. Some, like DAZ's Michael 3 and Victoria 3/4 figures allow you to load or inject extra morphs into them for even greater flexibility. If your figure supports injecting morphs, please refer to your figure's documentation for information on how to perform the injection procedure.

CAUTION! If you are using Mimic with a character that supports morph injections, be sure to inject the phoneme and expression morphs first, then save out a new character (.cr2) file for using in Mimic via the Session Manager. Failure to do this will make your animation invisible in the Display Window.

TIP! When injecting morphs into a figure for use in Mimic, be sure to inject only the specific morphs (typically the head morphs) you plan on using, to conserve computing resources.

Configuration File

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Configuration File

The Configuration File area of the Session Manager is where you load Mimic configuration (.dmc) files. Configuration files contain phoneme, expression, and gesture definitions, as well as a character's Mimic visibility settings. Please see “Configuration File” for more information about configuration files.

Configuration File Controls

The Configuration File area contains the standard controls, which are described in “Basic File Controls.”

Basic File Controls

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Basic File Controls

Each of the five file types (sound, text, configuration, character, and video) have the following basic control buttons:

Load File: Clicking the Load File button opens a standard Browse dialog box allowing you to navigate to the folder containing your desired file and select it.
Remove File: Clicking the Remove File button removes the currently loaded file from its slot in the Session Manager. It does not delete or alter the file itself.
Save File: Clicking the Save File button opens a standard Save dialog allowing you to navigate to the folder where you want to save the file, name it, and save it to that directory.

Frames per Second

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Frames per Second

An animation's frame rate specifies how many individual frames there are in a single second of animation, or frames per second. Enter your desired frame rate in the Frames Per Second field.

The more frames per second, the smoother your animation will appear, however this smoothness comes at the price of larger file sizes. You can also do this in the Preferences window, as described in “Preferences.” Below are some commonly used frame rates:

NTSC Video: 30
PAL Video: 25
Film: 24
Shockwave: 12 or 15

Gestures

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Gestures

Most figures include a series of morph targets and parameters, or deformations, that allow artists to customize their appearance. Morph targets have nearly unlimited uses, such as transforming skinny figures into muscle-bound superheroes, adding ethnic and individual diversity- and animations such as lip-synching. Mimic has the ability to use a figure's head morphs (morph targets assigned to a figure's head) and parameters to make the figure look more realistic while speaking. People tend to move their heads, look around, arch their eyebrows, and blink while speaking. This natural body language sends important non-verbal cues that add impact to the spoken words. WIthout these gestures, your Mimic animations will display a perfectly still character with moving lips. This may be perfect for some uses. If, however, you want Mimic to automatically add animated gestures for you, you may select your desired option(s) using the Gesture area of the Session Manager.

Your available options are:

Head: Selecting the Head radio button enables head movements during speech such as nodding.
Eyes: Selecting the Eyes radio button enables slight eye movements during speech. If the Head radio button is checked, the eyes will be animated such that they counteract the head animation by making the character look in a fixed direction.
Eyebrows: Selecting the Eyebrows radio button enables eyebrow movements during speech such as arching.
Blink: Selecting the Blink radio button enables eye blinking during speech.

Quick Access Buttons

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Quick Access Buttons

The left side of the Session Manager contains four buttons that provide quick access to commonly used DAZ resources. From top to bottom, these buttons are:

DAZ Store: Clicking the DAZ Store button launches your computer's default Web browser and displays the DAZ Productions online storefront.
Resources: Clicking the Resources button launches your computer's default web browser and displays the DAZ Mimic page at the DAZ Productions web site.
Tutorials: Clicking the Tutorials button launches your computer's default web browser and displays the Mimic tutorials page at the ArtZone Wiki site.
Help: Clicking the Help button launches your computer's default web browser and displays the Mimic Software Guide page at the ArtZone Wiki site.

Sound File Analysis

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Sound File Analysis

Selecting the Analyze Sound File button at the bottom of the Session Manager enables the Mimic TalkBack™ engine, which examines the sound and text files and automatically populates the Timeline (see “Timeline”). It does this by selecting phonemes based on the information contained within the sound and (if present) text files, and any enabled gestures.

Any time you make a change within the Session Manager that requires analysis before implementation, the Analyze Sound File radio button will automatically be selected. Clearing this button and clicking OK will only implement those changes that don't require sound file analysis.

Sound File

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Sound File

The Sound area of the Session Manager is where you load the .wav (PC) or .aif (Mac) sound files that will become the basis for your lip-synching session. You may either type the complete path and filename into the Sound field or use the Load File button to navigate to your desired file. When you load a sound file, its wave form appears in the Session Manager as shown below.

Sound File Controls

In addition to the basic file controls, the Sound area has the Recording Control button. Clicking it opens your system's standard Recording Controls window. Please refer to your operating system documentation for information on using its built-in audio tools.

Sound Recording/Playback Controls

You can listen to the sound file you loaded or record a new file using the following controls:

Play: Clicking the Play button plays the currently loaded sound file from the beginning.
Stop: Clicking the Stop button stops sound playback or recording.
Record: Clicking the Record button allows you to record a custom file. To do this, you must speak into a microphone connected to your computer. Speak clearly, being sure to enunciate, with as little background noise as possible. When you are finished recording, the click the Stop button to open a standard Save As dialog box that allows you to select your desired save folder and filename.

Text File

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Text File

The Text area of the Session Manager is where you load plain ASCII text (.txt on a Windows PC) files. Alternatively, you may click in the Text Display field and then type in your desired text. Your text must quote the sound file verbatim. This step is optional, but typically improves results. Mimic analyzes this text file (if present in conjunction with the sound file) to ensure maximum phoneme accuracy. It does this by reading each syllable, applying standard English pronunciation rules, and selecting the best available phoneme for the job.

TIP! Phonetic spelling often yields more accurate results than correct spelling, especially when working with non-English words.

Text File Controls

The Find Matching Text File option will, when selected, try to find a text file that matches the loaded sound file. The text file must have the same name and in the same folder as the matching sound file.

In addition to the basic file controls , the Text File area has the Save As button, which allows you to save edited text files. Clicking it opens a standard Save As dialog box that allows you to select your desired save folder and filename.

Video File

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Video File

The Video area of the Session Manager is where you load video files for side-by-side comparison with your animation. If the video file you are loading contains an audio track, a Confirm dialog will appear asking if you want to analyze the sound in the video.

Selecting Yes causes DAZ Mimic to use the video sound track as the basis for the sound analysis. Selecting No only displays the video without sound or analysis. If you select to analyze the sound track, the wave for the track will replace the one currently loaded and the path field will change to Video Sound Channel to indicate the wave is coming from a loaded sound track.

Please see “Supported Video Formats” for information about supported video formats.

Video File Controls

The Video area contains the standard controls, which are described in “Basic File Controls.”

Supported Sound Formats

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Supported Sound Formats

Mimic supports .wav (PC) or .aif (Macintosh) sound files sampled at rates between 8bits at 5,000kHz to 24-bits at 192kHz that are 5 minutes (300,000 ms) or less in duration. The sampling frequency must be greater than or equal to 8kHz and not more than 48kHz. Existing sound files may be in stereo; additional recordings created in the Session Manager are recorded in mono. You may also opt to use a supplemental audio file during video playback if you opt not to use the audio track contained in the source video file.

System Requirements

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System Requirements

In order to install and run Mimic, you must have either a Windows PC or Macintosh that meets or exceeds the minimum requirements listed below. Please be aware that these are just the minimum requirements. Computers that exceed the following specifications will be able to process animations faster and/or store more content. For processing speed, RAM is the largest contributing factor followed by your graphics card, then your processor speed. To store more configuration (.dmc) or session (.dms) files and/or finished animations, add hard drive space.

The above recommendations are valid for both Windows PCs and Macintoshes.

Windows

To run Mimic on a Windows PC, your computer must meet the following minimum requirements:

Pentium III processor running at 700 MHz
Windows 98 or above
128 MB RAM (if running Windows 98 or ME)
256 MB RAM (if running Windows 2000 or XP)
10 MB hard drive space (for Mimic installation only). Content requires additional space. DAZ therefore recommends that you reserve at least 100MB for the software and some basic content.
Sound card, speakers, and microphone
OpenGL-compatible graphics card
24-bit color (1024×768 or greater)
DAZ Studio 2.0 or SmithMicro Poser 3.0 or later.

Macintosh

To run Mimic on a Macintosh, your computer must meet the following minimum requirements:

G4 processor running at 400 MHz
OSX 10.0 or above
128 MB RAM (256MB recommended
10 MB hard drive space (for Mimic installation only). Content requires additional space. DAZ therefore recommends that you reserve at least 100MB for the software and some basic content.
Sound card, speakers, and microphone
OpenGL-compatible graphics card
24-bit color (1024×768 or greater)
DAZ Studio 2.0 or SmithMicro Poser 3.0 or later.

Timeline Overview

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Timeline Overview

Frame Controls

The Frame Controls allow you to move to any frame in your animation and add and remove frames to control your animation's length. They appear as shown here:

The Frame Controls work as follows:

Entering a number in the Current Frame (left) field moves the Timeline and previews (Display and Video windows) to the selected frame.
Entering a number in the Total Frames (right) field adds or removes frames to/from the end of your animation. By default, this number will reflect the number of frames required to play the sound file.
Increasing the number of Total Frames will result in additional frames of “dead time” at the end of your animation that you can then fill with phonemes, expressions, and/or gestures.
Decreasing the number of Total Frames truncates your animation. For example, if your animation is 200 frames and you reduce it to 100, you will only see the first half of the original animation. From here, increasing the of number restores truncated frames (Mimic does not destroy your previously truncated animation information).

Scrolling

The Scrolling Controls also allow you to navigate to your desired section in the Timeline:

Current Time: The Current Time Indicator lists the time in seconds and is accurate to two decimal places.
Current Frame: The Current Frame Indicator lists the frame number. The frame number correlates to the time depending on your selected frame rate. For example, if your animation uses 30 frames per second, then the Current Time Indicator will read 1.00 when the Current Frame Indicator reads 29 (DAZ Studio) or 30 (Poser).

TIP! DAZ Studio begins counting animation frames at 0. Poser begins at 1.

Back One Frame: Clicking the Back One Frame arrow or pressing the left arrow key moves the Current Position Indicator (see below) back one frame. The Display and Video windows update to show your animation at the new frame. Pressing and holding the left arrow key scrolls back one frame at a time.back (drag to the left). See below for more information about the Current Position Indicator.
Ahead One Frame: Clicking the Ahead One Frame arrow or pressing the right arrow key moves the Current Position Indicator (see below) forward one frame. The Display and Video windows update to show your animation at the new frame. Pressing and holding the right arrow key scrolls forward one frame at a time.

The Current Position Indicator

The Current Position Indicator appears as a red line that cuts across all tracks in the Timeline. Any phoneme, expression, or gesture that touches the Current Position Indicator is being played at that frame and the Display window displays the results. If the Current Position Indicator is between two elements (such as two phonemes), then the Display window will show the current interpolation between the preceding and following elements. If you have a movie in the Video window, the Current Position Indicator indicates which frame is currently appearing in that window as well.

In addition to moving animation past the Current Position Indicator using the scrolling controls as described above, you may also click on the red triangle at the top of the Current Position Indicator and scrub (drag) it in either direction. The Current Position Indicator turns yellow when scrubbing.

Playback Controls

The Playback Controls allow you to play and stop your animation. From left to right, the controls are:

First Frame: Clicking the First Frame button jumps back to the beginning of the animation.
Last Frame: Clicking the Last Frame button jumps forward to the end of the animation.
Play/Pause. when the animation is stopped, clicking the Play button or pressing Enter plays the animation from the current frame. Your animation will continue looping until you click the Pause button or press Enter again. The Play button becomes the Pause button while the animation is playing.

Zoom Controls

The Zoom Controls allow you to zoom in and out of your animation to see it in more or less detail:

Zoom In: Clicking the Zoom In button zooms in to your animation, allowing you to see a smaller portion of your animation in more detail.
Zoom Out: Clicking the Zoom Out button zooms away from your animation, allowing you to see a larger portion of your animation in less detail.

Zooming in extremely close gives you control over every element in your animation down to the millisecond. This is very useful if you are creating your Mimic animation to incorporate into an existing animation created in another application. If you know the timing of events in your other animation, you can generate the Mimic animation to smoothly blend in when both animations are later merged in a third-party editing application.

Text Track

The Text Track displays the text file you analyzed using the Session Manager, if any. This provides you with a visual indication of when each word is being said. Text files help Mimic analyze sound files and assign the proper phonemes. They are also very useful for showing you where you are in your animation, since it can sometimes be difficult to visualize the words being spoken just by looking at the phonemes. You can also use them to correlate phonemes to words.

You cannot alter text in the Text Track.

Expanding/Collapsing Tracks

You can expand and collapse tracks in the Timeline. Expanded tracks display all of their elements and allow you to make changes. Collapsed tracks hide their elements and take up less room in the Timeline. For example, if you are working on perfecting gestures, you might want to collapse the Phonemes Track and the Expressions Tracks.

To expand or collapse a track, click the selected track's Expand/Collapse control

Locking/Unlocking Tracks

You can lock tracks to prevent accidental changes while working on your animation. To lock a track, click the Lock Track button in the track you wish to lock. The selected track is now protected against changes.

The Lock Track button changes to the Unlock Track button inside locked tracks. Clicking this button unlocks the selected track, allowing you to make changes to that track.

Multiple Selections

You can select multiple elements within one track:

To select a range of elements, use the Shift key and select the elements at the beginning and end of your selection area. All intermediate elements will be automatically added to your selection.
To select multiple individual elements, use the Ctrl key. The elements you click while holding down this key will be selected. Pressing Ctrl while clicking a selected element deselects that element.
Right-click in the desired track and choose Select All in the context menu that appears in order to select all elements in the current track.
Click in the desired track, then choose Edit > Select All from the menu.

Changes made to one selected element will apply equally to all selected elements.

Expressions Track

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Expressions Track

The two Expressions Tracks display each expression used in your Mimic animation. You can manually insert expressions. Please see “Adding Expressions" for a tutorial about working with expressions, and ”Expressions“ for information about the Expressions palette in the Palette window.

Mimic includes two Expressions Tracks, which allow you to add complex emotional effects to your animations for greater realism. Each Expressions Track functions identically.

See the following topics for more on working with the Expressions Track:

Adding Expressions to the Timeline

Mimic only uses the expressions present in the Timeline for animation. As detailed in ”Inserting Expressions,“ there are three ways to add expressions to the Timeline:

Clicking and dragging the selected expression from the Expressions palette to the desired point in either Expressions Track.
Using the Expressions Context Menu by right-clicking any empty portion in either Expressions Track to access the menu, then selecting Insert.
Clicking an empty spot in either Expressions Track, then selecting Edit > Insert from the menu.

Removing Expressions from the Timeline

There are three ways to remove an expression from the Expressions Tracks:

Select the expression you wish to delete, then press the Delete key.
Select the expression you wish to delete and right-click anywhere in the Expressions Track then select Delete from the Expressions context menu.
Select the expression you wish to delete, then select Edit > Delete from the menu.

Expression Beginning/End Points

In the Expressions Tracks, an expression begins when the animation playback reaches the expression's leading (left) edge and ends when the animation reaches its trailing (right) edge. Number 1 in the image on the right shows a sample expression with its original location and duration in one of the Expressions Tracks. You can adjust an expression's location and duration using any combination of the following:

Click and drag inside the selected expression clip to move it back and forth in its Expressions Track (#2 in the image). You cannot impede on other expressions.
Click and drag the selected expression's leading (left) edge to make the expression begin at an earlier point in the animation (#3 in the image) without affecting the ending point. You can shorten the neighboring expression until it reaches its minimum duration.
Click and drag the selected expression's trailing (right) edge to make the expression end at a later point in the animation (#4 in the image) without affecting the starting point. You can shorten the neighboring expression until it reaches its minimum duration.

TIP! In the above image, note that #2 only affects the expression's timing without affecting its duration while #3 and #4 affect both timing and duration.

Interpolation Indicator

The top-left corner of an expression contains an Interpolation Indicator, which indicates the type of interpolation or transition that exists between that expression and the expression immediately preceding it in the same Expressions Track. This gives you a quick overview of how your animation will appear when you play it. There are four Interpolation Indicators, which correspond to the four interpolation types that Mimic supports. Please refer to ”Interpolation Methods“ for more information about interpolation.

Flat

The Flat Interpolation Indicator indicates flat interpolation between the current expression and the previous expression.

Linear

The Linear Interpolation Indicator indicates linear interpolation between the current expression and the previous expression.

Smooth

The Smooth Interpolation Indicator indicates smooth interpolation between the current expression and the previous expression.

Extra Smooth

The Extra Smooth Interpolation Indicator indicates extra smooth interpolation between the current expression and the previous expression.

Expressions Context Menu

Right-clicking anywhere in either of the Expressions Tracks opens the Expressions Context Menu. The availability of each option depends on whether or not an expression is selected when you access this menu.

The Expressions context menu has the following options:

Insert

Selecting Insert inserts the expression currently selected in the Expressions palette into the Timeline. Please see ”Expressions“ for more information on using the Expressions palette. This option is only available by right-clicking any portion of an Expressions Track that does not contain an existing expression. This is the same as selecting Edit > Insert from the menu, as described in ”Insert.“

Replace with Palette Selection

Selecting Replace with Palette Selection replaces the selected expression in the Timeline with the expression currently selected in the Expressions palette. Please see ”Expressions“ for more information on using the Expressions palette. This option is only available by selecting the expression you wish to replace before accessing the Expressions menu. This is the same as selecting Edit > Replace with Palette Selection from the menu, as described in ”Replace with Palette Selection.“

Edit Strength

Selecting Edit Strength allows you to edit the strength of the currently selected expression by clicking and dragging inside the affected expression clip. This option is only available by selecting the expression you wish to edit before accessing the Expressions menu. This is the same as selecting Edit > Edit Strength from the menu, as described in ”Edit Strength.“

Split

Selecting Split splits the currently selected expression into two expressions. This option is only available by selecting the expression you wish to split before accessing the Expressions menu. This is the same as selecting Edit > Split from the menu, as described in ”Split.“

Delete

Selecting Delete deletes the currently selected expression from the Timeline. This option is only available by selecting the expression you wish to delete before accessing the Expressions menu. This is the same as selecting Edit > Delete from the menu, as described in ”Delete,“ or selecting the expression and then pressing the Delete key.

Select All

Selecting Select All selects all expressions in the current Expressions Track. This is the same as selecting Edit > Select All from the menu, as described in ”Select All.“

Deselect All

Selecting Deselect All deselects all currently selected expressions in the current Expressions Track. This option is only available when at least one expression is selected. This is the same as selecting Edit > Deselect All from the menu, as described in ”Deselect All.“

Flat

Selecting Flat selects flat interpolation between the currently selected expression and the previous expression. This is the same as selecting Edit > Flat from the menu, as described in ”Flat.“

Linear

Selecting Linear selects linear interpolation between the currently selected expression and the previous expression. This is the same as selecting Edit > Linear from the menu, as described in ”Linear.“

Smooth

Selecting Smooth selects smooth interpolation between the currently selected expression and the previous expression. This is the same as selecting Edit > Smooth from the menu, as described in ”Smooth.“

Extra Smooth

Selecting Extra Smooth selects extra smooth interpolation between the currently selected expression and the previous expression. This is the same as selecting Edit > Extra Smooth from the menu, as described in ”Extra Smooth.“

Please see ”Interpolation Methods“ for more information about interpolation.

Gestures Track

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Gestures Track

Gestures have their own Gestures Track. They complement phonemes and expressions by giving you an additional way to add realism to your animations. While phonemes convey sounds and expressions convey emotions, gestures convey other non-verbal cues such as eye blinks, head movements, etc. The combination of phonemes, expressions, and gestures are what give your Mimic animations their realism. You can use the gestures automatically generated by Mimic or you can insert and edit your own. You can even use gestures to mimic a live model's movements if you are viewing a video in the Video window

The Gestures Track contains the following elements:

Gestures List

The Gestures List contains the list of gestures available for your figure.

Selecting Gestures

To select a gesture, click it in the Gestures List. The selected gesture will turn blue and you will see keyframe and value data for the selected gesture.

Modifying Gesture Definitions

Double-clicking a gesture opens that gesture's Definition window that lists the channel(s) that make up the selected gesture. You can adjust each channel's strength by selecting the channel to modify and entering your desired strength in the Strength field.

Clicking the Preview button toggles a display of your current gesture in the Display window, allowing you to see the effects of your edits. See “Editing Gesture Definitions” for more detailed information on editing gesture definitions.

Value Line

For each channel, the Value Line displays how the value of the selected channel changes over time.

The center of the Gestures Track is 0, which corresponds to the channel being off or having no effect. Values above 0 apply the channel in its intended direction. For example, a value of 1 in the Blink Right channel closes the right eye completely. Values less than zero apply the channel in reverse. For example, a value of -1 applied to the Blink Right channel opens the right eye very wide. Values above +/-1 exaggerate the selected channel. A value of +/-1 corresponds to a value of +/-100% in applications such as DAZ Studio and Poser.

TIP! Morph targets are typically intended for use with values ranging from 0-1.0 (0%100%). Values above and below this range may cause the morph target to function irregularly.

The Value Line has different shapes depending on the interpolation method being used between a keyframe and the preceding keyframe. Please see “Interpolation Methods” for more information about interpolation.

See the following topics for more on working with gestures:

Working with Gestures

The Gestures Track displays keyframe and value information for the selected gesture. To view information for a different channel, select the channel you wish to view.

The following topics cover adding and editing keyframes:

Editing Gesture Definitions

To edit a gesture definition:

Double-click the gesture you wish to edit. The Gesture Definition window appears as shown here.

The Channel area displays all of the morph targets and parameters assigned to the currently selected gesture. The combination of each of these channels forms the final gesture.
To remove an existing channel that you no longer wish to use in the current gesture definition, highlight the channel you wish to delete in the Channel area, then press the Delete key.
To add in any other channels you need for the current gesture, click the Add more to definition button to open the Object Tree window.
Double-click on the desired body part to open the Object window for that body part. In most cases, you will select the head in the Object Tree window, however you are not limited to this. Select your desired body part and channel using the Object Tree and Object windows and adjust the channel's value offset, minimum, and maximum values as needed.
Click and drag the desired channel from the Object window into your gesture's Definition window or double-click on the channel to add it to the Definition window. The Definition window must be open for this feature to work.

The channel will be added at the bottom of the list with a default strength of +1.
If you wish to adjust the strength of any channel, select the channel and enter your desired strength in the Strength field. Remember that DAZ Studio and Poser express morph target values in percent (0-100%), while Mimic uses decimal values (0.0-1.0).
Check your results by clicking the Preview button in the Gestures Definition window. Your phoneme will appear in the Display window. You can see how your gesture looks at different strengths by clicking and dragging the Preview Strength slider. If you find that your gesture looks better with a preview strength other than 100%, you should adjust the strength of the channels comprising the gesture.
When you are finished making your changes, close the Gestures Definition window by clicking the Close button at the upper right corner.

Adding Keyframes

A keyframe defines a specific value for the selected gesture at a specific point in time and the interpolation method defines how the value of the gesture changes from the preceding keyframe to the current one.

To insert a phoneme, expression or gesture:

Click on the Gestures Track to select it.
Select your desired gesture in the Gestures List.
Do one of the following:
- Left-click anywhere in the Gestures Track. A new keyframe appears at the frame nearest the cursor and at the cursor's current value.
  
  If you click near a frame that already has a keyframe, that keyframe will be selected.
- Move the Current Position Indicator to the location where you want to place the new clip, then select Edit > Insert from the menu.
  
  A new keyframe, with a value of 0, will be inserted at the frame nearest the Current Position Indicator.
- Right-click on the location where you want the place the new clip and choose Insert from the context menu.
  
  The new keyframe, with a value of 1, will be inserted at the selected location.

Editing Keyframes

There are several ways to edit a keyframe:

Edit a keyframe's timing by clicking the desired keyframe, then dragging it horizontally. You cannot impede on other keyframes.
Edit a keyframe's value by clicking the desired keyframe, then dragging it vertically. This gives you rough control over your keyframes' values.
For precise control of a keyframe's value, select the keyframe in the Gestures Track, then enter your desired value in the Key Value field.

Deleting Keyframes

There are three ways to delete a keyframe from the Gestures Track:

Select the keyframe you wish to delete, then press the Delete key.
Select the keyframe you wish to delete and right-click anywhere in the Gestures Track to open the Gestures Menu, then select Delete from the context menu.
Select the keyframe you wish to delete, then select Edit > Delete from the menu.

Interpolation Indicator

Each keyframe displays an Interpolation Indicator, which indicates the type of interpolation or transition that exists between that keyframe and the keyframe immediately preceding it in the Gestures Track. This gives you a quick overview of how your animation will appear when you play it. There are four Interpolation Indicators, which correspond to the four interpolation types that Mimic supports. Please refer to “Interpolation Methods” for more information about interpolation.

Flat

The Flat Interpolation Indicator indicates flat interpolation between the current keyframe and the previous keyframe.

Linear

The Linear Interpolation Indicator indicates linear interpolation between the current keyframe and the previous keyframe.

Smooth

The Smooth Interpolation Indicator indicates smooth interpolation between the current keyframe and the previous keyframe.

Extra Smooth

The Extra Smooth Interpolation Indicator indicates extra smooth interpolation between the current keyframe and the previous keyframe.

Gestures Context Menu

Right-clicking anywhere in the Gestures Track opens the Gestures Context Menu. The availability of each option depends on whether or not a keyframe is selected when you access this menu.

The Gestures context menu has the following options:

Insert

Selecting Insert inserts a keyframe at the frame nearest the cursor's location with a value of +1. If you right-click a portion of the Gestures Track that already contains an existing keyframe, then that keyframe will be replaced by a new keyframe with the value +1. This is similar to selecting Edit > Insert from the menu.

Delete

Selecting Delete deletes the currently selected keyframe from the Value Line. This option is only available by selecting the keyframe you wish to remove before accessing the Gestures menu. This is the same as selecting Edit > Delete from the menu or selecting the keyframe and then pressing the Delete key.

Select All

Selecting Select All selects all keyframes in the current Value Line. This is the same as selecting Edit > Select All from the menu.

Deselect All

Selecting Deselect All deselects all currently selected keyframes in the current Value Line. This option is only available when at least one keyframe is selected. This is the same as selecting Edit > Deselect All from the menu.

Flat

Selecting Flat selects flat interpolation between the currently selected keyframe and the previous keyframe. This is the same as selecting Edit > Flat from the menu. Please refer to “Interpolation Methods” for more information about interpolation.

Linear

Selecting Linear selects linear interpolation between the currently selected keyframe and the previous keyframe. This is the same as selecting Edit > Linear from the menu. Please refer to “Interpolation Methods” for more information about interpolation.

Smooth

Selecting Smooth selects smooth interpolation between the currently selected keyframe and the previous keyframe. This is the same as selecting Edit > Smooth from the menu. Please refer to “Interpolation Methods” for more information about interpolation.

Extra Smooth

Selecting Extra Smooth selects extra smooth interpolation between the currently selected keyframe and the previous keyframe. This is the same as selecting Edit > Extra Smooth from the menu. Please refer to “Interpolation Methods” for more information about interpolation.

Interpolation Methods

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Interpolation Methods

Keyframes are where control actions take place in an animation. In other words, they serve as anchors that say “At Frame X, Gesture Y will have Value Z”. Tween frames lie between keyframes and blend the keyframes at either side into a smooth transition. You can see a tween frame's value by looking at the Spline at any point between keyframes.

Mimic calculates the tween frames for you using a process called interpolation, which defines how one keyframe's value transitions to the next over time. There are many different types of interpolation or methods of calculating these transitions. Mimic supports four types.

To select an interpolation method, select a keyframe and either right-click to access the context menu for the current timeline or use the Edit menu. You interpolation selection will affect the Spline between the currently selected keyframe(s) and the next previous unselected keyframe. For example, if you apply an interpolation method to the third keyframe from the left in the above example, it will affect the transition between the second and third transitions. This allows you to switch interpolation methods as often as you like within the same gesture, greatly increasing Mimic's power and flexibility.

Your interpolation options are:

Flat: Selecting Flat causes tween frames to retain the value of the previous keyframe until the next keyframe and then perform an abrupt change. This interpolation results in motion that appears as a series of pauses with abrupt position changes between them.
Linear: Selecting Linear causes each tween frame to change an equal amount. For example, if Keyframe A has a value of -1 and Keyframe B has a value of +1 and there are 10 tween frames separating them, each keyframe will show a value change of 0.2. A useful analogy is to think of a billiard ball traveling in a straight line until it ricochets off a rail and continues in a new direction.
Smooth: Selecting Smooth causes tween frames to create a gentle transition between keyframes. As one moves from Keyframe A to Keyframe B, each succeeding tween frame “accelerates” as it moves away from Keyframe A and “brakes” as it approached Keyframe B. It help to think of a car traveling between stop signs. From a stop, the vehicle picks up speed, maintains a constant speed for a time, then slows down for the next stop.
Extra Smooth: Selecting Extra Smooth causes tween frames to create gentle transitions where the transitions themselves occupy as much of the transition as possible. To continue the vehicle analogy from the previous example, imagine accelerating very gently to a point halfway between the two stop signs, then just as gently slowing down with no period of constant speed.

Phonemes Track

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Phonemes Track

The Phonemes Track displays each phoneme used in your Mimic animation. You can have Mimic automatically assign phonemes to audio files using the Session Manager or you can manually insert phonemes or use any combination that works for you. Please see “Working with Phonemes” for a tutorial about working with phonemes, and “Phonemes” for information about the Phonemes palette in the Palette window.

Phonemes can be added, removed, and modified in the Phonemes Track. See the following topics for more information:

Adding Phonemes to the Timeline

Mimic only uses the phonemes present in the Timeline for animation. There are three ways to add phonemes to the Timeline:

Clicking and dragging the selected phoneme from the Phonemes palette to the desired point in the Phonemes Track.
Using the Phonemes Menu by right-clicking any empty portion in the Phonemes Track then selecting Insert from the Phonemes context menu.
Clicking an empty spot in the Phonemes Track, then selecting Edit > Insert from the menu.

Please see “Inserting Phonemes” for more on using each of these methods.

Removing Phonemes from the Timeline

There are three ways to remove a phoneme from the Phonemes Track:

Select the phoneme you wish to delete, then press the Delete key.
Select the phoneme you wish to delete and right-click anywhere in the Phonemes Track then select Delete from the Phonemes context menu.
Select the phoneme you wish to delete, then select Edit > Delete from the menu.

Phoneme Beginning/End Points

In the Phonemes Track, a phoneme begins when the animation playback reaches the phoneme's leading (left) edge and ends when the animation reaches its trailing (right) edge. Number 1 in the image below shows a sample phoneme with its original location and duration in the Phonemes Track.

You can adjust a phoneme's location and duration using any combination of the following:

Click and drag inside the selected phoneme clip to move it back and forth in the Phonemes Track (#2 in the image). You cannot impede on other phonemes.
Click and drag the selected phoneme's leading (left) edge to make the phoneme begin at an earlier point in the animation (number 3 in the image). You can shorten the neighboring phoneme until it reaches its minimum duration.
Click and drag the selected phoneme's trailing (right) edge to make the phoneme end at a later point in the animation (number 4 in the image). You can shorten the neighboring phoneme until it reaches its minimum duration.

TIP! In the above image, note that #2 only affects the phoneme's timing without affecting its duration while #3 and #4 affect both timing and duration.

Interpolation Indicator

The top-left corner of a phoneme contains an Interpolation Indicator, which indicates the type of interpolation or transition that exists between that phoneme and the phoneme immediately preceding it in the Phonemes Track. This gives you a quick overview of how your animation will appear when you play it. There are four Interpolation Indicators, which correspond to the four interpolation types that Mimic supports. Please refer to “Interpolation Methods” for more information about interpolation.

Flat

The Flat Interpolation Indicator indicates flat interpolation between the current phoneme and the previous phoneme.

Linear

The Linear Interpolation Indicator indicates linear interpolation between the current phoneme and the previous phoneme.

Smooth

The Smooth Interpolation Indicator indicates smooth interpolation between the current phoneme and the previous phoneme.

Extra Smooth

The Extra Smooth Interpolation Indicator indicates extra smooth interpolation between the current phoneme and the previous phoneme.

Phonemes Context Menu

Right-clicking anywhere in the Phonemes Track opens the Phonemes Context Menu. The availability of each option depends on whether or not a phoneme is selected when you access this menu.

The Phonemes context menu has the following options:

Insert

Selecting Insert inserts the phoneme currently selected in the Phonemes palette into the Timeline. Please see “Phonemes” for more information on using the Phonemes palette. This option is only available by right-clicking any portion of the Phonemes Track that does not contain an existing phoneme. This is the same as selecting Edit > Insert from the menu, as described in “Inserting Phonemes.”

Replace with Palette Selection

Selecting Replace with Palette Selection replaces the selected phoneme in the Timeline with the expression currently selected in the Phonemes palette. Please see “Phonemes” for more information on using the Phonemes palette. This option is only available by selecting the phoneme you wish to replace before accessing the Phonemes menu. This is the same as selecting Edit > Replace with Palette Selection from the menu, as described in “Replace with Palette Selection.”

Edit Strength

Selecting Edit Strength allows you to edit the strength of the currently selected phoneme by clicking and dragging inside the affected phoneme clip. This option is only available by selecting the phoneme you wish to edit before accessing the Phonemes menu. This is the same as selecting Edit > Edit Strength from the menu, as described in “Edit Strength.”

Split

Selecting Split splits the currently selected phoneme into two phonemes. This option is only available by selecting the phoneme you wish to split before accessing the Phonemes menu. This is the same as selecting Edit > Split from the menu, as described in “Split.”

Delete

Selecting Delete deletes the currently selected phoneme from the Timeline. This option is only available by selecting the phoneme you wish to delete before accessing the Phonemes menu. This is the same as selecting Edit > Delete from the menu, as described in “Delete,” or selecting the phoneme and then pressing the Delete key.

Select All

Selecting Select All selects all phonemes in the Phonemes Track. This is the same as selecting Edit > Select All from the menu, as described in “Select All.”

Deselect All

Selecting Deselect All deselects all currently selected phonemes in the Phonemes Track. This option is only available when at least one phoneme is selected. This is the same as selecting Edit > Deselect All from the menu, as described in “Deselect All.”

Flat

Selecting Flat selects flat interpolation between the currently selected phoneme and the previous phoneme. This is the same as selecting Edit > Flat from the menu, as described in “Flat.”

Linear

Selecting Linear selects linear interpolation between the currently selected phoneme and the previous phoneme. This is the same as selecting Edit > Linear from the menu, as described in “Linear.”

Smooth

Selecting Smooth selects smooth interpolation between the currently selected phoneme and the previous phoneme. This is the same as selecting Edit > Smooth from the menu, as described in “Smooth.”.

Extra Smooth

Selecting Extra Smooth selects extra smooth interpolation between the currently selected phoneme and the previous phoneme. This is the same as selecting Edit > Extra Smooth from the menu, as described in “Extra Smooth.”

Please see “Interpolation Methods” for more information about interpolation.

Video Preview Controls Window

2011-11-01T17:42:02+00:00

This page exists within the Old ArtZone Wiki section of this site. Read the information presented on the linked page to better understand the significance of this fact.

Video Preview Controls Window

The Video Preview Controls window allows you to create movies from your Mimic scenes. Available formats are AVI (Windows), MOV (MacOS), and SWF (Windows & MacOS). You can also create movie previews that you can view directly in the Display window without having to exit Mimic or export animation data to another application. This function makes it easy to test your work in progress without interrupting your workflow.

Movies contain every element visible in the Display window, such as:

animations
props
lights
background images
transparency (if used in the current scene)

TIP! Movies created using the Video Preview Controls window use the frame rate specified in the Session Manager. Please see “Frames Per Second” for more information.

To open the Video Preview Controls window, select File > Create Movie Preview.

This window has the following functions:

Creating Previews

You need to create a preview before you can use the other Video Preview Controls window functions. To create a movie preview with all of your current scene settings, click the Make Preview button. Creating the movie may take a few moments depending on your computer and the movie's complexity. When finished, the movie will appear in the Display window.

Playback Controls

The Playback Controls allow you to start and stop your movie preview after you've created it.

From left to right, the buttons are:

Skip to Beginning: Clicking the Skip to Beginning button moves to the first frame of the movie.
Play/Pause: When the movie is paused, clicking the Play button begins playback beginning with the current frame. The movie preview appears in the Display window and will continue looping until you click the Pause button.

Creating and Saving Movies

To save your newly created movie to AVI (Windows) or MOV (MacOS) format, click the Save Preview to Movie button. A standard Save As dialog appears, allowing you to select your desired folder and filename.

TIP! Movie previews are a great way to create standalone animations without the need to transfer your work from Mimic to another application. If you are using Mimic with DAZ Studio or Poser, creating preview movies saves you lots of time by allowing you to check the animation for accuracy without having to export data, switch applications, import the data to the other application, and render.

To save your newly created movie to SWF (Macromedia Flash) format, click the Save Preview to Flash button. A standard Save As dialog appears, allowing you to select your desired folder and filename.

Supported Video Formats

2011-11-01T17:42:02+00:00

This page exists within the Old ArtZone Wiki section of this site. Read the information presented on the linked page to better understand the significance of this fact.

Supported Video Formats

Mimic allows you to import a video file for viewing in the Video window alongside your animated character, which appears in the Display window . This feature is great for comparison purposes as you fine-tune your work, since you can (for example) see a live person talking. Windows users must use .avi files, and Macintosh users must use .mov files.

You may use either the audio portion of an imported video file or audio from a different .wav or .aif file. In either case, you use the Session Manager.

TIP! If you use a .wav or .aif file with or without imported video, the audio file's length determines the Timeline length. See “The Timeline” for more information.

Mimic Workspace

2011-11-01T17:42:02+00:00

This page exists within the Old ArtZone Wiki section of this site. Read the information presented on the linked page to better understand the significance of this fact.

Mimic Workspace

The Mimic Workspace is where phonemes, expressions, and gestures are combined to create a realistic animation.

The workspace consists of the following areas:

Menu Bar

The Menu Bar allows you to access various Mimic functions. These functions are typically used less often and are placed in the menu bar to avoid cluttering the interface. Clicking any menu item opens a drop-down menu with additional options. For example, clicking on File opens the File menu.

Click on the following links to learn more about each menu:

Palette Window

The Palette window is where you work with phonemes and expressions. You can:

View existing phonemes and expressions.
Add phoneme and expression clips to the Timeline.
Modify phoneme and expression definitions.
Add and delete expressions.

You can move, resize, and scroll through the Palette window as described in “Customizing Your Mimic Experience.”

You can adjust the relative height of the phoneme and expressions displays by clicking and dragging the horizontal line between the phonemes and expressions. Mimic will retain this relative size ratio as you resize the Palette window.

Phonemes

A phoneme is a unit of speech, an isolated sound. Stringing phonemes together produces words. Here are two examples:

nothing: N UH TH IH NG.
celebration: S EH L EH B R EY SH UH N

Mimic recognizes 40 phonemes. When you analyze sound files using the Session Manager, the application matches appropriate phonemes with the sound being analyzed and places them in the appropriate places in the Phonemes Track in the Timeline to produce the lip-synched animation. You can also place phonemes in the Timeline manually and can edit phonemes to achieve precise control over animations.

TIP! Mimic categorizes sound into 40 phonemes. Mimic configuration (*.dmc) files define the shape(s) that represent each phoneme. These shapes are often referred to as visemes because they define the specific look that accompanies the sound (such as mouth opening, pursed lips, etc.). You can use one viseme (phoneme definition) for either one or multiple phonemes. For simplicity, this user guide uses the term phoneme to refer to both the sound definition and its accompanying viseme (visual definition).

Click on the following links to learn about viewing and editing phonemes:

Expressions

From a technical standpoint, expressions are very similar to phonemes in that they use one or more of a figure's morph targets or parameters to create an effect. The purpose of expressions is to give your figure the appearance of emotion while speaking. You can even use two simultaneous expressions thanks to the two separate Expressions Tracks in the Timeline (see “Two Expressions Tracks”). For example, you could combine the Happy and Surprised expressions to create a look of happy surprise.

Click on the following links to learn about viewing and editing expressions:

Object Tree Window

The Object Tree window allows you to:

Show and hide your entire figure.
Toggle individual object visibility on and off.
Adjust object morphs and other parameters.
Add definitions to phonemes, expressions, and gestures.

Using the Object Tree

Display Window

The Display window shows your lip-synching animations in real-time as you work.

Using the Display Window

Video Window

The Video window displays your loaded video file. This is a great way to do side-by-side comparisons between your animation session and a reference sample- such as an actual person talking. If the video contains an audio track, you can use this sound for your lip-synching. Please see “Supported Sound Formats” for information about supported audio formats, and “Video” for information about using the sound track contained in a video clip.

Video playback is controlled using the Timeline. Please refer to “Timeline” for more information about the Timeline.

Light Controls Window

The Light Controls window lets you control eight lights to create a custom appearance in your Mimic scene. These lights appear in both the Display window in real time and in animations created using the Video Preview Controls window. Your Mimic scene files stores the light settings and restores them when you open the file. Mimic also remembers your most recent light settings upon exiting and loads them when you launch the application. You can also import and export light sets using the File menu as described in “Import Light Set” and “Export Light Set.”

See the following for more on using lights:

Light Controls Window

Timeline

The Timeline is the factory floor where your animations take shape. It provides a graphical view of each phoneme, expression, and gesture in your animation, and allows you to see and control the following things:

All of the elements in your animation.
The order in which the elements appear.
Each element's starting time, duration, ending time, strength, and interpolation method.

The Timeline contains each element within your animation arranged in chronological order. The top portion of the Timeline lists the animation's length in both seconds and frames. You can scroll back and forth to look at your animation at any point in its run. A preview of your animation appears in the Display window. If you have a video clip, the Timeline will also control the movie in the Video window.

Mimic Pro Shortcut Commands

2011-11-01T17:42:03+00:00

This page exists within the Old ArtZone Wiki section of this site. Read the information presented on the linked page to better understand the significance of this fact.

Mimic Pro Shortcut Commands

Listing of shortcuts available in Mimic Pro:

File Menu

New - Ctrl+N
Open - Ctrl+O
Save - Ctrl+S
Save As - Ctrl+Shift+S

Edit Menu

Undo - Ctrl+Z
Delete - Delete key

Mimic

2012-01-25T01:23:09+00:00

This page exists within the Old ArtZone Wiki section of this site. Read the information presented on the linked page to better understand the significance of this fact.

Mimic

Current Version: 3.1.0.7 - Released 4/08
Product Page
Downloads/Updates Page

What is Mimic?

Mimic is an advanced tool that creates and edits facial animations for 3D figures by making them accurately mimic the correct lip movements for a prerecorded speech segment, allowing figures to “talk” and “sing” during animations. You can either import existing .wav or .aif audio files in any language and let Mimic do the work for you, or record your own speech using Mimic's simple recording studio and a microphone. Complete the effect by adding expressions and gestures such as smiles, winks, and nods to transform your figure into a fully expressive speaker.

Mimic's Talkback^TMengine creates the expressions for you, saving time and boosting productivity. With Mimic, your characters will come alive with life-like speech and mannerisms.

Like all DAZ tools, Mimic allows you to achieve incredible realism quickly without the need for advanced knowledge or training.

Mimic gives hobbyists and occasional users the tools they need to create great lip-synched animations while giving professionals the extra controls and high-end functionality that take results to the next level.

Mimic is a stand-alone application designed to create lip-synched animations. It creates an output file which you can then render in a third-party application such as DAZ Studio or SmithMicro Graphics' Poser. You can even generate animations directly from within Mimic itself.

What Can Mimic do for Me?

Creating realistic speech animations is one of an animator's most difficult and time consuming tasks. For example, your figure's lips should be pursed when making an “oo” sound. And even after achieving realistic mouth movements, you often need to add accompanying gestures such as eye blinks, raised eyebrows, and head nods to give your animation a convincing feel. Adding idiosyncrasies to speech can be extremely difficult and time consuming. Mimic automates these processes, bringing Pro-level animations within reach of anyone.

Want even more control? Mimic allows you to adjust the timing, duration, and magnitude of every event in your animation down to the millisecond. You can also control how events transition in and out using several interpolation settings. You can even split individual phonemes into separate modifiable parts for added control.

Mimic gives you a complete lip-sync production laboratory that allows you to develop custom libraries of reusable elements including phonemes, complex expressions, and finely tuned gestures for future use. Access a figure's individual settings for a phoneme, expression, or gesture, then fine tune each element for use with your specific character. As you work with Mimic and begin creating custom configuration files for your character(s), you will create shortcuts that you can reuse over and over again. This will result in a faster workflow, giving you shorter production times and better animations.

Adjust subtle mannerisms, create compound gestures, and synchronize complex facial changes in a single timeline. Mimic even lets you view pre-recorded video alongside your real-time character animation on a frame-by-frame basis. This lets you capture and recreate the full range of complex motions displayed by a live model within a single application window, saving you time and frustration.

Control customizable lights that you can position, color, and dim to create just the effect you're looking for. Do this either for preview purposes or even create your animation directly from within Mimic itself without the need for third-party software. Add background images, hair, and other props to your scene for extra realism.

Official DAZ Documentation

Mimic Lite

Mimic Lite PDF Version

Mimic Pro

Updated - July 14, 2008
Uploaded - July 14, 2008

Mimic Pro Online HTML Version
Mimic Pro PDF Version (5.62 MB)