Face Wrapping & Character Scanning
Shown below is a sample of the work that I have done as a character scan artist. Due to the nature of the projects I was working on, I can only show examples of the pipeline and the steps taken to get to the final product.
Shown below are also some key characters from AAA games where I was one of the primary artists responsible for capturing and/or wrapping. This is a showcase of only a select few, as there are too many to list individually, for characters I wrapped, scanned, or was a part of both processes.
Hardware Used:
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ICT Light Stage (for scanning characters)
Software used:
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Agisoft Metashape (for processing & reconstructing character scans)
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Wrap4D & Wrap3D by R3DS (for face wrapping)
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Autodesk Maya (for viewing reconstruction final product)
Stone | Black Ops 6
Face Wrapping & Character Scanning
Stone, one of the first operators available in Black Ops 6's multiplayer, was one of the trickiest scans to complete. Due to fabric always moving and changing, unlike a face with a limited range of motion, wrapping and sculpting this character takes a lot of time and effort.
Through some trial and error, I was able to adapt our current face-wrapping pipeline to accommodate a mask-wearing character. Since we captured the actor's FACS set while he was wearing the mask, it was important to replicate the folds and stretching of the woven fabric in the final product. With certain FACS like scrunches, dropping the jaw, and head turns, I had to work hard to accurately wrap the shapes from the original scan to the final in-game mesh.
This was the most difficult face wrap I have done to date but it was also the most rewarding.
Marshall | Black Ops 6
Face Wrapping
Played by Y'lan Noel, Troy Marshall is one of the lead characters in Black Ops 6. After using the ICT Light Stage to capture his likeness in a large 100+ shape FACS set, I was responsible for wrapping his face.
As a scan artist and technician, its always wonderful to see all the blendshapes you worked so hard to wrap and sculpt translate so well over to a character's performance in-game.
Gladney | Black Ops 6
Face Wrapping & Character Scanning
Some characters you scan and another artist wraps, and also vise versa. Then, sometimes you wrap the same character you scanned. It's always fun to do both as you have the reference of having seen their FACS set in real life, rather than it being through reference photos or videos.
When capturing and wrapping older characters, having the knowledge of where to place tracking dots on the face during capture is key. Those tracking dots are key in the wrapping process, so making sure they are placed correctly and not getting hidden or smudged during the capture is very important.
The wrapping process for this character was fun as well, since older characters always feel like a fun and new challenge each time.
Matvey Gusev | Black Ops 6
Character Scanning
It's always a fun opportunity to scan actors who you're familiar with through their years of work on games. Yuri Lowenthal is an example of that, as I was the scan technician responsible for making sure the Light Stage was ready to go in time for the scanning session.
For capture days, I am responsible for getting the Light Stage ready, marketing the actors, calibrating the system, scanning the actors, and making sure all files are backed up at the end of the day. On top of this, I also have to be aware of any technical difficulties that may occur and swiftly fix them so the shoot day may continue without further delay.
Valeria Garza | Modern Warfare II
Face Wrapping
Valeria Garza, played by Maria Elisa Camargo, was one of the first characters I ever wrapped. Due to my position being remote at the time, I was not on-site for the capture but I was one of the key character scan artists who worked on her. There's something very fun about working on antagonist characters, especially when you can see so many of the FACS shapes work together to create an incredible performance in-game.
NPC Scans | Call of Duty
Character Scanning
Not all characters scanned are key players in games. Many shoot days are filled with short FACS sets of character scans that will be used for NPC's. Although we don't wrap these characters, they are scanned and reconstructed using the same pipeline.
It's these shoot days where teamwork and preparation become so important, as being able to rotate through so many actors, marketing them up, scanning them, and taking their markers off requires a lot of time management. Luckily, it becomes a swift shoot when you're working with an incredible team!