NVIDIA has this week unveiled its new Nvidia Face Works technology, which it has developed to push the boundaries of animated facial expressions to the next level.
The new Nvidia Face Works software was announced at the opening day keynote at GTC 2013 and was demonstrated recreating amazingly realistic face simulations. Watch the video after the jump to learn more about the Nvidia Face Works project and see it in action.
Revolutionary Technology
NVIDIA Co-founder and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang showcased a demo of the Nvidia Face Works technology running on the GeForce GTX TITAN GPU. This demonstration highlighted the software’s ability to condense previously massive amounts of motion-captured performance data into a size small enough to be handled by Nvidia’s new £800 Titan graphics card. Previously, around 25GB in size, the animation is now reduced down to around 300MB in size, making it significantly more efficient and accessible.
Huang explained that rendering Ira, the character used in the demo, took around 2 teraflops (2 trillion floating-point operations per second). The Nvidia Titan can handle 4.5 teraflops, showcasing its impressive capability. However, current gaming consoles lag behind in this regard. The new PS4 can only handle 1.84 teraflops, and the next Xbox can manage just 1.2 teraflops. This means that while PC gamers can enjoy these advanced animations soon, console gamers might have to wait a little longer for similar experiences.
Implications for the Future
The implications of Nvidia Face Works technology extend beyond gaming. This technology has the potential to revolutionize various industries, including film, virtual reality, and even telecommunication. For instance, in the film industry, creating realistic CGI characters can be incredibly time-consuming and expensive. Nvidia Face Works can streamline this process, making it more cost-effective and efficient.
In virtual reality, realistic facial expressions can significantly enhance the immersive experience. Imagine interacting with virtual characters that exhibit lifelike emotions and reactions. This could be a game-changer for VR applications in gaming, training simulations, and social VR platforms.
Moreover, in the realm of telecommunication, Nvidia Face Works could be used to create more realistic avatars for video calls, making remote communication feel more personal and engaging. This could be particularly beneficial in professional settings, where non-verbal cues play a crucial role in communication.
The Nvidia Face Works project is a testament to the rapid advancements in graphics technology. As GPUs become more powerful and software more sophisticated, the line between reality and virtuality continues to blur. This technology not only enhances the visual fidelity of digital characters but also opens up new possibilities for storytelling and interaction in digital media.
Source: Eurogamer
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