This article is a step-by-step guide through the New Job process in Faceware Analyzer. A "job" is the term for a tracking project in Analyzer. This article is designed to cover the basics. Advanced Features are addressed below and Trimming is detailed in its own article.
Create a New Job from an Existing Video or Image Sequence
Open Faceware Analyzer.
On the toolbar, click the "New" icon or in the File menu, select "New." This will open the New Job dialog box, pictured below.
First, we need to import our media. This can be in the form of a video file, an image sequence, or an XML file created during the Capture process. In the section at the top labeled "Select a Video or Image Sequence," press the browse button to the right of the field and select your desired file. You can change the file type that you are looking for in the selection dialog. The information in the dialog will now be automatically populated based on your video and you can see a preview of it on the right.
*Note: If you are using a video file, you can drag it directly into the New Job dialog instead of browsing to it, if you wish.
*Note: If you are using an image sequence, then you can select any one image from the sequence, so long as all of the images are in the same directory.
Now we need to enter the job details. The "Job Name" field is automatically populated based on the file name of your imported media. You can change the name to whatever you like or leave it as is.
The "Job Location Dir." field is where your job and its associated files (more details below) are located upon creation. You may use the browsing button next to the field to change the location.
"Job Orientation" is for videos that need to be rotated. If your video needs to be rotated, then you can select the appropriate value (0,90,180,270) from the dropdown menu and your job will reflect the rotation when it is created. Each value is for a 90-degree rotation counter-clockwise. Any rotation that you select will be viewable in the Preview on the right.
Once you've selected your options, then click "Create" and Analyzer will create a new job for you.
When a new job is created, Analyzer extracts the frames into an image sequence to work, leaving the original file untouched. The time it takes ranges from a few seconds to several minutes, depending on the length of your job.
What is in an Analyzer job?
An Analyzer job consists of two separate things:
A .fwt file (FaceWare Tracking) that serves as the main project file for your job. This is the file you'll select when you wish to Open an existing job.
A folder that shares the same name as the job with "_fwt" added to the end. This folder contains many of the working files for your tracking job, including the image sequence that you are working from.
Advanced Analyzer Job Options
These are the advanced features that you can choose when you are creating a new job in Analyzer. None of them are necessary to change and most users will not ever need to alter any of them, but they can provide some more versatility for creating your Analyzer jobs. These are located in the "Advanced" tab in the New Job creation dialog.
*Note: Any options that have been changed during new job creation will be saved into Analyzer's configuration and will carry over to any other new jobs you create.
Analysis Definition File:
This is where you choose your Analysis Definition file. The Analysis Definition is what tells Analyzer which landmarks and face groups to use for tracking. Navigate to your Analyzer assets folder (by default, "C:Program FilesFacewareAnalyzerAssets") and select one of the three following files according to your needs:
AnalysisDefinition.xml - This is the default Analysis Definition. It includes the Eyes, Brows, and Mouth face groups.
AnalysisDefinition_withJaw.xml - Use this file is you wish to track the Jaw in addition to the default groups, but not the Cheeks. Includes the Eyes, Brows, Mouth, and Jaw face groups.
AnalysisDefinition_withJaw_withCheeks.xml - This files is for tracking both the Jaw and the Cheeks groups in addition to the default groups. Includes the Eyes, Brows, Mouth, Jaw, and Cheeks face groups.
Valid Frame Range:
This section allows you to customize the range within your job that is going to be tracked. In the vast majority of cases, you'll be tracking the entire job, but if you wish to only do a portion, you have several options:
Select “All” to make the entire video valid,
Select “Automatic” to have Analyzer detect the valid frames based on a colored indicator in the corner of the video.
Select “Manual” to input the valid frame ranges by hand, separated by a comma (200-400,600-800, etc)
*Note: Valid frame ranges will have a blue highlight in the timeline and if your current frame is valid, a light blue highlight will appear around the work area in Analyzer.
Image Extraction Options:
If you check on "Burn-in Frame Numbers," then you Analyzer image sequence will have the frame number burned into each frame for reference.
Retargeter Image Sequence:
Analyzer creates a second, lower resolution image sequence for use in the 3d animation package that you are animating with. In a small percentage of instances, the image sequence can cause some lagginess on underpowered computers, so you have the option to decrease the resolution or quality of the images. This is virtually never used. If you choose to change one of the sliders, keep in mind that your aspect ratio will be preserved and you will still be tracking at full resolution in Analyzer.
