Facial animations have always been a desired feature for Arma Reforger. However, until recently, we lacked support for blend shapes (morphs), and it was not possible to manage different bone positions for varying face types, which would have been necessary if bones were used instead of morphs. Fortunately, this has now changed.
Facial Rigging Approach
Although the Enfusion engine now supports morphs, the decision was made to implement facial animations using bones. Several factors drove this choice:
Performance: Morphs are computationally intensive, while bones are expected to be faster and can be easily optimized using Level of Detail (LOD).
Flexibility: Morphs limit animations to predefined expressions created by artists. On the other hand, bones allow for a wider range of expressions and custom animations.
Natural Transitions: Morph transitions between expressions are linear, whereas bones can produce more natural and fluid results.
Procedural Animation: Using bones enables the creation of simple procedural animations, such as characters talking or adjusting their facial expressions based on stamina levels.
Additionally, the rig is simplified, making it easier for animators to create and modify facial animations. Each controller influences multiple bones, resulting in more lifelike deformations. To further streamline the conversion process to the new rig, Enfusion Blender Tools (EBT) has been updated.
Skeleton Changes and Equipment Update
The introduction of facial animations required a rework of the standard character skeleton, which has increased the total number of bones from 163 to 220 in the standard Reforger character model.
As a result of this change, equipment or characters that still use the old bone setup (any hierarchy from the Head bone) will no longer be animated correctly. To restore functionality, it is necessary to update these assets. The changes primarily affect the bones associated with the head, so in most cases, updating the skeleton should not require reweighting. However, if an asset is rigged to specific facial bones (e.g., a chin strap on a helmet), it may require re-skinning. The chin strap can be skinned to the Head bone as a temporary solution.
For Blender users, the Skeleton Updater tool can be utilized via the interface or through a batch file for mass updates. Detailed instructions on how to use the tool can be found on the Bohemia Interactive Community Wiki.
