FAQ Addendum: Expressions, BlendShapes, Makeup

This is just me expanding the FAQ section for future reference. If you have access to Vivian, you would have already seen this information, but I go over it in more detail here.

With the release of Vivian in Nov 2024, I began including blendshape-based, expression-enhancing sliders to my characters as well as makeup.

** My blendshapes offer facial patterns that are not available in the base game, so characters like Vivian are potential candidates for you to import your own character's customizations onto, giving them the ability to finally express themselves. It should be noted that the further your character's appearance deviates from the original card, the less effective (and more creepy) the blendshapes may look. Use them to level up your renders and publications, but please refrain from redistribution or sale of characters that contain my blendshapes, thank you. **

This section will teach you how to manipulate said blendshapes, and how to save your blends as full expressions that can be recalled through VNGE SSS. First, I will go over how to load expressions, then I will go over how to blend them. Lastly, I will go over a few tips for the makeup.

Contents:

1. Loading Expressions

2. Blending & Saving Expression

3. Makeup

Loading XXPE Expressions:

I provide some pre-made expressions with my characters, so if you don't want to jump into the deep end, you can just use those. It goes without saying, that to use these VNGE presets, you will need Countd360's VNGE. Once you have it installed and have restarted your studio, you can reach the XXPE expression library like this:

Simply select the character from the workspace list, and click on the expressions to load them. These expressions files read and load values for blenshapes based on the number they were assigned when they were injected into the character. Therefore, expressions made using my custom blenshapes may not be translatable from one character to another.

Creating and Saving your own XXPE Expressions:

You can work off of one of the presets I have made, or start entirely from scratch, the process will be similar. I will go over how to make one from scratch. First, open the HS2PE blendshape editor like this (larger image will be available in the reel up top):

Next, select your character from the workspace list and navigate to the studio expression menu (Top left of screen: anim>Kinematics>Face):

Assign a foundational expression from the studio menu. For example, if you want to create a smile, you could start with "mouth 1" or "mouth 2" and "Brow 1":

 The expressions from the default head are horrible. The DBLin type 3 head which I use for all my characters are far better, but they could use a little push. Time to mix in the blendshapes! We already have the blendshape editor open from the first step, so mix away! I have provided a few smiles, smirks, and other mouth adjustments for you to produce the perfect smile, you can also scroll up in the "head" section to blend in additional vanilla expression values to tune the expression just right.

Now that you have the perfect expression (and hopefully not a nightmarish one) lets bring up VNGE and save it. Remember this?

We use this menu again, only this time, we go to the "Save Screen" tab up top to save instead of load:

When saving, you can assign a tag to help categorize the expression into happy, sad etc, but this is optional. You can also define a group, which I highly recommend. The expressions that I provide are grouped under the character's name for example, because they will only work properly for the character that they are made for.

When clicking "save," please double check that you still have your character selected in the workspace list or you will have saved nothing!

Makeup:

Some of the makeup that I will be producing will be based on the korean "Stealth Makeup" approach. The idea is to emphasize, enlarge and beautify the eyes while keeping the makeup itself relatively understated.

These work a bit differently from most of the eye makeup in the game. The makeup is intended to be used at or near pure white value, with adjustments to the opacity and gloss sliders making up most of the customization.

The makeup can be tinted or darkened within a narrow range:

 If you load the makeup and it looks like a hideous mess, now you know why! The color is set too dark or too saturated. Just reign in the color a bit and it will be fixed. For dark skin tones, I recommend tinting the makeup with some shade of bronze or gold!

That concludes this section of the FAQ. Happy studio-ing!

[RETURN TO FAQ]