HOW TO FACE RIG A BLENDER MODEL IN SFM

[Mephis]

Hey, just started using SFM. I wanna add my own models into SFM but I have questions. I don't know which way I should model my own characters in Blender in order to make facial expressions on SFM. Got any tips or tuts?

[Marco Skoll]

I would strongly advise the use of flex ("shape key") animation.

The Source engine has relatively crude armature animation (only allowing three bone weights per vertex and, without using a cracked compiler, culls all bone weights below 5%), meaning that bone animation generally does badly with dense clusters of bones such as needed for bone-based facial animation.

Conversely, Source's flex animation system is pretty strong, including the option for automatic corrective flexes that can be faded in to fix problem combinations of shapes.

[Mephis]

Thanks guys, it really helped.