I wish this product worked with lightwave.

Okay so serious question. I've read the hype on the product pages, I've read the posts claiming it's fab. If one has never used mimic, or done many animations, mimic 2 or mimic 2 pro? I'm not sure I understand the extras of the Pro version other than a larger price tag. could someone experienced in mimic/animation give someone that is interested in these products a really laymens term summary? Pro lets you do more isn't enough ahahaa! thanks. Also agree, something like this for Lightwave would be to die for but I can live with poser and splicing lightwave and poser vids together.

it is definately worth the price for the pro version. mimic 2 basic: load figure, sound file, text file, and premade config file you can adjust the Phoneme timeline and view your lip sync pose. and export. Mimic 2 Pro: in adition to above you can add custom expressions on two additional tracks, as well as a gesture track for blinking, head movement, eybrow raise. that sort of thing all easily adjustable and viewable in real time. you can prerecord a live actor doing the same stuff and sync up your figure's movements frame by frame with the live actor. you can also create custom config file with your own versions of phonemes expressions and gestures. thats basicly the difference. but you can get a better idea by viewing my tutorials at arcana as far as what pro can do.

oh also in pro you can change the phonemes in the timeline completely, simply by dropping new ones in from the library.

I'll take a crack at it for you: From the DAZ Website 1-Generate Your Own Configuration Files. 2-Characters (CR2s) Imported with Surface Materials and Textures Applied. 3-Timeline Display Includes: Phonemes, Audio, Text, Dual Expressions Tracks, and Gestures. 4-Open GL Video Preview For Side-By-Side Comparison. 5-Analyze Sound Track from Video Source. 6-Expressions Palette. 7-Definable and Editable Phonemes. 8-Definable and Editable Expressions. Okay, in order (anyone feel free to correct any inaccuracies or missing info): 1 - Configuration files are new in Mimic 2.0. Basically, they let you create a set or themes of gestures, expressions, phonemes and then save that set of characteristics for application to other Mimic-made animations. So you could create a "happy set", and "angry set" and apply them to any number of Mimic sequences. 2- Pretty self-explan., but basically you can see the character you are animating with speech in REAL-TIME (*this is new to Mimic!) and the Pro version let's you see them with all texture-maps and materials. So you're basically seeing what your animation looks like. *BTW, all those wondering why we animators gripe about Poser 5 not implementing OpenGL HARDWARE support ... THIS is one beautiful example! But that is another rant. :) 3- Again, pretty SE ... the timeline is stacked to show you all of those things, so you can adjust (time, lengthen, strength, etc.) all on one screen for each property. 4- This allows you to view video of yourself or someone else saying the lines and "acting" out the part. Professional character animators do this ALL the time. (to be continued ...)

(continued ...) 5- No explanation required ... I think. 6- A pre-defined collection of expression (anger, fear, happiness) etc. that you can drag and drop to the timeline to change the facial expression of the character. You can mix/match and control strength of expression, etc. 7- Allows you to change/create the way phonemes appear on the character. 8- Allows you to have expressions (i.e angry, scared, sad) that you can drag onto the timeline, mix/match, and even create your own! Hope that helps. To me Mimic 2.0, is almost like a "dream version" of Poser (i.e. the way Poser should be) concentrating solely on lipsync and facial expression/head movement. I kind of think of it as the long lost "Face Animation Room" for Poser. Amazing. -Tim

Plus what those good folks said above, of course! :)

nods okie dokie. I'm gunna need pro then because of the creation of expressions. I'll go read the arcana tutorials before I flood with more questions haha. thanks for the explanations, that helped.

Jim, umm... game hens... :) oohhh... chocolate!!! :) Pity about the lack of Mac experience, though. I need to replace the hard drive in my beastie and have been putting it off for weeks. A migrained out dyslexic really ought not be rewiring a brain, no matter how simple it looks when I open the machine. Meanwhile, glad that you are back. I'd like Mimic2 as well (having seen a very impressive sneak peek at the GDC), but it will wait. Carolly

Okay, this is probably an incredibly stupid question on my part, but is it possible to not purchase poser, but purchase Mimic2Pro, then purchase a Poser character here at Renderosity, then import the CR2 for the character into Mimic using the Real-time preview feature, then run Mimic and see my character speak in real-time inside of Mimic?

Attached Link: http://www.daz3d.com

YES! It's absolutely possible. In fact, Mimic comes with a default reduced resolution version of Victoria which you can use as your character if you wish. (Mimic 2 Pro has textures as well). Steve Kondris DAZ Productions, Inc.

... and it's AWESOME (!!!) I might add. Not only is it incredibly useful, it's a lot of fun too. My kids like making the Wolf talk all the time. Mimic 2.0 -- invaluable animation tool and entertainment software all in one. Heh-heh. -Tim

Thanks for the replies! That's awesome that you can do that with textures and all! I did have one question though (again from my lack of knowledge); when I purchase a character here they do not actually include the .cr2 files; so how do I get/create them if I dont have poser?

Attached Link: http://www.daz3d.com

The majority of the time when you purchase a character another product (the base figure that the character is created off of) is required to get the final desired output. For example, a large portion of the female characters for sale require a version of the "Victoria" figure. Victoria, Michael, Stephanie, Millennium Girls/Boys, are all available at www.daz3d.com. Hope that helps, Steve

Thanks.. I actually knew that - what I was really asking is; after I buy V3 from DAZ and a charactor set here at Renderosity - how do I combine them to create the .cr2 files to use for Mimic (in the real-time preview)?

Ah, sorry, I see what you're asking. I'm not the most tech-savvy person around here, but once you have V3 and the character pak you like, simply load V3 into poser, apply your character presets that you've purchased (the MAT/MOR pose files, etc.) and then open your "Figures" tab from within the poser library, and then click on the "+" sign down at the bottom of the library, this will allow you to save out a new cr2 (which should contain the information for your character as well now). Then, from within mimic's quick start menu, just browse for that new cr2 file. Again, I'm not an expert tech guy, but that should work for you. Steve

Great... thanks. That's pretty much what I thought - so I will actually have to own Poser just to merge V3 and my charactor.... Hmmm, I wonder if anyone here could merge the two for me (when I send them the files) then send me the .cr2 files - that way I would't have to spend $140.00 on poser just to make the .cr2 files.