{"id":7062264,"date":"2026-09-20T16:42:39","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T16:42:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/animation\/headshot-3-a-beginners-look-at-the-refine-face-tool\/"},"modified":"2026-09-20T16:42:39","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T16:42:39","slug":"headshot-3-a-beginners-look-at-the-refine-face-tool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7062264","title":{"rendered":"Headshot 3 \u2013 A Beginners Look at the Refine Face Tool"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The Headshot 3<\/a> plugin was another evolutionary leap in character creation with the addition of improved Image facial mapping capabilities. For those of you that haven\u2019t had the pleasure of using Headshot 3 yet the mapping is not complex at all so don\u2019t let the terminology scare you off.<\/p>\n

We will cover in this article how to use the control points and the curve handles that come with those points to shape the head mesh to fine tune the image to mesh process. We can use up three images: Front Face, Side Face and Body including custom body images or the standard male and female bodies we use on a regular basis. The AI image generator<\/a> in the plugin is ready to create just such images based on your prompt at the press of a button for unique characters.<\/p>\n

Two is Better Than One<\/h2>\n

When it comes to the image to face feature the front and side image is the preferred method instead of just a front image.\u00a0 Keep in mind that the FRONT IMAGE controls items like head height while the side image controls head depth or more precisely the item you are working with like the eyes, nose, head outline and so on.<\/p>\n

The side refinement tool has more control by giving us control points to place in strategic areas like Character Creator has used in the past and curve handles on those points to control the surface curve between the control points.<\/p>\n

NOTE: Reallusion points out that the control points are more important and should receive more attention than the curves as the control points form the mesh while the green curves form the surface between the control points.<\/p>\n

To be honest I was focusing more on the curves and not paying enough attention to the proper placement of the points. They don\u2019t have to be perfect, but they do need to be as close as you can get them to the head shape. Some quick experimentation will show you what works best.<\/p>\n

Front View Only<\/h3>\n

Using just a front view will work just fine, but if you want more control use the Front and Side view with separate images for both as this will activate the side view control points for proper placement. If you are creating background or crowd characters, then this is not that important but if you are trying to recreate a concept or historical character this will give you more control points to shape the characters\u2019 head.<\/p>\n

Front and Side View<\/h3>\n

This is the preferred method if you have a side view available. It needs to be 90-degree side view or as close as possible otherwise we have to make up for it by moving the controls relative to the mesh outline on front and back as discussed later in this article. This is also demonstrated in the recent Reallusion tutorial embedded in this article.<\/p>\n

Again, the new AI image generation feature can generate images for us, and we can regenerate if needed or adapt the control points. This added bonus allows us to stay within the application instead of going to an outside generation service for headshots. As with most Character Creator tools, this simplifies the process and keeps us in app negating the necessity of running multiple apps.<\/p>\n

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The Side View<\/h3>\n

Now we have control over the sides of the head, it provides us with more flexibility in matching the character.<\/p>\n

While using the Side image gives us more control points it can collapse the forehead if used improperly as the side view sets the forehead (and head) depth in general. If you place one particular control point too high on the head the forehead depth or volume will collapse and curve awkwardly inward, then back out.<\/p>\n

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To avoid this the top front control point needs to be placed at the hairline or where the hairline should be. This will ensure enough volume to keep the forehead from distorting when shaped from the side. After this we can then fine tune the forehead volume if needed.<\/p>\n

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The video below demonstrates this and how to correct it and the Reallusion Tutorial further down in this article goes into more detail.<\/p>\n

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