Product Description: Virtual Humans gives not just start to finish instructions for designing a charming synthetic person, but also a CD-ROM containing the tools and techniques to make it real.
great introduction to VH Indeed great introduction to the most promising subject of the next generation Web. wholeheartedly recommended.
AIML Three technologies are combining to create a very clever arrangement of functionality: 1. 3D shapes which can morph to display emotions (Gape, Smile Left, Smile Right, Anger , Eyes Left , Eye Right , Laugher , Smile , Fear, and Sadness. 2. ALICE natural language categories with expert response patterns and random statements 3. Voice recognition and Speech Synthesis.
If you willing to pay money, there exists software for facial expressions: Di-omatic, Poser , 3dMeNow, and MS agent. For $99 a year, you can access ALICE natural language engine. ALICE has a number of categories that can be loaded and used. Additionally, you can train ALICE on new categories, boolean patterns, and answer response patterns. The expert system can export and import AIML data structures as ascii files.
Where does the money exist in this technology? VR customer service and support, VR intelligent agent sales force, VR office personal and receptionist, and interactive information kiosk. The VR agent can store vast amounts of demographic and profile information, interface with various systems, and provide increased convenience, and accessiblity to helpful information. The VR agent subscriptions will reduce the complexity of diversity and profile relative and meaningful information based on its importance to the individual and the individuals specific record interests. The knowledge base can provide responses that have a specific style, personality, and relevancy. Eventually, face recognition will assist the intelligent agent in evaluating emotional feedback and as a result condensing information or providing more detail. The intelligent agent can be given tasks which a centralized system can receive and program interfaces with other systems to retrieve the information.
save your money A sort of stream-of-consciousness approach to a highly technical subject by a non-technical writer... very disappointing.
great book must have
This is a great book has everything I need to learn and to know about VH 3D Animation. I'm so happy for this book :)
Dated material - beware For starters, the book gives some good advice and fair examples. The subject does add fuel to the cerebral fire.
That being said, however, the book uses the software primarily from Yapanda.com. Yapanda.com has not been online for months and does not show that it will be anytime soon. I consider it to be a dead site. The software on the CD will work on an XP but again it is dated. One will find better solutions on the net these days.
Another chapter deals with virtual, realtime 3D faces and heads for your applications. One of the best is also out of business. There is a demo program for it on the CD but it's worthless as one is incapable of saving the work. And if it were possible, there is nothing between the software (chatbot engine and 3D software) to interface, nor are there any explanations on how to achieve such things.
The author's site is still running, however, even his links are outdated. I doubt he's done anything to it since 2001.
The book is good for material and gathering ideas. Don't expect it to be a step-by-step since the links for the related software don't exist anymore.
Anything Goes Trivia
Last Kiss
Megaton Man
Trevor
