Character animation plug-in developer Di-O-Matic is currently in development on its latest plug-in, Voice-O-Matic. This new extension easily automates the process of lip synchronization for animated characters directly inside of 3ds max. By using an intelligent phonetic engine that can break down audio files and automatically assign correct phonemes (up to 40 of them), Voice-O-Matic provides the means for characters to talk in just minutes. Other features include language support for French, Italian, German and Spanish as well as English. Animators can also tweak their results with standard Bezier curve controls and sophisticated smoothing algorithms. Voice-O-Matic also fully supports all current morphing technologies including the Morpher modifier, Morph-O-Matic and Facial Studio. Voice-O-Matic will be available for a suggested retail price of US$299 some time in 2003. To learn more about the product, visit www.diomatic.com/products/Plugins/VoiceOMatic/.
