Software and gaming company Epic Games has created an app that can build lifelike virtual humans for games and movies.
Named MetaHuman Creator, the app has an interface similar to that of The Sims video game that allows users to select from a variety of preset faces.
They can then customise everything from lip protrusion to eye distance, skin complexion and teeth, creating humans with lifelike wrinkles, broken capillaries and individual bristles of stubble.
The MetaHuman Creator allows users to build bespoke digital humans
The final "digital human asset" can be downloaded and animated using the motion-capture tools within Epic Games' 3D creation platform Unreal Engine for use as a character in video games, films or other virtual productions. "Up until now, building realistic digital humans has been an arduous process that takes weeks or months and lots of technical expertise," said Epic Games' chief technology officer Kim Libreri.
"It's a difficult, expensive endeavour that has traditionally only been attainable by blockbuster game development studios," she told Dezeen.

"When we brought the experts at 3Lateral and Cubic Motion into the Epic family, our mission from day one was to make this technology available to the world and MetaHuman Creator tool is the realisation of that vision," she continued.
"Creation time for a high-quality digital character can now be measured in minutes and hours rather than weeks or months."
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