About
Polywink is an online platform designed to automate the most time-consuming and costly aspects of 3D facial animation. Powered by proprietary procedural technology and machine learning trained on years of accumulated data, Polywink delivers what would traditionally take weeks of manual rigging in less than 24 hours. The platform offers several core services: Blendshapes on Demand generates 157 stunning FACS-compliant blendshapes adapted to any 3D model, from cartoonish to photorealistic. The Facial Rig on Demand service produces a fully rigged head model with 236 blendshapes, ready for animation. MetaHuman Rig allows users to add Unreal Engine-compatible MetaHuman rigs to their own custom 3D characters while preserving existing UVs and textures. iPhone Motion Capture (Mocap from iPhone) enables emotional animations for ARKit and AR/VR applications. The Talking Avatar service combines face capture with text-to-speech to create interactive virtual assistants, and custom 3D Character Creation is also available. Polywink requires no manual rigging expertise or specialized 3D tools — users simply upload their 3D model and receive a professionally rigged result. The platform is ideal for small teams lacking rigging expertise, large studios handling high volumes of characters, and anyone facing tight production deadlines. It supports a broad range of character types, from cartoon monsters to photorealistic human head scans, and integrates smoothly with Unreal Engine, MetaHuman Animator, and ARKit pipelines.
Key Features
- FACS Blendshapes on Demand: Generates 157 FACS-compliant facial expression blendshapes automatically adapted to any 3D character, from cartoon to photorealistic styles.
- Facial Rig on Demand: Upload any 3D character head and receive a fully rigged model with 236 blendshapes ready for animation, delivered within 24 hours.
- MetaHuman Rig Integration: Add a MetaHuman-compatible rig to custom 3D characters while preserving UVs and textures, with full Unreal Engine and MetaHuman Animator support.
- iPhone Motion Capture Support: Receive ARKit-compatible rigs to drive face animations using iPhone face capture, ideal for AR/VR applications and animojis.
- Talking Avatar Creation: Combine AI face capture with text-to-speech technology to create lifelike virtual assistants and interactive animated characters.
Use Cases
- Game studios generating facial rigs for large libraries of characters on tight production schedules without needing in-house rigging specialists.
- AR/VR developers creating ARKit-compatible animated characters and animojis for mobile and immersive applications using iPhone face capture.
- Indie game developers and small teams adding professional-quality FACS blendshapes to 3D characters affordably without manual rigging expertise.
- Film and 3D animation studios integrating Polywink into their pipeline to accelerate facial animation production and reduce costs per character.
- Brands and developers building interactive talking avatars or virtual assistants by combining Polywink's face rigs with text-to-speech technology.
Pros
- Extremely Fast Turnaround: Delivers professional-quality facial rigs and blendshapes in under 24 hours, dramatically accelerating 3D production pipelines.
- No Rigging Expertise Required: Anyone can use the platform — no manual rigging skills or specialized 3D software needed beyond uploading a 3D model.
- Significant Cost Savings: Saves thousands of dollars per project compared to hiring riggers or doing manual work, especially for high volumes of characters.
- Broad Character & Engine Compatibility: Supports cartoon, realistic, and scanned characters, with compatibility across Unreal Engine, ARKit, and MetaHuman pipelines.
Cons
- Paid-Only Service: Polywink operates on a paid product model with no publicly listed free tier, which may be a barrier for very small or hobbyist projects.
- Facial Animation Only: The platform focuses exclusively on facial rigging and blendshapes — full-body rigging or animation is not part of the offering.
- Cloud-Based Upload Requirement: Users must upload their proprietary 3D character models to Polywink's servers, which may raise IP or confidentiality concerns for some studios.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Polywink and what does it do?
Polywink is an AI-powered online platform that automates 3D facial animation. It generates FACS blendshapes, facial rigs, MetaHuman rigs, and ARKit-compatible motion capture rigs for any 3D character — delivered in under 24 hours without requiring manual rigging work.
How long does it take to receive my facial rig or blendshapes?
Polywink's automated pipeline delivers results in less than 24 hours. This is a significant improvement over traditional manual rigging, which can take several weeks for comparable quality.
What types of 3D characters does Polywink support?
Polywink supports a wide range of character types, including cartoonish models, stylized characters, photorealistic humans, and head scans. The service is designed to adapt blendshapes and rigs to virtually any 3D face topology.
Is Polywink compatible with Unreal Engine and MetaHuman?
Yes. Polywink offers a dedicated MetaHuman Rig service that is fully compatible with Unreal Engine and MetaHuman Animator plugins, allowing you to use your own custom character while preserving original UVs and textures.
Can Polywink be used for iPhone-based face capture (ARKit)?
Yes. Polywink provides rigs specifically designed for ARKit-based motion capture from iPhone, enabling emotional animations for AR/VR apps, animojis, and real-time character animation.
