Santa Monica, Calif. -
Image Metrics, a provider of facial animation technology, announced the availability of its
PortableYou platform for developers and online and mobile entertainment, social network, and communications companies.
PortableYou enables users to generate customizable 3D avatars instantly from facial photos. Users can add and share avatars across enabled third-party applications, including social networks and other connected platforms.
"With the growing demand for more immersive customizable online experiences, creators of digital media are seeking ways to provide users with increased creative control over their own identity and content," says Robert Gehorsam, CEO of Image Metrics. "PortableYou creates a unique platform for developers to meet these growing demands head-on and in a cost-efficient manner, while creating a brand new catalog of virtual goods to offer users."
PortableYou provides a high level of fidelity with cross-platform, cross-application capabilities and is highly customizable by application developers. PortableYou boasts simple, platform-agnostic Web APIs, as well as render and translation services for using avatars across multiple applications and pre-created content, such as still images, videos, virtual worlds, and video games.
The PortableYou platform is well suited to application developers and companies in multiple markets, including promotional/advertising content, video games and virtual worlds, e-cards publishing and personalized photography. Customized avatars created through the PortableYou platform can be used as a source of premium virtual goods-based revenue.
Through its acquisition of Big Stage, Image Metrics has integrated its real-time, video-driven facial animation technology with Big Stage's avatar creation platform to create an enhanced PortableYou platform. The new platform ultimately provides consumers with a richer and more interactive experience within their digital networks.
"User generated content is an ever-evolving trend within the social online space," says Nick Ramsay, vice president of product management at Image Metrics. "Since Image Metrics acquired Big Stage, our team has continued to develop the PortableYou platform, integrating our award-winning facial animation technology. The enhanced PortableYou platform offers the emerging consumer animation market a novel 3D experience that will lead user content creation into the next generation."
The PortableYou platform is now available directly from Image Metrics and can be provided onsite or as a hosted solution.