Glossary of Terms

Those new to Audio2Face may want to first familiarize with the terminology below.

Common terminology

Audio2Face (A2F)

The Audio2Face Microservice provides access to the underlying Audio2Face SDKs without the need to develop your own pipeline. It accepts audio and emotional input, producing animation data as output.

Audio2Face Controller (A2F Controller)

The A2F Controller is a microservice that enables bi-directional streaming API functionality atop the A2F microservice.

Audio2Face Cluster

An A2F Cluster comprises an A2F microservice and its corresponding A2F Controller. Together, they form a simple A2F Cluster.

Microservice

A microservice is a software architectural style where an application is composed of loosely coupled, independently deployable components or services. Each service is focused on a specific business function and can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently. Microservices communicate with each other through well-defined APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), often using lightweight protocols such as HTTP or messaging queues. This approach promotes modularity, scalability, and flexibility in software development, making it easier to update, maintain, and scale complex systems.

NVIDIA technology

NVIDIA NGC NVIDIA NGC is the hub for GPU-optimized software for deep learning, machine learning, and HPC that provides containers, models, model scripts, and industry solutions so data scientists, developers and researchers can focus on building solutions and gathering insights faster. Essentially NGC is a place to access data and documentation relating to a particular Nvidia product through Docker Containers. More information about NGC can be found on the Nvidia GPU cloud site - NVIDIA NGC | NVIDIA.

Docker Container and NVIDIA Container Toolkit Docker Containers are an essential part of the Linux installation process for Audio2Face microservice. These containers can be deployed as a microservice using UCS tools and Kubernetes and can be hosted on any cloud or local server. You will use Docker Containers to drop-in or setup the necessary environment for the Audio2Face microservice Linux machine.

Omniverse Due to its extensible platform, Nvidia’s Omniverse is used across many industries as a 3D content development and collaboration tool. Built on Pixar’s Universal Scene Description (USD), NVIDIA Omniverse enables individuals and teams to enhance their existing 3D workflows with more seamless connections by connecting common 3D applications like Unreal, through Connectors. The Nvidia Omniverse LiveLink enables Audio2Face Microservice and Unreal Engine to coordinate and return facial blendshapes based on audio feed into the system

3rd Party Techonology

Unreal Engine Unreal Engine is used in many industries, such as games and movies, as it is the most powerful way to showcase avatars, environments, and more. Unreal Engine is free to download, although you should become familiar with its usage and licensing to assess the needs of your project ( https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/license ).

MetaHuman MetaHuman makes use of complex Avatars available and simplifies the process of character development. MetaHuman is powered by Unreal Engine. It’s a complete framework that provides creators and developers access to complex avatars. Read more about MetaHuman Here.