What is Fix8 ?
Fix8 is a new creative communication tool that mixes avatars with you! Using facial-tracking technology, Fix8 offers an impressive twist to video, photo and instant messenger experiences. A variety of creative customizations from avatars and accessories to animated sounds and expressions are available for use in the multimedia online space.
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How much does Fix8 cost?
Fix8 Classic is absolutely FREE! However, you can add creative content to your free version any time, or upgrade to the fully-loaded Fix8 Deluxe for a one-time fee of $14.95. To see our catalog, click here.
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Why should I upgrade to Fix8 Deluxe?
Your free Fix8 Classic version is just the beginning. Upgrading to Fix8 Deluxe gives you access to high-resolution video recording, and a total of 35 avatars, 50 accessories, and 20 flash animated accessories!
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What is the best environment to use Fix8 in?
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To get the best performance from Fix8, please follow these 3 simple guidelines.
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1. First, make sure you are in a well lit area with the light source facing you. Avoid shadows on your face.
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2. Then, center your face in the webcam area, making sure your entire face is visible.
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3. Finally, with a neutral face, click the calibrate button. (Do not smile, open your mouth, or close your eyes).
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That's it!
Below are more details on how to improve your Fix8 experience:
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1. Lighting:
Lighting is very important in order for Fix8 to work properly. Make sure your environment is well lit and that there are no shadows on your face. Fix8 works best when the light source is facing you and distributed evenly. Below are some examples of bad lighting you should avoid. (Move your mouse over the pictures to see why they are wrong.) |
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2. Facial Position:
Your face should be positioned in the center of the screen. Fix8’s performance can be negatively affected if your face is too far, too close, or tilted in any direction. Below are some examples of positions you should avoid. (Move your mouse over the pictures to see why they are wrong.) |
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3. Calibration:
When calibrating, please make sure your mouth is closed (do not smile during this process) and that your eyes are open. Sometimes objects or accessories around your face can affect Fix8’s performance. Try to avoid any hair covering your face. If you are wearing glasses and Fix8 is not tracking properly, try removing them. Below are some examples of things to avoid when calibrating. (Move your mouse over the pictures to see why they are wrong.) |
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4. Webcam Streaming:
Please make sure your webcam is focused and the resolution is higher than 320X240. (Move your mouse over the pictures to see why they are wrong.) |
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5. Fast Movement:
Please avoid moving your face too quickly. Slower, smooth movements are ideal for Fix8’s best performance. (Move your mouse over the picture to see why they are wrong.) |
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Is Fix8 secure?
Fix8 is certified by Windows, downloads.com, cnet.com, and topshareware.com as being 100% malware and spyware free and is certified as a trusted download. We take extra precautions to make sure Fix8 is only available to people 13 years of age or older and we proudly comply with all C.O.P.A guidelines. Fix8 does not automatically upload videos or begin live chats. When you record a video, it is simply saved to your computer. For IM, Fix8 only goes live when you give it permission to use the web camera. And of course, we will never sell your personal information!
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What happened to Fix8 Standard and Fix8 Premium?
Fix8 has retired Fix8 Standard & Premium and has launched a new package with a new set of Avatars and Accessories.
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What do I need to run Fix8 (System Requirements)?
Fix8 is available for Windows XP (32-bit) and Vista (32-bit), now we do not support 64-bit Windows XP or Vista yet. You need all the following for a successful installation:
- -- Webcam
- -- Windows XP and Vista
- -- 512 MB+ RAM
- -- 100 MB+ Hard Disk space
- -- Internet Access (for downloading new contents)
- -- DirectX 9+ and supported video card (ATI/Radeon Card support coming soon)
- -- 32-bit Processor
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Can I run Fix8 on my Mac?
We realize that there are several Mac users who would like to run Fix8. At the moment, we do not have a version that is compatible. We will be releasing this option in the future though! However, if you have an Intel Core 2 Duo chip and install Bootcamp or Parallels on your Mac, you will be able to run Fix8 on the Windows partition.
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How do I register?
You may download Fix8 from http://www.fix8.com. Before you can download Fix8 from our website, you will be directed to a registration form. Remember, Fix8 is only for users 13 years of age and older. After successfully registering, you will be sent an email containing your membership activation/download link. Clicking this link confirms your membership and takes you the download page.
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Why do you need my e-mail address?
When you register, it is important to give us your real e-mail address because that is how you activate your account. You cannot login to the Fix8 software or other member areas without first clicking the link in your activation e-mail. We will never share your information. We hate spammers too! If you chose to subscribe to our newsletters, you may always unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the end of any email.
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I never got my activation e-mail. What do I do?
It may be possible that your activation e-mail was caught by a spam filter. Check your e-mail providers’ spam or bulk folders and be sure to add us to your safe sender list. If you still do not see your email, you may request that we re-send it by clicking here.
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How do I login to Fix8?
Each time you launch Fix8, you will be asked for your member name and password. This is the same member name and password you used when you registered your Fix8 account. You can check "Remember me" to allow Fix8 to remember your member name and password configuration. Just type in the information and click the Login button to begin Fix8ing. When you first login, you may be prompted to update your gallery which will downloading your purchased and/or free content. Click Yes or No to continue.
(NOTE: If application does not prompt you for a user ID and password, then it cannot find an internet connection. You may either be offline or the port needed for communication may be blocked by your firewall. Set the firewall to allow TCP traffic on port 8000 for this application.)
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I get a message that says “We do not recognize this user name. Please try again.”
First, make sure that you activated your account. Fix8 sends an activation e-mail to the address you provided during registration. You should receive this e-mail within minutes after completing the registration process. Simply click the link in the e-mail to activate your account and try logging in again. Make sure you are typing both your username and password correctly – the login is case-sensitive. If you are still experiencing problems, please send us a message from our customer service page.
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I forgot my password.
No problem! When you launch Fix8, underneath the login fields is a link that says “Forgot your Password?” Click it and you’ll be taken to our site. Fill in your username or e-mail address and your password will be emailed to you shortly.
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What is an avatar?
Fix8 avatars are 3D and 2D characters that, through the use of rendering technology, are animated by you! Users may also "wear" their avatars like masks. Once the avatar is calibrated, the user controls the movements and expressions of these characters with their own!
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What are the Fix8 Accessories?
Fix8 Accessories offer a different take on the "dress up" experience. Accessories are a mix of 3D, 2D, and flash animated images ranging from hats and hair to bowties and glasses and so much more. Mix and match these accessories to suit how you are feeling at the moment; or to suit the theme of your video / message. They move with you, just like you were wearing them!
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Viewing your camera - I can’t see myself. What’s wrong?
Sometimes, your webcam is being used by another program. A webcam can only be used by one program at a time. Chances are, your webcam is either running its own software or is already in use by an Instant Message program, etc. You will need to quit this program/webcam usage before running Fix8. When you restart Fix8, it should find the camera by itself, but if not, after logging in you can go to Tools > Options and choose the camera from the pull down menu and click save.
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Can I move, rotate and resize my avatars and accessories?
Absolutely! To rotate, hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse. To move, do the same with the right button. To resize, hold down the center button (or Ctrl and the right button) and move the mouse up and down.
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The Fix8 Buttons and Controls:
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My Stuff: Click here to open up the Fix8 creative gallery. It is the home of all your avatars and accessories.
The Catalog button will open up our e-catalog in your browser where you can find new avatars and accessories to purchase and download.
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Photo: This button allows you to capture a single frame picture in jpg format. After clicking it, you will be prompted to name the picture and select the location where you would like to save it.
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Calibr8: Calibration is simply the process of synching your webcam and the Fix8 software to ensure proper expression analysis and rendering to accurately drive the movement of your creations. Do this when you first open Fix8. You may repeat calibration at any point. NOTE: Be sure to calibrate with your face in a neutral position looking directly at the webcam.
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Avatar (modes): This button allows you to select which mode you are Fix8ing in. The default is Full Avatar mode. This covers your whole video screen with the animated avatar and background. When you click on this button, you may also select Avatar Head, Accessory and Video modes. See below:
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Avatar Head mode – Places the avatars head on your shoulders.
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Accessory Mode – Where you can play with the accessories and flash animations. |
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Video Mode – Turns off avatars and accessories so you can see yourself normally. |
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Moods: The Moods button is only available in Full Avatar mode. Click on this button and select one of the emotions and watch your avatar respond! You can choose from angry, happy, surprised, sad, or love.
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Preview: The Preview button turns the preview of you on and off.
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Video on/off: Video on/off button allows you to turn your live video feed off and on. The camera is in the off position when you see the red slash. To begin broadcasting online or over instant messenger, click this button once to turn it on. Clicking it again turns it off. For more information, see the section Fix8 and Instant Messaging.
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Navigating the Gallery:
When you open the gallery, you'll see several tabs and Catalog button that takes you to our e-catalog.
Catalog button: This button takes you to our e-catalog where you can find creative content to purchase and download.
Avatars tab: To select and change your avatar, simply double-click on it OR click on it and click on the Apply button at the bottom of the window.
Accessories tab: To select your accessories, simply double-click on it OR click on it and click on the Apply button at the bottom of the window. To remove an accessory, simply double-click on the appropriate accessory icon again OR click on the accessory icon once and click on the Clear button. If, at any point, you want to start again with a clean palette, simply click on the Clear All button. NOTE: Some accessories are mutually exclusive. For example, you can only load one hairstyle at a time – selecting another hairstyle will automatically load the new selection and replace the previous selection.
Animation tab: These are flash animated effects to add some fun to your videos or chats. Simply double click on it to load, or click once and click the Apply button at the bottom of the window. Most effects will remove themselves when complete, or you can click the Clear button at the bottom of the window.
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How do I purchase new content?
Our online catalog offers tons of extra content as well as Fix8 Deluxe and webcams. When purchasing extra avatars and accessories, they will automatically be added to your account when you complete the purchase process using the same email address as when you registered for Fix8. Once you receive the purchase confirmation e-mail, login to Fix8 and when prompted, click Yes to download your new content. You can also do this by clicking Update.
When purchasing Fix8 Deluxe, you will receive a link to download the software on the purchase confirmation page. You will also be sent an email containing a purchase code. After downloading and installing Fix8 Deluxe, type in your purchase code and then login with your original member information.
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How do I record Videos?
Recording videos is easy. Use the controls to start and stop recording and watch the timer to see how long you’ve gone. There is no time limit.
Record: Click the red circle to start the video recording. You are first prompted to name the file and select the save location.
Stop: The circle turns into a blue square. Press it to stop recording.
Play: The white triangle turns green when there is a video to play. It will play the last recorded video within that Fix8 session.
NOTE: We recommend you use only one microphone during recording. If there is more than one device with a microphone, the feedback noise from multiple microphones may impact the sound quality of your video. Turn off all but one microphone before recording.
(For Deluxe Users: The Deluxe version allows you to choose what recording resolution you want to use. From the Fix8 Menu, select Tools > Options. Select a video quality from the drop-down menu.)
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How do I use Fix8 with AIM?
Note: For use with AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), your buddy must have a webcam and have it activated during chat in order to view your webcam image.
1. Start Fix8
2. From the main Fix8 window, click the Live Cam icon to turn it on - or press F7 while in the Fix8 window.
On Position Off Position
 
3. Launch AIM
4. From the AIM Menu Bar, select Edit > Settings > Enhanced IM > Audio&Video > Use this camera when starting a Video session.
5. Select Fix8 Live Cam from the pull down menu.
6. While in the chat window with your friend, select Video button from the navigation pane to begin the video chat session.
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How do I use Fix8 with Yahoo! Messenger?
1. Start Fix8
2. From the main Fix8 window, click the Live Cam icon to turn it on - or press F7 while in the Fix8 window.
On Position Off Position
3. Launch Yahoo! Messenger.
4. From the Yahoo! Menu Bar, select Messenger > My Webcam.
5. If you do not see the Fix8 cam in the preview window, from the My Webcam window, select File > Preferences and click the Camera Source button.
6. Select Fix8 Live Cam from the drop-down menu.
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How do I use Fix8 with MSN/Windows Live! Messenger?
1. Start Fix8
2. From the main Fix8 window, click the Live Cam icon to turn it on - or press F7 while in the Fix8 window.
On Position Off Position
3. Launch MSN/Windows Live! Messenger.
4. From the MSN/Windows Menu Bar, select Tools > Webcam Settings. MSN/Windows Live Messenger should automatically detect your Fix8 camera driver.
5. If you do not see the Fix8 camera, or you would like to revert back to your original camera driver, go to Tools > Audio and Video Setup. After reviewing the audio settings, you will come to a page where you can select your camera from the drop-down menu.
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How do I use Fix8 with Skype?
1. Start Fix8
2. From the main Fix8 window, click the Live Cam icon to turn it on - or press F7 while in the Fix8 window.
On Position Off Position
3. Launch Skype.
4. From the Skype Menu Bar, select Tools > Options > Video Settings > Select Webcam
5. Select Fix8 Live Cam from the drop-down menu.
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What if I want to use my regular webcam again?
No problem! To use your webcam without running Fix8, simply deselect Fix8 Live Cam from your IM programs’ settings/preferences and select your normal webcam.
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