Application of the Golden Ratio to 3D Facial Models

In this paper we describe the application of the Golden Ratio to three-dimensional facial scans. The Golden Ratio is believed to be a blueprint for facial features that conform to beauty. Faces are scanned using the Minolta VI-700 range data scanner. The acquired 3D meshes are viewed and manipulated using 3DS Max and MAXScript. A Golden Mask, constructed based on the Golden Ratio is used to indicate the ideal positions and orientation of the features of the face. The mesh is morphed according to the ideal positions to suggest a new arrangement for facial features aligning them to the Golden Mask, resulting in more a beautiful face. This has many implications for a wide range of applications including plastic and reconstructive surgery, and can be used to quantify the beauty of a face. These techniques can be applied to modify characters to comply with the rules of the Golden Mask, thus making them more beautiful. Conversely, characters facial features can be modified to deviate from the Golden Mask resulting in less attractive characters.