Choose from the following FAQs:
FACES General FAQ
1. How can facial composite software
support police investigations?
Facial composites drawn by sketch artists have
been used for decades by police when the identity
of a suspect is unknown and can't be determined
through a lineup or through mug shot collections.
But because of the limited availability and cost
of professional artists, composites have often
been reserved for high profile or serious cases.
Computer facial composite technology is gaining
increased acceptance among law enforcement agencies
both to enhance the work of traditional sketch
artists and to allow composites to be created
more quickly and inexpensively, and used to solve
a wider range of crimes.
2. What are the advantages of FACES facial
composite technology?
Three key advantages of FACES technology are that
it is affordable, effective, and easy to use.
FACES pricing means that even small police agencies
can have personnel able to produce composite images.
The software can be used on any standard computer:
increasingly, police are using FACES on their
laptops to get suspect descriptions right at the
scene. The FACES database includes more than 4400
facial components that can be selected, sized,
adjusted and blended together to produce exceptionally
accurate photo-quality images of either sex and
any race. With its simple and intuitive interface,
FACES lets you create composites without any forensic
art skills or experience. The software includes
a detailed manual as well as exercises to help
you improve your composite image ability. You
also get a booklet of thumbnail images from the
FACES database to assist in witness interviews.
3. How can FACES technology help in coordinated
law enforcement efforts?
FACES has two features to share information across
police jurisdictions and help track and apprehend
suspects. First, FACES is the only technology
to generate a unique Biometric Alphanumeric Code
(BAC) for every composite image. BAC codes can
be sent by phone, fax or email to recreate the
composite in exact detail. The small size of the
BAC code - less than 1KB - makes it ideal for
wireless transmission between station and patrol
cars, or between agencies. Second, FACES software
has the ability to export composite images as
JPEG files to include in police bulletins and
websites. And its the only composite technology
that has full integration capability with TRAK,
the emergency alert solution used by more than
1400 police agencies to issue child alert bulletins
and other crime information.
4. Does FACES 4.0 have improved facial
and hair features?
Yes. The FACES 4.0 database has been expanded
from 3,800 to 4,400 facial features, including
more Asian, Latin and African-American components.
We've added facial markings such as scars, tattoos,
moles and piercings. Hats and headwear can be
added and removed from composites: in previous
versions, they were only attached only to certain
hairstyles. FACES 4.0 also lets you choose between
3 different tones for hair including moustaches
and beards: older versions had only a single medium
hair tone. And the hair flip feature lets you
change hair styles from side to side
5. Is FACES 4.0 easier to use?
Yes. Although our research shows that customers
believe FACES is the easiest software to use and
creates the most accurate facial composites, we've
made some key improvements to the FACES interface.
For example, with FACES 4.0 you can just click
on the composite image to select and change nose,
eyes, mouth, etc. The portrait area is bigger
and the features palate is better organized for
faster review and selection of components. Improved
positioning tools, including zoom, let you fine
tune features and improve the accuracy of your
composite.
6. Can I email and export FACES 4.0 images?
Yes. FACES 4.0 allows you to click and send composite
files attached to emails. You can also export
composite images in JPEG format to use in police
bulletins and websites. And it has full integration
capability with the TRAK emergency alert system.
7. What kind of technical support is
available?
FACES 4.0 includes a detailed 40-page user's guide.
The software includes free technical assistance
by phone for 90 days after registration. And there
are extensive online FAQs to troubleshoot common
operational issues.
8. Are there discounts for multiple purchases?
Yes. Call our FACES 4.0 sales hotline at 1-888-321-5553
and a representative will develop a pricing strategy
that delivers exactly what your agency needs.
9. What about future upgrades?
By purchasing FACES 4.0 you'll get discounts on
future upgrades.
FACES 4.0 LE
Will my 3.0 codes and files work with
FACES 4.0?
Yes. You can use 3.0 intercodes and files with
FACES 4.0. However, you can’t use FACES 4.0 codes
and files in earlier versions. With its larger
database and other features, FACES 4.0 files and
codes contain much more information about a composite
image. Note: Intercode is called Biometric Alphanumeric
Code or BAC in FACES 4.0
Does FACES 4.0 have skin color options?
FACES 4.0 composites are only available in black
and white. In part this is because most forensic
artists believe that black and white composites
are the easiest way to recognize someone because
they reduce and neutralize unnatural room lightings
and shadings. If you want to darken a composite,
the tutorial section of the FACES 4.0 manual explains
how to do modify images using graphic design tools
such as Adobe Photoshop.
Can I export FACES 4.0 composites into
other programs?
YES. FACES 4.0 allows you to export composites
to the commonly-used JPEG format. You can then
use the JPEG in police bulletins or websites,
or use graphic design tools to enhance its accuracy.
What are the minimum requirements for
FACES 4.0?
FACES 4.0 can be used on both PC and MAC systems,
and can be run from the original CD without installation.
Please read the full specifications to make sure
that FACES 4.0 will run properly on your system.
For PCs you’ll need an Intel Pentium 400 MHZ processor
or similar running Windows 98 or better with a
minimum of 1.2 GB free disk space, 64 MB RAM available
and a monitor running 16-bit colors at 800x600
resolution. For MACs you’ll need a Power PC processor
with MAC OS 8.6 with CarbonLib 1.3.1 or MAC OS
X installed with 1.2 GB free disk space, 64 MB
RAM available: a monitor running 16-bit colors
at 800x600 resolution is recommended.
Why do 3.0 composites with headwear look
different when they’re loaded into FACES 4.0?
During the original development of the FACES database,
a small number of people were photographed with
hats and other headwear. But that meant that when
building a composite, headwear was only attached
to limited number of hairstyles. With FACES 4.0,
we ensured that hairstyles and headwear were photographed
as separate components, to allow for greater flexibility.
As a result, when loading a 3.0 composite with
a hat etc. you’ll need to manually select matching
headwear from the FACES 4.0 database and add it
to the composite.
Why are some hair elements in FACES 4.0
not available in three tone format?
Because of the complexity of some hair elements,
the FACES artists concluded that some styles would
not look realistic in three tones. We are working
on ways to provide realistic, three tone options
for all hair styles.
Why has a skin tone category been included
in FACES 4.0?
This category allows you to include in the BAC
code an indication of the skin tone for reference.
The skin tone does not, however, show up on the
composite for the reasons above.
Is FACES 4.0 available as an upgrade?
FACES 4.0 is a fully new version of our software.
You do not need to have a previous version to
load or install.
How do I uninstall FACES 4.0?
Go to your favorite file explorer program and
remove the folder in which FACES has been installed
(this folder is usually called FACES). You will
also have to remove the shortcuts created in your
program folder by simply right clicking on the
folder IQ Biometrix and selecting the "Delete"
option. Note that the FACES install program does
not copy any files such as .dll to your system
folder.
What's CarbonLib for Macintosh?
CarbonLib is a Macintosh update that improves
the performance and reliability for Carbon-based
applications on Mac OS 8.6 and all Mac OS 9 releases,
including classic. If you have a Mac OS inferior
to version 10.x, you will need to download and
install CarbonLib in order to run FACES 4.0. CarbonLib
can be downloaded free of charge from Apple's
web site.
FACES 4.0 EDU
Will my 3.0 codes and files work with
FACES 4.0 EDU?
No. The FACES 4.0 EDU does not have the same element
database that FACES 3.0 has therefore you will
not be able to import your FACES 3.0 composites
into FACES 4.0 EDU. In order to successfully import
your old composites, you will have to purchase
FACES 4.0 for Law Enforcement.
Why can't I use the BAC (Biometric Alphanumeric
Code) feature?
Because the FACES 4.0 EDU database does not have
the same elements as the FACES 3.0 database, enabling
this feature in FACES 4.0 EDU would cause composites
to load with incorrect elements. Since the accuracy
of this feature is critical in Law Enforcement,
enabling this feature in FACES 4.0 EDU would jeopardize
the integrity of our software. The BAC code feature
is only available in the Law Enforcement edition
of FACES 4.0.
Does FACES 4.0 EDU have skin color options?
FACES 4.0 EDU composites are only available in
black and white. In part this is because most
forensic artists believe that black and white
composites are the easiest way to recognize someone
because they reduce and neutralize unnatural room
lightings and shadings. If you want to darken
a composite, the tutorial section of this web
site explains how to do modify images using graphic
design tools such as Adobe Photoshop.
Can I export FACES 4.0 EDU composites
into other programs?
YES. FACES 4.0 EDU allows you to export composites
to the commonly-used JPEG format. You can then
use the JPEG in police bulletins or websites,
or use graphic design tools to enhance its accuracy.
What are the minimum requirements for
FACES 4.0 EDU?
FACES 4.0 EDU can be used on both PC and MAC systems,
and can be run from the original CD without installation.
Please read the full specifications to make sure
that FACES 4.0 EDU will run properly on your system.
For PCs you’ll need an Intel Pentium 400 MHZ processor
or similar running Windows 98 or better with a
minimum of 600 MB free disk space, 64 MB RAM available
and a monitor running 16-bit colors at 800x600
resolution. For MACs you’ll need a Power PC processor
with MAC OS 8.6 with CarbonLib 1.3.1 or MAC OS
X installed with 600 MB free disk space, 64 MB
RAM available: a monitor running 16-bit colors
at 800x600 resolution is recommended.
Why has a skin tone category been included
in FACES 4.0 EDU?
This category allows you to include in the BAC
code an indication of the skin tone for reference.
The skin tone does not, however, show up on the
composite for the reasons above.
Is FACES 4.0 EDU available as an upgrade?
FACES 4.0 EDU is a fully new version of our software.
You do not need to have a previous version to
load or install.
How do I uninstall FACES 4.0 EDU?
Go to your favorite file explorer program and
remove the folder in which FACES has been installed
(this folder is usually called FACES). You will
also have to remove the shortcuts created in your
program folder by simply right clicking on the
folder IQ Biometrix and selecting the "Delete"
option. Note that the FACES install program does
not copy any files such as .dll to your system
folder.
What's CarbonLib for Macintosh?
CarbonLib is a Macintosh update that improves
the performance and reliability for Carbon-based
applications on Mac OS 8.6 and all Mac OS 9 releases,
including classic. If you have a Mac OS inferior
to version 10.x, you will need to download and
install CarbonLib in order to run FACES 4.0 EDU.
CarbonLib can be downloaded free of charge from
Apple's web site.
FACES 3.0 FAQ
Do I have to install FACES on my system
to be able to use it?
No. You can run FACES from your CD-ROM drive,
although it might be slightly slower. This option
is a real bonus for users who don’t have 700 MB
of free hard-disk space, or for laptop users who
don’t want to install FACES on their hard drive.
Why doesn't FACES give me the option
of making composite pictures in color?
There are several reasons for this. First, it
is virtually impossible to recreate the exact
tone of a person’s skin. Second, adding a color
option to FACES would make it more complicated
to assign an InterCode to the portrait, and consequently
to transmit perfect quality composites to other
FACES users. Third, facial identification experts
unanimously agree that it is much easier to recognize
a monochrome image of a face than a color one.
Why does FACES take up so much room on
my hard drive?
Because in addition to containing highly complex
programming, the current version of FACES has
a data bank of close to 4,000 features (noses,
mouths, eyes, etc.). In comparison, the free DEMO
version available on this site contains only 60
features.
Can I modify a FACES image using another
type of software?
Certainly. FACES files can be saved in PIC (Macintosh)
or BMP (PC) formats, which means you can open
them in any standard graphics software like Photoshop
(Adobe), PaintShop Pro (JASC), or CorelDraw (Corel),
and edit them as you please. But don’t forget
that once you’ve edited a composite picture in
a software other than FACES, the InterCode will
no longer work, because your picture will no longer
be a FACES document. FACES can only read files
with the .fac extension.
What kind of operating systems can I
run FACES on?
FACES comes in both PC and Mac versions. The PC
version must be run on Windows 95/98 or Windows
NT, Windows 2000 and Windows Millennium, while
the Mac version can be run on Mac OS 7.1. Faces
does run on Windows XP but it is not supported
by our technical support team. To verify whether
you computer will run FACES, please download our
demo and install it before purchasing FACES.
Can I use FACES on a PC 486 or non-PowerMac?
Although FACES will run on a PC 486 or Mac 68040,
it won’t work nearly as fast or well as on more
powerful machines, and really needs 32 MB of RAM
to function properly.
Can FACES print in PostScript?
FACES has been designed not only to print in PostScript
(Adobe), but also in all current PCL (Hewlett-Packard)
versions on the market.
What kind of racial features can I include
in my portrait?
With FACES, you can create portraits of any race
imaginable. Since you cannot change the skin tone
of your portrait, the race of the person you are
depicting will be determined by the features you
select (i.e. eyes, noses, lips, hair, etc.). Thus,
with a few clicks of the mouse, you can transform
an African American face into a Eurasian face,
into a Scandinavian face, and so on.
I saved a FACES file, but I can't find
it anywhere.
PC Users:
Each time you open FACES, the last folder you
saved in automatically appears on your screen.
If you would like to find a particular picture
and are already working in FACES, you can browse
through all of the FACES folders and files you
have created on your hard disk by clicking on
the Scan Folder icon located in the lower left
portion of your screen, under the Folder Area.
Alternatively, you can click on your Windows Start
button and select the Find command, followed by
Files or Folders. In the Named box which appears,
type *.fac. Windows will list all of the FACES
documents saved on your hard drive.
Mac Users:
If you are already working in FACES, you can browse
through all of the FACES folders and files you
have created on your hard disk by clicking on
the Scan Folder icon located in the lower left
portion of your screen, under the Folder Area.
Alternatively, you can select Finder and click
on File (or the Apple, depending on your system).
Select Find, followed by File Type Is and Enter
FACE in capital letters. To complete the search,
click on Find. The Finder will list all of the
FACES documents saved on your hard drive.
I can't get rid of the images in the
Folder Area in the left portion of my FACES screen.
The Folder Area automatically shows the most recently
saved files in the directory you select. If you
do not select a specific directory, the Folder
Area will show the last composite pictures saved
in "My Documents". If you do not want
any images to appear in your Folder Area, you
have to select a directory that does not contain
any FACES files (i.e. files with the .fac extension).
I keyed an InterCode into the Enter InterCode
box, but it didn't generate the right composite
picture.
You probably changed one or several characters
in the InterCode. Check very carefully. InterCodes
are case and character-sensitive, and must be
copied exactly to generate the correct composite
picture.
I've created my own Autorun Demo sequence
using the Edit Autorun Demo command. How can I
save it?
PC Users:
Once you have created your own Autorun Demo sequence,
you should save it onto a diskette right away.
Minimize your FACES window and open your c:/ drive
from My Computer on your desktop. Open the Windows
folder and look for a file called faces.prf. This
is your personalized Autorun file. Right-click
on this file. Select Send To and the drive on
which you wish to save your Autorun file (in this
case, your diskette). It is important to save
your personalized Autorun immediately, because
if you press on the Default button in your Edit
Autorun Demo window, FACES will automatically
restore the default Autorun sequence, deleting
the personalized sequence you created. To run
your own personalized Autorun sequence, make sure
your FACES application is closed. Copy the faces.prf
file you saved on diskette back onto the faces.prf
file in the Windows folder on your c:/ drive.
When you open FACES, your personalized sequence
will be displayed instead of the default.
Mac Users:
Once you have created your own Autorun Demo sequence,
you should save it onto a diskette right away.
Click on your Finder. Select the System folder
and look for the Preferences folder. Look for
a file called faces.prf. This is your personalized
Autorun file. Select this file and copy it onto
a different drive (in this case, your diskette).
It is important to save your personalized Autorun
file immediately, because if you press on the
Default button in your Edit Autorun Demo window,
FACES will automatically restore the default Autorun
sequence, deleting the personalized sequence you
created. To run your own personalized Autorun
sequence, make sure your FACES application is
closed. Copy the faces.prf file you saved on diskette
back onto the faces.prf file in your Preferences
folder. When you open FACES, your personalized
sequence will be displayed instead of the default.
I am getting the following error message:
An error has occurred. You should save your file,
quit and reload the software.
This error is due to improper access rights to
your windows folder. When FACES is executed, a
preferences file called faces.prf is created inside
your windows folder. FACES will not run properly
if your computer restricts access to this file.
In order to fix this problem, you must login as
an administrator (usually the owner has an administrator
account) and allow full access to the windows
folder.
How do I uninstall FACES 3.0?
Go to your favorite file explorer program and
remove the folder in which FACES has been installed
(this folder is usually called FACES). You will
also have to remove the shortcuts created in your
program folder by simply right clicking on the
folder Interquest and selecting the "Delete"
option. Note that the FACES install program does
not copy any files such as .dll to your system
folder.
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