Hey gubar

No probs mate.

The method with the dis maps is thorough indeed but I meant it only as another suggestion. I am due to use it myself very soon in a production. Its been one of those methods that has been used in the industry for a while, and if I recall theres something very similar in a chapter on an ALIAS dvd on hypereal facial setup.

The method isnt a necessary one but one that came to mind. Im not an expert on animation so I cant comment on how to place them in a blend shape sequence but Im sure its a case of keying them in at the start of a specific shape and the 'in betweens' will be figured out by maya. Dont forget you can pretty much animate everything in maya so Im sure it wont cause any probs. I think I did something similar with a uv texture as an over lay on my show reel last year.

as you say, just try it all out and see what works best for you

Cheers for now
Jay