Awesome tool!! The only thing is that it's hard to find this tutorial. I found the "Export to Unreal Control Rig" video then found you then found this video on your homepage. The video title is confusing as well. "Mannequin & Face Rig" seems to be about how to rig the face in UE.
Also, could you make the content in the help box clearer, if possible? Like to create a Modular Rig instead of a Control Rig. I had failed with Control Rig on both 5.3 and 5.4 until I found this video and figured out how to do it correctly.
Mostly for pre visualization, often with making small adjustments to existing anims (like mixamo stuff) to help tell a story. It is very handy when you need to see your character in the environment and you just need to change where they are looking. Even though later in the pipeline final animations would be done in maya. I have also used it for non human objects like vehicles, which interact much more with the environment that was probably only built in unreal. I agree though, animating in ue is kinda annoying
This doesn't seem to work if you use your own character, really messes up the face. Tuna's great but no one's using him in a real situation so unfortunately it's pointless? Advanced Skeleton is amazing but this doesn't work, at least for me.
If you are having issues with a specific character. Feel free to email the file to: support@animationstudios.com.au and we can take a look what might be causing the issue.
Its cool that this works with your pre-made character. But have the start templates been updated? So far, with every rig Ive created for my own characters, the start template always generates script errors in maya at import. And eventually after Ive completed the rig, while it works in Maya, when I export it to unreal, the skinning acts different with weird unexpected deformations, and the control rig script always fails to build. It seems like there's some problems with the starting templates.
That is interesting! I have had success with custom characters and rigs based on the template files. Something to keep in mind is that proportional differences between your characters and the mannequin will result in the default unreal animations morphing and stretching your character, forcing bones to match positions with the mannequin proportions. There is a setting in the skeletal mesh editor where you can change the source skeletal mesh (or something, the details are escaping me right now). Basically selecting your mesh instead of None or Manny will do a base retarget to correct the proportions. As for the control rig stuff, unfortunately I've only done it with demo characters.
@@Levi_Zacharias thanks for the tips! Have you ever gotten script editor errors when selecting the UE5 template? I mean at the ery beginning of the process. Id be curious... i get em everytime. And since Im prepping characters for UE, it seems like the most appropriate template to start from.
@JasonAdank Hmmm. I just booted up a scene and didnt get any errors, and i dont recall any. If you are getting errors from importing the template fit skeleton it might have to do with the template file itself? You could check those (Just hit the export button next to the import to find where the files are stored). I have always started from the biped default when going to unreal, and usually the workflow is to make a new maya scene after, importing my character with the ue bones, and constraining it to a new fitskeleton for animation. The only thing to keep in mind is that the NameMatcher tool doesnt have a complete file for ue5-advanced skeleton transfer, last i checked it was still missing the twist joints and such. I wrote a complete one a while ago, at the bottom of this comment (just copy into a .txt file and place it with the other name matcher files, can find by hitting the export button in the namematcher). But back to your error issue, if the other templates dont work i would try a different version of AS, or building a biped from scratch. sideRight=r sideLeft=l sideMiddle= sideBeforeName=0 sideUnderScore=1 Root=pelvis Spine1=spine_03 Chest=spine_05 Scapula=clavicle Shoulder=upperarm Elbow=lowerarm Wrist=hand Cup=pinky_metacarpal IndexFinger1=index_01 IndexFinger2=index_02 IndexFinger3=index_03 MiddleFinger1=middle_01 MiddleFinger2=middle_02 MiddleFinger3=middle_03 RingFinger1=ring_01 RingFinger2=ring_02 RingFinger3=ring_03 PinkyFinger1=pinky_01 PinkyFinger2=pinky_02 PinkyFinger3=pinky_03 ThumbFinger1=thumb_01 ThumbFinger2=thumb_02 ThumbFinger3=thumb_03 Neck=neck_01 Head=head Hip=thigh Knee=calf Ankle=foot Toes=ball ElbowPart1=lowerarm_twist_02 ElbowPart2=lowerarm_twist_01 ShoulderPart1=upperarm_twist_01 ShoulderPart2=upperarm_twist_02 RootPart2=spine_02 RootPart1=spine_01 HipPart1=thigh_twist_01 HipPart2=thigh_twist_02 Spine1Part1=spine_04 NeckPart1=neck_02
@@superpigstudio I can get the skeleton in there, and mocap clips appear to work on it for the most part. Unfortunately, I get wierd deformations around the chin if the head gets animated, and I still have never gotten the control rig script to work. When I run the python script, its creates the controls, but they all fall to the floor and theres a bunch of binding errors (missing stuff aparently). Its like the control rig script doesnt work if you start from one of his UE templates for the bone system. So at the moment, I can only use mocap on the imported models.
Amazing Tut as always. Thanks
Does this face rig work with Metahuman Animator?
Awesome tool!! The only thing is that it's hard to find this tutorial. I found the "Export to Unreal Control Rig" video then found you then found this video on your homepage. The video title is confusing as well. "Mannequin & Face Rig" seems to be about how to rig the face in UE.
Also, could you make the content in the help box clearer, if possible? Like to create a Modular Rig instead of a Control Rig. I had failed with Control Rig on both 5.3 and 5.4 until I found this video and figured out how to do it correctly.
But anyway, thank you very much for making such a useful tool and tutorial!!
can you do more creature/unreal tuts please?
Why do people want to animate in Unreal Engine? It just seems like stepping down from maya to worse animation tools to achieve the same thing.
Mostly for pre visualization, often with making small adjustments to existing anims (like mixamo stuff) to help tell a story. It is very handy when you need to see your character in the environment and you just need to change where they are looking. Even though later in the pipeline final animations would be done in maya. I have also used it for non human objects like vehicles, which interact much more with the environment that was probably only built in unreal. I agree though, animating in ue is kinda annoying
Simple, Unreal its free, maya cost a lot
Will the script set up a post process anim bp for the character if I have made some corrective controls in advanced skeleton ?
great!!!!
This doesn't seem to work if you use your own character, really messes up the face. Tuna's great but no one's using him in a real situation so unfortunately it's pointless? Advanced Skeleton is amazing but this doesn't work, at least for me.
If you are having issues with a specific character.
Feel free to email the file to: support@animationstudios.com.au
and we can take a look what might be causing the issue.
Its cool that this works with your pre-made character. But have the start templates been updated? So far, with every rig Ive created for my own characters, the start template always generates script errors in maya at import. And eventually after Ive completed the rig, while it works in Maya, when I export it to unreal, the skinning acts different with weird unexpected deformations, and the control rig script always fails to build. It seems like there's some problems with the starting templates.
That is interesting! I have had success with custom characters and rigs based on the template files. Something to keep in mind is that proportional differences between your characters and the mannequin will result in the default unreal animations morphing and stretching your character, forcing bones to match positions with the mannequin proportions. There is a setting in the skeletal mesh editor where you can change the source skeletal mesh (or something, the details are escaping me right now). Basically selecting your mesh instead of None or Manny will do a base retarget to correct the proportions.
As for the control rig stuff, unfortunately I've only done it with demo characters.
@@Levi_Zacharias thanks for the tips! Have you ever gotten script editor errors when selecting the UE5 template? I mean at the ery beginning of the process. Id be curious... i get em everytime. And since Im prepping characters for UE, it seems like the most appropriate template to start from.
@JasonAdank Hmmm. I just booted up a scene and didnt get any errors, and i dont recall any. If you are getting errors from importing the template fit skeleton it might have to do with the template file itself? You could check those (Just hit the export button next to the import to find where the files are stored). I have always started from the biped default when going to unreal, and usually the workflow is to make a new maya scene after, importing my character with the ue bones, and constraining it to a new fitskeleton for animation. The only thing to keep in mind is that the NameMatcher tool doesnt have a complete file for ue5-advanced skeleton transfer, last i checked it was still missing the twist joints and such. I wrote a complete one a while ago, at the bottom of this comment (just copy into a .txt file and place it with the other name matcher files, can find by hitting the export button in the namematcher).
But back to your error issue, if the other templates dont work i would try a different version of AS, or building a biped from scratch.
sideRight=r
sideLeft=l
sideMiddle=
sideBeforeName=0
sideUnderScore=1
Root=pelvis
Spine1=spine_03
Chest=spine_05
Scapula=clavicle
Shoulder=upperarm
Elbow=lowerarm
Wrist=hand
Cup=pinky_metacarpal
IndexFinger1=index_01
IndexFinger2=index_02
IndexFinger3=index_03
MiddleFinger1=middle_01
MiddleFinger2=middle_02
MiddleFinger3=middle_03
RingFinger1=ring_01
RingFinger2=ring_02
RingFinger3=ring_03
PinkyFinger1=pinky_01
PinkyFinger2=pinky_02
PinkyFinger3=pinky_03
ThumbFinger1=thumb_01
ThumbFinger2=thumb_02
ThumbFinger3=thumb_03
Neck=neck_01
Head=head
Hip=thigh
Knee=calf
Ankle=foot
Toes=ball
ElbowPart1=lowerarm_twist_02
ElbowPart2=lowerarm_twist_01
ShoulderPart1=upperarm_twist_01
ShoulderPart2=upperarm_twist_02
RootPart2=spine_02
RootPart1=spine_01
HipPart1=thigh_twist_01
HipPart2=thigh_twist_02
Spine1Part1=spine_04
NeckPart1=neck_02
@@JasonAdank I had the same problem. Unable to export the rig to UE. Have u found any solution yet?
@@superpigstudio I can get the skeleton in there, and mocap clips appear to work on it for the most part. Unfortunately, I get wierd deformations around the chin if the head gets animated, and I still have never gotten the control rig script to work. When I run the python script, its creates the controls, but they all fall to the floor and theres a bunch of binding errors (missing stuff aparently). Its like the control rig script doesnt work if you start from one of his UE templates for the bone system.
So at the moment, I can only use mocap on the imported models.
First!