I chose to use my own animations from scratch, using mixamo as a reference but little did I know the issues that I would have with that simple choice. When I try to import I get tons of unusable things and cannot find the animation I need to get atarted, which is the breathing animation. I thought I would start out simple then get more complex as I learned but I’m utterly stumped.
The import results http://prntscr.com/frqq5m
Export from Blender
http://prntscr.com/frqqbp
import into UE4
http://prntscr.com/frqqrn
I think I might have messed up a setting somewhere or missed something, I’ve tried a lot of tutorials. Can anyone please help?
For skeletal mesh export:
Also I forgot to take a screenshot but the FPS should be set to 30.
Import is nothing special, enabling morph target import and changing from compute normals to import normals.
For exporting animations I use a script:
import bpy
path = bpy.path.abspath('//')
objname = bpy.context.active_object.name
action = bpy.context.active_object.animation_data.action
bpy.ops.screen.frame_jump()
bpy.data.scenes[0].frame_end = action.frame_range[1]
bpy.ops.export_scene.fbx(filepath=str(path + "/animations/" + "AS_" + action.name + '.fbx'), use_selection = True, object_types={'ARMATURE'}, bake_anim = True, bake_anim_use_nla_strips=False, bake_anim_use_all_actions=False , add_leaf_bones=False, bake_anim_use_all_bones=True, use_armature_deform_only = True)
Basically select the action and run the script while having the rig selected, it will export a .fbx file for a single animation in the .blend folder. On import I enable resampling to 30fps.
oh thank you! thank you! I really didn’t want to waste time learning how to Maya when I know Blender like the back of my hand. So my next question is how do I run a script? That’s one of the few things I don’t know about Blender.
You can create a new view by dragging out the top right corner arrow in the viewport to the left, then click the thing in the bottom left in the new view and choose Text Editor. After that you can click New to make a new text file, you can paste the code there. Then you can go to Text and save the file as a .py file, it will also be saved in the .blend file. To run the script just click Run Script, make sure only the rig is selected.
right, thanks, I chose the timeline instead of 3d so I can make it tiny when I don’t need it.
You are a lifesaver! I was ready to learn Maya to convert Alex over the UE4 and animating. I love Blender too much to go without any old reason. That 3d cursor is amazing and the price you just cannot beat.
Tried to export with the script but theres an unexpected indent or something
It’s python so everything needs to be all the way to the left on the same indentation level, delete any tabs or spaces that got in there, but it should work if you just copy paste it.
It did, I repasted it in and it worked like a charm, thank you, now I can get right to making my game. That was the current hold up. I wish I could name the animation but I can always rename it after it’s saved out. You are a life saver.
By default the filepath=str(path + “/animations/” + “AS_” + action.name + ‘.fbx’) part means that the action name is what determines the filename, so if the action name was “running” it would end up as /animations/AS_running.fbx, but you can change it to whatever you want.
I actually don’t know how to do different animations in Blender, I’ve just started playing with animations since I got this far in my game. Your little script is a godsend. Quick, easy and clean, you should pack it as mini exporter to blender users everywhere.
On a side note through I’m having minor trouble with ue4 I’m trying to get the animation to play again but after bringing her dress it does not seem to be doing well. I’ll start again and see what I’m doing wrong from scratch. the engine is insisting on rebuilding everything. I’ll get the animations down pat then bring in all the bells and whistles. I have some menus and other ods and ends in my game that might get in the way.
After playing with it for the whole day I am at my wits end.it cant iimport the animation and this is why. I’ve combed through it but I can’t find a shoes.003 in there. I ONLY have the rig selected like you said to.
Go into your animation file and Insert in the Missing Root Bone in your 3d modeling program then reimport.
Or try to Import the animation through Windows Explorer.
Same as before with an explorer import, and there is no shoes_003 bone I have no idea where it came from. Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll try completely rebuilding the skeleton, and the manuel bastoni lab character from scratch. Maybe that will help cause theres still references to the ponytail and I know I removed it
Sounds like the kind of trouble when I tried to import Sci Fi Girl into Unreal Engine, only to find her dress didn’t want to import in along with her mesh. But she was a blender animation walk cycle file.
You need a bone called “root” in the rig. You can share the .blend if you want to.
The root is there, I never renamed it. I’ll share the blend once I rebuild it. I think I might have done something wrong somewhere