Changing referenced skeleton for skeletal mesh and animations?

Development Character & Animation
1

Hi,

Wondering if anyone could help, I have imported 2 sets of character assets (one with a textured model, and another with a good set of animations), and I’m trying to change them to use the same skeleton asset:

  1. Using the standard UE4 Third Person template character and character model (uses Hero_TPP, HeroTPP_Skeleton, and associated animations).
  2. The marketplace basic animation set (uses same skeleton and mesh names (but different instances of the file in a different folder), and associated animations).
  3. The marketplace Military Character Dark (uses HeroTPP_Skeleton, MW_Style2_Male mesh model with textures, but no animations).

Basically, I am trying to retarget (not same as UE4 retargeting I don’t think) the standard character so it uses the textured military character, and also pulls in the basic animation set animations.

I can change the target skeletal mesh and animation blueprint in the character blueprint, this changes the mesh successfully, but it has no animation. I think this is because each of the sets uses a different skeleton (although each uses the file name HeroTPP_Skeleton, the project has 3 instances of this file in the separate download/import folders for each set).

I have tried changing the skeleton file that the textured skeletal mesh and the animations point to in “Persona > Mesh Details > Mesh > Skeleton > [Asset Pointer]”, but this field is uneditable. I have also tried checking in “Content Browser > Reference Viewer…” to see if I can change the reference there, but think this is only for viewing and not editing.

Does anyone know how I can change the animations and skeletal mesh to point to the same skeleton asset (as when importing from fbx).

Any help would be great,
Many thanks,
Bruce

2

What you are trying to do is kind of a “cheat” but I’m not above cheating -ha ha. Try this: If you have a project with all three elements, make a copy of the project folder because this may break something. However, I discovered this works: (In your copy project) delete the HeroTPP_Skeleton. It will prompt you to replace the asset at which point you will choose to replace it with the duplicate HeroTPP_Skeleton. Save any referenced files when prompted. Do the same thing for the HeroTPP Skeletal Mesh. As far as the Military Character, you will have to retarget it according the instructions here:

The non-cheating way would be to disregard the default third person altogether then set up custom a Character blueprint and AnimBlueprint for the Anim Starter pack blue man to include all desired animations and be the default controlled pawn set in the level blueprint. (Takes longer, but better in the long run and you will need to learn this eventually.) Then retarget the Military Character to that skeleton. (No getting around that step.)

3

Thanks for the retargeting link above, showed everything I needed. Also found the skeletal mesh “Assign Skeleton” button in the CB, did everything I needed.

Cheers.

4

, thanks a lot

5

, the link you shared is dead now. What was the title or a new link?

7

Thanks! That helped a lot