Character's legs don't move when playing animation

Hello, I’m quite new to Unreal Engine and making a third person game. I imported some animations from mixamo for a light and heavy attack but when I play them in-game, both while using the play anim montage node and state machine, only the arms of the character move with the knees slightly moving side to side. Apart from the knees the rest of the legs don’t move at all. I’ve looked through quite a few tutorials but I haven’t been able to find anything that has helped and I’m just really confused as to what is actually wrong. Does anyone know what the problem might be? Thanks for reading.

Hello, IDK,

I don’t understand how newcomers, who don’t yet know the platform, start creating projects. I genuinely don’t get it, unless, maybe they used Unity or some other 3d Software beforehand… and even then. It’s just that Unreal is so big.

That said, you’ve got to post a video, because unless you know exactly what you’re talking about, you could be conveying incorrect information that will lead us to false answers.

Also, importing animations from Mixamo is generally a BIG no-no, again, unless you know what you’re doing.

Hey pal, welcome to the UE forums! First things first, keep digging, and you’ll likely find the solution either here or somewhere else online. Check out relevant tutorials, sometimes the answer just clicks. Don’t hesitate to experiment within your project (but hey, always back up if you don’t want things to get messy).

Now, about your specific issue – if you’re using preset animations, pay attention to the skeleton part. If Mixamo’s animations come with their own skeleton or a dummy actor, bring all that into your UE project. Then, retarget the preset animation from Mixamo to the skeleton of the character you want to use it with. I made a tutorial on this a while back; the UI might be a bit outdated, maybe UE 5.0 or 4, but it should give you the gist. Check it out on YT Joel and Clive channel, and the timestamp you’re looking for is 12:11. There are also some other beginner tips throughout the video. Good luck! https://youtu.be/HUWEmf4J-mM?feature=shared

It’s understandable to feel frustrated when your character animation doesn’t work as expected in your Unreal game development project. The issue you’re facing, where only the arms and knees animate while importing Mixamo animations, can be caused by several factors. Here’s a breakdown of potential causes and solutions:

1. Missing Retargeting:

  • Possible Cause: The imported animation might not be retargeted to your character’s skeletal mesh. Retargeting ensures the animation bones from Mixamo match the bone structure of your character model.
  • Solution:
    • Open the Skeletal Mesh Editor for your character.
    • In the Animations tab, locate the imported animation and click Retarget.
    • Select your character’s skeletal mesh as the target skeleton and choose the appropriate retargeting method (e.g., Mannequin to UE4 Skeleton).

2. Incorrect Animation Mode:

  • Possible Cause: You might be playing the animation in the wrong mode within the AnimMontage or state machine.
  • Solution:
    • Ensure the Root Motion Mode is set to Root Motion From Everything in the AnimMontage or state machine where you’re playing the animation. This allows the animation to control the character’s movement.

3. Character Skeleton Issues:

  • Possible Cause: There might be inconsistencies between the Mixamo skeleton and your character’s skeleton, leading to bone mismatches during animation playback.
  • Solution:
    • Double-check that your character’s skeletal mesh has the same number of bones and similar bone hierarchy as the Mixamo skeleton used for animation.
    • Consider using advanced retargeting techniques like bone mapping or animation warping if necessary.

4. Blueprints or State Machine Logic:

  • Possible Cause: Your blueprints or state machine logic might not be properly triggering the desired animation state or playing it incorrectly.
  • Solution:
    • Review your blueprint logic and state machine setup to ensure they correctly trigger and play the animation for light and heavy attacks.
    • Verify connections and parameters within your blueprints to ensure the animations are played under the correct conditions.