I have a bunch of assets like this and I want to create a modular character creation system for it on unreal engine. However, I am having troubles using the same skeleton for each (is that how to do it?) Unreal comes up with an issue saying bones can’t be merged
Export all parts with the same skeleton. Then from within your character add clothes to the base mesh via “Set Master Pose Component”.
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Yea . Same thing i was thinking. You can use the metahuman construction script as a reference
In Unreal, the term “skeleton” essentially means “name of bones, and which bones are parented to what other bones.”
So, you can use different skeleton-objects (or maybe different scenes) in the source tool (blender, maya, etc) as long as the naming and hierarchy is the same.
I have not found a way to make Unreal import a file with many different skinned meshes as several different meshes mapping to the same skeleton. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done – I just didn’t look very hard 
But splitting the file and exporting each separately works.
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I’m having trouble with the bones/skeleton. Which skeleton should I use as a base for all the parts? I tried already importing them with the same skeleton but an error message comes out saying impossible to merge bones
Use the base model of your character with default base clothes (probably only in their underpants). Then add on to it with parts keeping the skeleton
I don’t have clothes, I have faces, upper body, and lower body and I swap the whole body part, like in the picture above. I don’t have a base character in underwear it’s a bunch of faces, upper body parts and lower body parts
You need to have 1 mesh set as the base of your skeleton. You can swap out the skeletal mesh component at a later time but you cannot import just the skeleton (it needs any geometry data attached)
Upon importing the rest of the models choose the already generated skeletal mesh, then use the set master component node
here is a simple example with a toggle on 1 key
And all of the parts need to be exported on the same skeleton! So it all needs to be skinned to the same bones
Not much to add to what has already been said, but I wanted to refer you to the documentation of the master pose component and other stuff anyway, there epic talks about some useful stuff when using modular characters:
If your character has facial bones and you want a modular design, it’s better to export head skeleton separated from the body’s. Perhaps that is the reason for the “merge errors”. Take a look at Metahuman Sample project and see how it is setup. So, all body parts and accessories will share body skeleton: shoes, hats, helmets, backpacks, clothes, etc. Hair meshes and assets will use Head skeleton, including the alembic groom assets.
I have the same issue. I have already existing chcaracter in my game with already existing skeleton, meshes and animations. I wanted to make a modular character out of it. I downloaded the same model with skeleton and separated the body parts+joints in 4 different bodyparts. I exported each of those body parts, but with the whole skeleton.
When I’m trying to import it and chose the skeleton (already existing in project) I see the same error that unreal can’t merge those parts with the skeleton I selected (the skeleton the body part has is completely the same as I’m trying to asing it to).
Modular characters are really the way to go as common assets like boots can easily be shared but it’s how the assets are set up as to what is require by the import process that determines if it will work or not.
Assuming that the first time you import the base character all goes well Unreal will sort the assets into a couple of different packages.
- The skeleton will be extracted as a stand alone asset which you will target future characters as to using a single SK asset for further components.
- The mesh is extracted as stand alone but will contain the hierarchy data as part of the added weight table that matches the naming convention as part of the SK hierarchy so when used in combination as a component both match as part of the complete package.
The key is both assets “have” to contain the same joint information even if the joints do not influence the mesh as to deformation requirement so even if you say export the boots using the same skeleton the the weight table of the mesh does not contain the complete set of joins as part of the table, even if you exported the same skeleton at the same time, you will get errors