I’m building a production system using MetaHumans with real-time AI-generated voice , and I need architectural guidance on the best path forward with xADA (Audio Driven Animation).
Current Situation:
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Using UE 5.7 with pixel streaming architecture
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Need to drive MetaHuman lip sync from streamed audio (not physical microphones)
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Audio source: ElevenLabs API delivering PCM audio in chunks
I’ve researched the MetaHuman Animator documentation extensively, and I understand xADA offers two paths:
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Real-time via MetaHuman Audio Live Link Source - Designed for physical USB audio devices
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Offline via MetaHuman Performance assets - Requires complete SoundWave assets upfront
Neither path seems architected for streaming audio from external APIs, which is increasingly common for AI-powered characters.
What I’ve Discovered:
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MetaHumanLocalLiveLinkSourceAPI is not exposed for extension -
Live Link presets store device UUIDs, not flexible audio routing
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The offline path works brilliantly but requires the complete audio file first
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Third-party plugins exist, but we specifically need Epic’s native xADA quality and long-term support
My Questions:
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Is there a supported approach to create a custom Live Link Audio Source that feeds into xADA’s processing pipeline? If so, which classes/interfaces should I extend?
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Could you clarify the architecture of how audio flows from MetaHuman Audio Live Link Source → xADA processing → facial animation? Understanding this would help me determine if a custom source is feasible.
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For runtime SoundWave generation, what’s the recommended pattern for creating SoundWave assets from PCM data that xADA’s offline processor will accept? Should I use
USoundWaveProcedural, or is there a better approach? -
Is there any roadmap consideration for supporting programmatic audio input to xADA? The use case of AI-driven charactersis becoming extremely common, and native support would be incredibly valuable.
Thank you for you time!