New Mesh to MetaHuman workflow for custom characters

Development Character & Animation
, ,
7

Thanks, @The_Distiller, that works!

For anyone not sure what to do, here are more detailed steps:

Obtaining a conformed base mesh for future use:

  1. In UE5, “mh.Identity.ExportMeshes 1”
  2. Get what you would consider a base mesh and import it into UE
  3. Create a MetaHuman Identity following the normal process
  4. After you complete the process, you’ll find Saved\Your MH Identity Name\MetahumanIdentityPose_0\face_conformed.obj

Note that this is the face, and not the face + body, which is disappointing, but not a deal-breaker.

Creating a custom MetaHuman head from the conformed base mesh:

  1. Import face_conformed.obj into your DCC, R3DS Wrap, etc.
  2. Modify that mesh to your liking (e.g., sculpt it or wrap another mesh)
  3. Import your modified version into UE5
  4. Create a new MH identity
  5. Go to Asset > Configure Components from Conformed and choose your modified mesh
  6. Choose a body for your MH identity
  7. Go to Mesh to MetaHuman > Auto-Rig Identity (Skeletal Mesh Only)

When the process completes, a rigged skeletal mesh will appear in your Content folder. It appears that any changes below the lower neck get smoothed out in order to match the body, but all changes above that point are retained as-is, which is disappointing if you’ve modified lower part of the mesh to match up with a custom body.