Hello new here need a little help would like to make something like Character Customization in Xcom 2 example below. any help would be greatly appreciated or if anyone could like to a tutorial
you could search in youtube by words “unreal engine Clothing system” and hope you take the point of how to made your own system.
Hi @codeyhanson
The core aspects involved with typical 3D character customization is depended on the mesh design: adjustable morph targets, mesh parts swapping, accessory attachment, adjustable material parameters (color/pbr), and adjustable / decals swapping (tattoos etc). However, my question for you is what is your true goal? Do you want to be 3D Character Modeler and Animator? OR Do you just desire to get beautiful customizable Characters into your game? This is the question I had to ask myself. I want very nice customizable characters in my games too, but, I have no interest in becoming a 3d character modeler. I also found it difficult to locate freelance 3D modellers versed in modular design for customizable characters.
Customizable Characters are more challenging to author…so you’re going to have to learn some things…
Because, I don’t want to be a 3D Modeler and I sought out tools, art techniques, and programming techniques to handle 3d modelling for me. For Customizable Humans, I found DAZ3D. Its specifically designed to produce 3D characters w/ builtin Target Morphs for face and body. Another Candidate was Character Creator. Typically, characters are modeled with clothing, texture and exported a single mesh. You need more modularity with Customizable Characters such as Small accessories that are attached in-game that contain their physics to jiggle. Some games approach modular clothing by dissecting the base body into separate sections in which clothing sections are swapped out with body part.
Character Clothing is complex…
Clothing requires serious planning. I don’t want to model 3D clothing either, which I consider even more difficult then modeling a human base body, so I sought out tools that are designed to produce 3d clothing. I found Marvelous Designer. Its expensive and I’m on a tight budget. So I examined the videos to learn more about how it worked. MD’s method of using patterned cloth mesh was inspirational. The idea of of attaching modular clothing pieces (static and simulated) to the base body, could be a possibility but, I anticipate cloth simulation to be expensive. I still need to test the idea to see what I can learn from it.
I could literally talk about this topic all day, but I don’t want to create book here. If you want to discuss further, lets chat on discord.
@TechLord thank you very much for your reply. I don’t have much trouble modeling and I have used your suggestions in the past for modeling great suggestions. I just need to know if its possible to swap out parts of the body like the head and arms on characters for different meshes all together not morphs. been looking around and I cant find anything on YouTube quite what I’m looking for if anyone is able to offer a link or knowledge on how to do by armature replacement for Head, Legs, Arms, Torso, etc please let me know thank you again.
Everything is possible codey! i would take a look at some of the modular character assets available in the marketplace. I would buy those packs and learn from the artists that created them. That’s what I do anyway. The things I buy I break down and learn how to do it myself. Then I impliement into my project either as is or I customize it to work.
@xpgained that helped me so much I searched the term Modular Character assets and found the following which is exactly what I was looking for so thank you.
Hi @codeyhanson,
Haha. I always get long winded. It’s very awesome you can model Modular Characters. A Rare type of 3D Artist. If I had known that you could model 3D and just wanted to know if you could swap out parts, I just would said: Yes its possible considering Fortnite is developed with UnrealEngine.
The modular documentation is awesome especially the section on Mesh Merge Code implementation. Because it will reduce the Draw Call count per each body part which will improve performance.