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Want to know the MetaHuman Animator release date? Game developers and animation enthusiasts have reason to celebrate the introduction of MetaHuman Animator, a cutting-edge 3D animation tool powered by advanced facial recognition technology.
In this article, we will explore the features, capabilities, and release date of MetaHuman Animator, along with its potential impact on the gaming and animation industries. Keep reading to discover!
The MetaHuman Framework: A Next-Gen Solution
MetaHuman Creator, released in early access in 2021, is a cloud-based character creation tool that allows users to design realistic digital humans by customizing preset 3D characters.
By blending between presets, adjusting facial proportions, and customizing hairstyles and clothing, users can generate unique and highly detailed characters.
The MetaHuman plugin for Unreal Engine, released in the previous year, enables the creation of MetaHumans that match 3D scans or facial models from other software.
While these characters already supported facial motion capture, transferring the facial performance of an actor with different proportions required manual adjustments.
>>>Read more: Mesh to MetaHuman Plugin for Unreal Engine is now available
What is MetaHuman Animator?
The MetaHuman Animator is the latest addition to Epic Games’ MetaHuman framework, designed to empower developers and artists in the creation of lifelike 3D characters. The framework consists of multiple components, including MetaHuman Creator and the MetaHuman plugin for Unreal Engine.
MetaHuman Animator aims to streamline the process of transferring facial motion from video footage to a MetaHuman character.
The Footage to MetaHuman procedure starts by feeding the video into Unreal Engine and selecting important reference frames that the MetaHuman plugin can evaluate.
For footage captured with a professional camera, a single frame with a neutral facial expression is sufficient.
However, for iPhone footage, additional left and right views of the actor’s face are recommended to enhance the quality of the analysis. Teeth pose reference frames can further improve the quality of mouth animations.
Using the reference frames, the MetaHuman plugin solves the footage and aligns a template mesh, representing a MetaHuman head, to the data. The user can verify the accuracy of the solution by comparing the 3D head to the source image.
The template mesh is then utilized to generate an animation-ready asset.
>>>Read more: How Unreal Engine works? Unreal Engine versions, popular features and benefits
MetaHuman Animator Release Date
MetaHuman Animator is now available to Unreal Engine users as part of the MetaHuman plugin, marking a significant milestone in 3D facial animation.
Following its highly anticipated release, the tool is accessible to developers and artists who utilize the Unreal Engine ecosystem, providing them with a powerful and intuitive solution for creating lifelike facial animations.
>>>Read more: FAQs about Unreal Engine – Is It A Good Idea To Use UE For Animations?
Compatibility and System Requirements
The free MetaHuman plugin from Epic Games includes the MetaHuman Animator toolkit. While MetaHuman Animator requires Unreal Engine 5.2+, the plugin is compatible with Unreal Engine 5.0 and higher.
You’ll need an iPhone 12 or later and the plugin version 1.3+ to utilize it with MetaHuman Animator.
Early access to MetaHuman Creator is available. It is compatible with Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari browsers operating on Windows or macOS and operates in the cloud. For use with Unreal Engine, it is free.
Rendering non-interactive content is free, as is using the Unreal Engine editor itself. Epic takes 5% of gross revenue for game producers after the first $1 million is earned throughout a product’s lifespan.
What you can do with MetaHuman Animator?
Let’s learn about the features of this tool!
Seamlessly Transferring Facial Motion to a MetaHuman Character
With the template mesh in place, the MetaHuman Animator can extract facial motion from the video footage and transfer it to the 3D character. The animator can preview the result in real-time, making adjustments as needed.
The animation can be exported as a Level Sequence or an animation sequence in Unreal Engine, allowing it to be seamlessly transferred to other MetaHuman characters.
One of the notable features of MetaHuman Animator is its “semantically correct” control curves, which mimic the structure used by human animators. This ensures that the animation is easier to edit and provides a familiar workflow for experienced animators.
Additionally, the tool supports timecode synchronization, enabling the integration of facial animation with full-body motion capture. It can also utilize audio from the facial recording to generate tongue animation, adding an extra layer of realism to the characters.
Expanding Creative Possibilities
MetaHuman Animator opens up a world of possibilities for game developers, filmmakers, and animators. With its intuitive interface and powerful features, artists can bring their characters to life with realistic facial animations, enhancing the immersion and emotional impact of their projects.
Whether it’s creating believable performances for video game cutscenes, crafting engaging characters for animated films, or developing interactive experiences, MetaHuman Animator empowers creators to push the boundaries of storytelling.
Furthermore, MetaHuman Animator complements existing animation pipelines. It seamlessly integrates with Unreal Engine’s other animation tools and workflows, allowing animators to combine facial animation with body motion capture, procedural animation, and more.
This flexibility enables the creation of dynamic and cohesive performances that capture the essence of the characters.
Conclusion
Above are our shares on the MetaHuman Animator release date. MetaHuman Animator represents a significant leap forward in 3D facial animation, offering a streamlined and efficient workflow for transferring facial motion to MetaHuman characters.
With its powerful features, real-time preview capabilities, and seamless integration with Unreal Engine, the tool empowers artists to create lifelike and emotionally compelling performances.
For more news on MetaHuman, visit Animost!
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