Importing genesis 9/ Vicky 9 into UE5

When will (can you) import Vicky 9/genesis 9 into UE5?

Comments

  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    You can do it now... Do not need any special conversion application algorythm or nothing. It just a matter of WHAT can be done with G9 once it's in UE5

    Open DAZ, create the character you want, Export as FBX, 2012 is a good option, Select the place to save it.

    Open UE5, select Import, navigate to your FBX, and import...

     

    I've been playing around with it to see how far it will go (I.E. if animations can be imported.)

     

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  • catmastercatmaster Posts: 226
    edited December 2022

    That's a very wise decision to try UE5.1 lol
    UE5 would greatly improve its users' debugging and problem solving skills.
    Unreal engine forums have been much more popular than before since UE5 was released.

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    Bridges are optional and FBX exporters are needed for animation export.
    G9 doesn't have twist bone problems but conversion is still needed.
    There are some compulsory conversions for G8 characters:

    > In Daz Studio turn smoothing off for clothes and hair to avoid clipping, turn mouth realism off to make the teeth look better.

    > Remove twist bones after merging skin weights to bend bones.

    > Merge weight from metatarsals to foot and then remove metatarsals.

    > Parent abdomen lower bone to pelvis and then remove the hip Bone.

    > For UE5 retargeter to work with its IK chains, the above process is needed to avoid the limbs bending like multi section spider limbs.

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    The original materials from Daz bridge and the original textures are not optimized, conversions are recommended if there're multiple Daz characters in the scene, unless using just the diffuse textures that come with FBX import. Additional textures can't be imported with FBX exporter but need to be added manually or with plugins.

    Post edited by catmaster on
  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    Bridges are optional and FBX exporters are needed for animation export.
    There are some compulsory conversions for G8 characters, G9 doesn't have twist bone problems but conversion is still needed.

    Actually, I've seen an issue where the FBX export breaks G9's arm during the process. Appears to snap back into place durring the process, but seeing it break has me concerned as to what the FBX is doing.

    FBX Exporter? As in... DAZ Export FBX is NOT going to get it done the way it needs to be done?!?!??

    > In Daz Studio turn smoothing off for clothes and hair to avoid clipping, turn mouth realism off to make the teeth look better.

    Looking at figuring out UE5.1's Strand hair.. I think Blender has similar, though I know less about it than I do UE5.1.

    > Remove twist bones after merging skin weights to bend bones.

    > Merge weight from metatarsals to foot and then remove metatarsals.

    > Parent abdomen lower bone to pelvis and then remove the hip Bone.

    > For UE5 retargeter to work with its IK chains, the above process is needed to avoid the limbs bending like multi section spider limbs.

    I am guessing this is all based on importing a character into UE5.1 and then retargeting either Lyra or Manny to the import... But what if?!?  What if I import the G9 model, and use it for my base... What? Not using Manny, or Lyra at all?!!?.

    No retargetting at all, because the imported skeletan is the same as the base! What?! I know, it's a whole heck, (can I say hell on this PG-5 station,) of a lot of work getting the initial figure setup, but in the end it can also prevent a lot of issues. I mean, you know, Lyra and Manny are there for EXAMPLES of what can be done. Then again I'm just learning the Unreal Engine, so I don't really have any preconcieved... 'this is better than that' when going into a project. I look at it in terms of "I want to know how to do "this", so, now show me how it's done... no, not show me how it's done using the default maniquin... I don't even want to load that one"".

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The original materials from Daz bridge and the original textures are not optimized, conversions are recommended if there're multiple Daz characters in the scene, unless using just the diffuse textures that come with FBX import. Additional textures can't be imported with FBX exporter but need to be added manually or with plugins.

    Discovered this trying to get an eye color change into UE5.1... All or nothing dang-nabbit. Only true issue I have with the textures is 1. they are washed out. 2. Characture looks like she was drug behind a train for a few miles... Serious case of road rash on every spot that is 'red'. Probably just the bump, but I haven't actually played with the textures at all other than importing them with the FBX.

    Anyway, thanks for the reply!

    Peace,

    V

  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    P.S. - 

    I've actually been trying to figure out how to get my animations up to Maximo... because, um, well G9 works JUST FINE with Maximo. And the Animations from Maximo work JUST FINE in UE5.1 (Minor tweeking, but that's all animations regardless of program.)

    Peace,

    V

  • catmastercatmaster Posts: 226
    edited December 2022

    no, not show me how it's done using the default maniquin... I don't even want to load that one"".

    Understood the mannequin style animations are not attractive, I'd rather use my own original animations created for more feminine characters.

    Converting the G8 skeleton to match UE standard is not for the purpose of retargeting Manny or Lyra animations.

    The convertion to UE compatible skeleton is needed for IK control in game and IK retargeting from any other source. I used the original G8 skeleton and thought that was fine, until I digged deeper into UE5 and started using IK controls and physics animations, when it's required to use UE compatible skeletons for the mechanism to work correctly.

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    I don't use the FBX exporter from Daz Studio, but use Diffeomorphic to export Daz assets into Blender, and the Blender FBX exporter or the Epic official SendToUnreal plugin for Blender works correctly for sending meshes and animations to UE5.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Bridges are optional and FBX exporters are needed for animation export.
    G9 doesn't have twist bone problems but conversion is still needed.
    There are some compulsory conversions for G8 characters:

    > In Daz Studio turn smoothing off for clothes and hair to avoid clipping, turn mouth realism off to make the teeth look better.

    > Remove twist bones after merging skin weights to bend bones.

    > Merge weight from metatarsals to foot and then remove metatarsals.

    > Parent abdomen lower bone to pelvis and then remove the hip Bone.

    > For UE5 retargeter to work with its IK chains, the above process is needed to avoid the limbs bending like multi section spider limbs.

    Edit: The metatarsals shouldn't be removed as they're needed for the high heel system in game, when the characters change different shoes it needs to pose the feet correctly with bones including the metatarsals.

    Attach the foot IK goals to the toes, and add the Full Body IK bone settings to Metatarsal bones and set their Rotation Stiffness to 1, to avoid the IK solvers bending the feet shape, while the solvers fix the toes location to the environment surfaces, this works with different heel heights or different heel poses.

    Post edited by catmaster on
  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    Well I typed a whole lot before I realized I hadn't logged in.

    Basically, G9 will go into UE5 fine, but without modifications mentioned blows up no matter where the animation comes from.

    For now... G8.1, that way I have my full library available for testing uses. Once I have extra time from after work, I'll see about making the conversions.

    So, question, is this conversion something that will work with/for any future imports or is it purely on an instance, by instance basis?  I.E. if exporting an animation from Studio, I make all the changes needed in blender, will a different animation export/import into blender for that same character, or do I have to re-rigg a new one for each animation?

  • catmastercatmaster Posts: 226
    edited December 2022

    The animations are exported for the default character with converted G8 skeleton, others can use the same animations because they share the same skeleton.

    Post edited by catmaster on
  • Why can't DAZ create one Retargeted Skeletal Mesh for the UE5 Metahumans?
    Once this is done and providing a short Vidoe Tutorial, how to use DAZ Genesis 9 Models with Metahumans.. I would buy so much more content from the DAZ Shop.

    Most of the people are artists and stuck with all the technical problems.

     

  • ViallyVially Posts: 343

    Catmaster said:

    • > Remove twist bones after merging skin weights to bend bones.
    • > Merge weight from metatarsals to foot and then remove metatarsals.
    • > Parent abdomen lower bone to pelvis and then remove the hip Bone.

    I have no idea how to do any of these things, are there tuts someplace? 

  • catmastercatmaster Posts: 226
    edited December 2022

    Vially said:

    Catmaster said:

    • > Remove twist bones after merging skin weights to bend bones.
    • > Merge weight from metatarsals to foot and then remove metatarsals.
    • > Parent abdomen lower bone to pelvis and then remove the hip Bone.

    I have no idea how to do any of these things, are there tuts someplace? 

    The G8 / G8.1 bone conversion process:

    > Parent abdomenLower to pelvis

    > Merge Bone Weights: limb twists to bends, hip to pelvis(G8 hip bone has no weight in the body mesh, but some geografts have weights put on the hip bone, so that needs to be merged to pelvis), merge other bone weights like ponytail bones to head bone
    (The Uefy2 plugin automatically merges weights for all parented meshes of the same skeleton)

    > Delete hip bone and the six limb twist bones, delete ponytail bones, etc.

    > For each mesh parented to the skeleton, delete residue vertex groups: twist bones and other e.g. dForce pin

    I use the Uefy2 plugin for the weight merge feature and other useful features for rig convert.

    Check the Uefy2 channel for how to use full features of Uefy2, however the full conversion of G8 to Epic skeleton is not practical.

    Check the CGDive channel for how to use Autorig Pro, must have for retargeting or making animations for Unreal characters.

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    Post edited by catmaster on
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