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Epic Games Releases MetaHuman Update

New features and enhancements make it easier for users to share, collaborate and refine assets while facilitating DNA Calibration and integration into proprietary pipelines.

Epic Games’ MetaHuman update extends the framework that allows users to share MetaHumans more easily; users can now edit aspects of MetaHumans’ unique DNA files to customize them or integrate them into their pipeline.

Sharing MetaHumans:

You can now download the digital human’s description as a MetaHuman binary file from MetaHuman Creator and send it to a recipient via a preferred method, such as email or Google Drive; on receipt, the file can be viewed immediately by uploading the file to Creator.

For teams working on characters, the new approach provides a faster way to collaborate and refine assets. Each MetaHuman’s description is in a single text file (rather than as an asset as when using Quixel Bridge), and teams can use their own versioning systems to track versions and iterations.

The new sharing feature allows users to:

  • Quickly and easily share MetaHumans
  • Collaborate on MetaHumans with team members in a more streamlined workflow
  • Smoothly hand over MetaHuman assets to external teams
  • Share MetaHumans with yourself—for example, between different accounts

DNA Calibration Library:

MetaHumans’ DNA contains all the parameters that contribute to the form of each MetaHuman’s head. Now a MetaHuman DNA Calibration Library is available to facilitate the integration into proprietary pipelines and to customize them beyond their original constraints.

The library includes both a C++ and a Python API and a DNA Viewer application that enables you to import DNA files into Autodesk Maya.

With these tools, users can edit MetaHuman DNA files as follows:

  • Rename and remove joints, BlendShapes, animated maps, and meshes to conform with pipeline requirements
  • Users select a subset of LODs to retain that make the most sense for the project
  • Translate, rotate, and scale the rig, for example, to create MetaHumans at non-human scales (pixies, giants)
  • Adjust the neutral shape by editing the vertex positions and setting a new bind pose

The library, pre-compiled for Windows and Linux, is available on the Epic Games GitHub repository. The package also includes the source code, enabling users to compile the library for custom environments, and technical documentation comprising an overview, an explanation of the API, and examples.

To start, users must first connect Epic Games account to their GitHub account here.

Source: Epic Games

Debbie Diamond Sarto's picture

Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.