Custom Characters and Metahuman pipeline integration in UE5
This custom character was created to showcase my advanced, end-to-end character pipeline. This project isn't meant to reflect any political stance or opinion; it's simply a fun way to demonstrate my technical abilities. I used Unreal Engine, MetaHuman, Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter, Marvelous Designer and Chaos Cloth System to bring this character to life.
The Creative Process
Making a custom MetaHuman used to be a real challenge before the big 2025 update. You had to mess with their DNA, basically, to add your own details without breaking all their cool skeleton and face movements.
Here's how I did it:
Modeling & Sculpting: I started with a base MetaHuman, which I brought into Maya to separate the geometry. I then sculpted custom features in ZBrush and baked those details onto a low-poly model in Substance Painter to create realistic PBR face textures.
Rigging & Skinning: I re-skinned the custom model to the original MetaHuman skeleton in Maya. Using MetaPipe, I transferred the face skinning to ensure the blendshapes and facial expressions remained intact.
Hair & Grooming: For the hair, I sculpted a base geometry in ZBrush and used a series of Python scripts in Maya to generate the final groom from a few guide curves. This efficient workflow allowed me to quickly achieve a production-ready result. I exported the curves as an Alembic file and integrated them into the MetaHuman Grooming System in Unreal Engine.
Final Integration: I brought the new skeletal asset into Unreal Engine, set up the materials, and applied the PBR textures. I then integrated the character into a blueprint, where I easily retargeted pre-existing mocap animations to bring the character to life.
This character is just a fun project for my portfolio. It doesn't have any political message or hidden meaning, it's just a way to show off my character pipeline from start to finish.
Chaos Cloth: Kinematic Collider using a Metahuman
Creating this suit was a fun process. First, I tailored it in Marvelous Designer and got all the materials and physics just right. Then, I exported it as a USD file and dropped it into Unreal Engine's Chaos Cloth system to make the clothes move realistically. If you're interested in the nuts and bolts of the whole thing, I have a blog post that walks through the entire process.
