GUIDE

Character Creator 5 for beginners: from first character to Unreal

Character Creator 5 (CC5) builds realistic, fully rigged people from sliders, presets and photos. Its HD base carries far more mesh detail than earlier versions, and its characters go straight into Unreal Engine with Reallusion's free Auto Setup plugin.

Beginners usually get stuck on three things: getting a likeness, fitting custom clothes, and making crowds that do not look cloned. The steps below cover all three, including ActorMixer, which blends up to six characters into new faces and bodies.

The steps

1. Step 10: Install the core software

   Unreal Engine, the C++ tools, Character Creator 5 with Headshot 3, Blender and version control. Duke checks each one is installed.

2. Step 25: Build the body in Character Creator 5

   Start from the HD base, which carries up to 16 times more mesh detail. Set your height and proportions, use 8K skin for pores and wrinkles, and pick the HD facial profile so MetaHuman facial animation works on you.

3. Step 26: Create and fit the costume and gear

   Start with Character Creator clothing that fits automatically. Model custom pieces in Blender, import them, and let Character Creator transfer the skin weights.

4. Step 29: Check the skeleton and skin weights

   Bend shoulders, elbows, knees, fingers and waist. Fix any stretching or clothes poking through.

5. Step 33: Build other species

   Humanoid species come from Character Creator morphs, ActorMixer blends and Blender sculpting, so they keep the shared skeleton and animations. Non-humanoid creatures are sculpted and rigged separately.

6. Step 34: Start the world in World Partition

   World Partition splits the map into cells and loads only what is near the player. Turn it on from day one, because converting a world later is painful.

7. Step 46: Generate variations from the seed

   ActorMixer blends up to six characters into new faces and bodies. On top of that, randomize morphs, skin, aging, makeup, dirt and outfits within your step 6 rules.

Common questions