Introduction to 3D Character Animation in Unreal Engine 4

Explore the benefits of real-time rendering and animation
Export a Genesis character from DAZ Studio, and import it to Mixamo to prepare for animation
Export the character and animations from Mixamo and then import them to UE4
Use physically based rendering (PBR) materials in your scene to achieve ultra-realism
Color grade your scene with HitFilm 3 Express and upload your finished scene to YouTube
Gain access to a tutorial on how to use Unreal Engine 4’s ‘Decals’ that will give your scene a new level of realism

Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) has emerged as a leading resource in the creation of games, animations, television shows, and illustrations. This course will help you animate your character in UE4 easily. It features all the required scene files and even makes it easy for you to just drag and drop your character in the scene to make it ready to go.

The course will take you through the essential steps that need to be taken for the character to be able to accept motion capture animations in Mixamo and then get imported into Unreal Engine.

Even though Mixamo discontinued direct support for Unreal Engine, the following method works by exporting standard FBX from Mixamo to UE4 –

You’ll upload your character to Adobe Mixamo and add motion capture animations. All you need to do is click on the animated preview and it will be applied to your character. As you hit play, the animation begins, being rendered in real-time. You can adjust the speed of the animation and other aspects too. As your character will not already have its materials or textures applied, you’ll be able to do that in UE4. You’ll find 28 animated aliens, ready for you to drag and drop into your Unreal Engine scene for instant animations.

Next, you’ll work with the Unreal Engine Sequencer, which is similar to a non-linear editor. You will set up your scene, complete with spaceship interiors, Exile Alien characters, lights, smoke effects, and cameras, and get it ready for animation. As you progress, you will export your movie in high definition in real-time. No longer will it take hours or days to render a single frame; it will be entirely possible to complete even a 2-hour feature film in 120 days using UE4.

Toward the end, you will take your rendered video file and bring it to HitFilm Express, or your favorite video editing program, where you will add color grading, music, and sound effects, and fine-tune your edits to prepare the scene for final output.

By the end of this course, you will have completed your own animation scene, and have a solid understanding of Unreal Engine’s animation workflow.