Daz3d to Unreal Engine Bridge

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Comments

  • 3DRT3DRT Posts: 61

    Is there a way to bake pose control dials into animations?

    For example, facial expressions like smiles aren't exported as part of the animations.

     

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  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390
    edited September 2020
    3DRT said:

    Is there a way to bake pose control dials into animations?

    For example, facial expressions like smiles aren't exported as part of the animations.

     

    hmm i don't recall now how to proper do that but is possible to add a "morph target(in this case the facial expression) into the animation in unreal, you have to export first the "expression" like a regular morph then throught a blueprint you can "add" the morph into the animation, you would need to look for some tutorials about how to use/apply morph targets inside unreal.

     

    but for peoples which knows how to use daz, they must know how to bake the facial expressions inside the animation, which can be mre simple.

    Post edited by Ellessarr on
  • 3DRT3DRT Posts: 61
    Ellessarr said:
    3DRT said:

    Is there a way to bake pose control dials into animations?

    For example, facial expressions like smiles aren't exported as part of the animations.

     

    hmm i don't recall now how to proper do that but is possible to add a "morph target(in this case the facial expression) into the animation in unreal, you have to export first the "expression" like a regular morph then throught a blueprint you can "add" the morph into the animation, you would need to look for some tutorials about how to use/apply morph targets inside unreal.

     

    but for peoples which knows how to use daz, they must know how to bake the facial expressions inside the animation, which can be mre simple.

    I tried using 'Bake to Transform' in order to save the pose controls as bone transforms. Everything works on the DAZ end, but when I export to Unreal as Animation, they are not transferred. I suspect that certain bones' transforms (such as the lips) are not accounted for during the animation export process. 

    Here are the steps I took:

    1. Inside Daz, load G8M, dial in 'Mouth Smile' on frame 10. Bake to Transform recursively from the head. Verify that no pose control dials are active on G8M.

    2. Send to 'Daz to Unreal' Export as 'Animation'. Inside Unreal I check the imported animation frame 10. There are no changes.

    However if I apply transformations manually to the lips inside Unreal, I do see changes.

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  • If you're keying the poses as animations, you can transfer those animations.  You need ot key the bones on the timeline though.  If you're using them as morphs, it's on my list to export curves for morphs.  It doesn't work currently though.  https://trello.com/c/86QqNoJD/22-export-morphs-curves-animated-morphs

  • 3DRT3DRT Posts: 61

    If you're keying the poses as animations, you can transfer those animations.  You need ot key the bones on the timeline though.  If you're using them as morphs, it's on my list to export curves for morphs.  It doesn't work currently though.  https://trello.com/c/86QqNoJD/22-export-morphs-curves-animated-morphs

    Can you please elaborate on what you mean by "key the bones in the timeline"? I have keyframes created for every child bone of the head at the frame where I add my pose but when I export them into UE4, only the rotation of the jaw is transferred. As far as I can tell the expressions are not morphs but translations on the bones themselves. I don't have this issue with bones outside the head.

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  • 3DRT when sending the animation to Unreal are you unchecking Enable Morphs?

    That should cause them to be sent over as animations only.

  • 3DRT3DRT Posts: 61

    3DRT when sending the animation to Unreal are you unchecking Enable Morphs?

    That should cause them to be sent over as animations only.

    I have that box unchecked when exporting and still get the same result as described above. Has anyone checked if this happens with G8F as well?

  • UpL8RenderingUpL8Rendering Posts: 129
    edited September 2020

    Are you skipping from frame 0 to 10? I think the animation would need some kind of keyframe even if it is a zeroed out pose.

    Also, I believe the bake to timeline thing only applies to baking aniMate animations to keyframes for exporting.

    You shouldn't have to bake poses you are adding directly to the timeline.

     

    Post edited by UpL8Rendering on
  • 3DRT Here is a blog post from a couple years ago that may be helpful to you.

    https://inu-games.com/2018/02/27/export-all-ectrl-as-animation-daz3d-to-ue4/

    Inu-Games is also a user here on Daz forums.

    Skip the exporting part. Use Send To Unreal instead.

  • 3DRT3DRT Posts: 61

    3DRT Here is a blog post from a couple years ago that may be helpful to you.

    https://inu-games.com/2018/02/27/export-all-ectrl-as-animation-daz3d-to-ue4/

    Inu-Games is also a user here on Daz forums.

    Skip the exporting part. Use Send To Unreal instead.

    Thanks for this excellent resource! I was able to export facial expressions to UE4 by following the steps in the blog post. However, I was only able to do so by exporting directly through DAZ to FBX then manually importing into Unreal and not through the plugin itself. At this point it would be very helpful for either the author or another experienced user to provide a guide on how to import facial animations through the plugin.

  • UpL8RenderingUpL8Rendering Posts: 129
    edited September 2020
    3DRT said:

    3DRT Here is a blog post from a couple years ago that may be helpful to you.

    https://inu-games.com/2018/02/27/export-all-ectrl-as-animation-daz3d-to-ue4/

    Inu-Games is also a user here on Daz forums.

    Skip the exporting part. Use Send To Unreal instead.

    Thanks for this excellent resource! I was able to export facial expressions to UE4 by following the steps in the blog post. However, I was only able to do so by exporting directly through DAZ to FBX then manually importing into Unreal and not through the plugin itself. At this point it would be very helpful for either the author or another experienced user to provide a guide on how to import facial animations through the plugin.

    The link and script wasn't just a resource, it was a diagnostic tool for me to help determine what might be going on and to help you solve your issue.

    I've used that script dozens of times. I've used it with and without the Daz to unreal plugin. By you following the same steps, and it still not working, tells me that there isn't anything you are doing wrong.

    Sending to Unreal as an animation without enabling morphs should be all you have to do to make that work. It sounds like there is something bugged in the plugin.

    Sometime the skeleton that the plugin uses gets messed up and needs a fresh copy. Posting a screenshot that includes the Skeleton Tree might help determine that.

    If it is that, the creator of the plugin has instructions on getting a clean copy here:

    http://davidvodhanel.com/daz-to-unreal-getting-a-clean-copy-of-the-skeleton/

    If it isn't that, then, in my opinion there is something else wrong with the plugin install itself.

    Edit: His website also shows the steps for transferring animations.  The steps for facial animations are the same. It should literally be this easy:

    http://davidvodhanel.com/daz-to-unreal-animations/

    Post edited by UpL8Rendering on
  • 3DRT3DRT Posts: 61

    Before trying any more fixes, I think it would be helpful to see if anyone else can reproduce the issue using the steps I described above. If not, I know that there is an issue on my side. Otherwise, it could be a bug in the plugin itself.

  • Just wanted to let you guys know I see you're still having problems.  I'll give it a try myself and let you know what I find.

  • Hi Everyone, I have a problem with plugin, seems to be from UE part. When I export simple G8F character with no hairs or garment it comes all smoothly. When I am trying to export some customised character (anyway bought from daz store), with hairs or garment UE stops to work on Importing skeletal mesh LOD. I see it takes around 7 to 9 GB RAM and than just stops to answer. I work on 32 core Threadripper, 64GB RAM and double RTX2080 Ti if it can help, but anyway I don't think it is hardware problem. Is there anything I have to change in UE properties to be able to import avatars with maps, hairs and garment?

  • 3DRT3DRT Posts: 61

    Is this plugin compatible with the new version of DAZ Studio (4.14)?

  • nekyonekyo Posts: 54
    edited November 2020

    Also wondering if others have had success using the plugin in 4.14?

    I'm unable to find the "Send to Unreal" option in the edit menu after installing the plugin using Install Manager.

    Nevermind - found it in the File menu.

    Post edited by nekyo on
  • 3DRT3DRT Posts: 61
    nekyo said:

    Also wondering if others have had success using the plugin in 4.14?

    I'm unable to find the "Send to Unreal" option in the edit menu after installing the plugin using Install Manager.

    I had the same issue and I had to copy the files to my Unreal folder manually.

  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390
    edited November 2020

    any news about a new update for the pluging??? it's already some time since it was released and any update, the plans is wait for the release of the unreal 4.26? to release a new build?

     

    what is current being worked??, i've looked to the trello and it's looks the "same" without any news.

    Post edited by Ellessarr on
  • Why does the bridge to unreal not show up in this new Daz Central?  It does not show in plugins, assets, and it does not show as an installable option when searched for.

  • Ellessarr said:

    any news about a new update for the pluging??? it's already some time since it was released and any update, the plans is wait for the release of the unreal 4.26? to release a new build?

     

    what is current being worked??, i've looked to the trello and it's looks the "same" without any news.

    I've still been making updates.  Just checked in a couple fixes two days ago, but I generally just add features to the Trello, not bugs.  The last few features I checked in were a bit bigger, so they took more time,  Environments, Rotation corrections, and a new AnimNode in Unreal to fix some JCM pops.

  • EllessarrEllessarr Posts: 1,390
    Ellessarr said:

    any news about a new update for the pluging??? it's already some time since it was released and any update, the plans is wait for the release of the unreal 4.26? to release a new build?

     

    what is current being worked??, i've looked to the trello and it's looks the "same" without any news.

    I've still been making updates.  Just checked in a couple fixes two days ago, but I generally just add features to the Trello, not bugs.  The last few features I checked in were a bit bigger, so they took more time,  Environments, Rotation corrections, and a new AnimNode in Unreal to fix some JCM pops.

    hmm interesting, any news about when you are planning to 'release a new version"?, now which you talked i've checked and indeed the trello now have more stuff than before when was just the same.

  • sikotik13sikotik13 Posts: 29
    edited December 2020

    Perhaps I am overlooking something simple, despite my (at this point) hours of Googling and browsing dozens of possibly semi-related forums.

    I like the bridge material setup, very much so. My previous, not-as-good-looking attempt at manually doing a decent material had only one significant benefit, I could actually access the parameters to modify them in Unreal.

    I can not, for the life of me, figure out why a duplicated bridge material will show parameters, but an instance of the same simply won't.

    This behavior remains, even if I manually add in extra parameters, which should, according to Unreal docs, and my own other materials, at least expose those parameters.

    Is this a bug, or am I missing something simple?

     

    Edit: This was apparently an odd variant of the blueprint editor not displaying glitch. Unlike the blank screen one sometimes gets with regular blueprints, this one displays the material preview over the whole window, which misled me into thinking it wasn't the same thing. I ran into said "normal" BP glitch later on, and the fix for that also fixed this for me. [In my particular case, opening the material instance, selecting Window> Details was the fix. Why this happens is baffling, and it could at least be consistent in symptoms, haha.] Thanks for the bridge, by the way, it's quite useful!

    Post edited by sikotik13 on
  • Just want to make sure you've seen this information since you're updating the materials.  I've always assumed other people will make better materials than me, so I tried to support that effort in the bridge.  http://davidvodhanel.com/working-with-materials-in-daz-to-unreal/

  • 3DRT3DRT Posts: 61

    I see that you've added support for Environment Transfer on the version you have in the Unreal Marketplace. Will these new features be available on the free version in the Daz store?

  • GOD-sSs-ENDGOD-sSs-END Posts: 73
    edited December 2020

    Is anyone successfully exporting usable characters (furriture is fin) to Unreal Engine from Daz without issues. And if so, can you possibly share with me what I'm doing wrong?

    I have followed every available tutorial, and I've got bones issues; I've got eyeball issues. 

    Ugh!

    Thank you so much in advance. Just came over from Reallusion. Tired of having my pockets drained. Should have never strayed.

    Post edited by GOD-sSs-END on
  • I see that you've added support for Environment Transfer on the version you have in the Unreal Marketplace. Will these new features be available on the free version in the Daz store?

    I check in my changes to GitHub, so when they release the next update it should have them.

  • I have followed every available tutorial, and I've got bones issues; I've got eyeball issues. 

    Without more detail my best guess is you didn't set the re-target source on an animation so it's stretching the face.  That step is the second half of this page.  http://davidvodhanel.com/daz-to-unreal-animations/

     

  • JoJo Posts: 17

    GOD-sSs-END said:

    Is anyone successfully exporting usable characters (furriture is fin) to Unreal Engine from Daz without issues. And if so, can you possibly share with me what I'm doing wrong?

    I have followed every available tutorial, and I've got bones issues; I've got eyeball issues. 

    Ugh!

    Thank you so much in advance. Just came over from Reallusion. Tired of having my pockets drained. Should have never strayed.

    I had bone issues that were fixed by clicking "Show Retargeting Options" on the Genesis8BaseSkeleton/Genesis3BaseSkeleton and making sure "Translation Retargeting"  was set correctly for each bone.

    For whatever reason, they were not set correctly in the plugin version that, I compiled from GitHub. This created problems, when importing some animations.

    None bone related eye problems can usually be fixed by adjusting materials and/or importing the correct morphs.

     

     

     

  • Hi,

    I saw the discussion and would like to share one issue I have with the bridge, which is a kind of show stopper for me.

    I observe some distortions around the character's nose in animations imported by the bridge. Attached are two pics, one is in the mesh, another is in the animation. Please note this is just a basic G8F character and default pose.

    My workflow is to create the animations in Daz3d and export them to the UE4. Having this kind of face is a real problem. 

    Note the animations I retargeted from UE4 mannequin do not have this problem.

    Did I miss anything?

     

     

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