The From Template tool fits a MetaHuman to a source static mesh or skeletal mesh that is built on standard MetaHuman topology or that uses a standard MetaHuman UV layout. Unlike the From Custom Mesh tool, which handles arbitrary topology, From Template expects a template-compatible source and produces a clean, MetaHuman-standard result.
The tool offers two workflows: Mesh Fit to create a MetaHuman-standard rig from your source mesh, and Replace to update targeted body elements on your existing character.
MetaHuman Creator supports mesh fitting to any pose within a viable range.
To be compatible with the From Template workflow, your source mesh or meshes must satisfy one or both of the following:
The source head or body mesh uses standard MetaHuman topology.
The source head or body mesh uses a standard MetaHuman UV layout.
The From Template tool is available from the Import tool category in MetaHuman Creator.
Using the Tool
The overall flow for the tool is:
Define your source mesh.
Choose how the imported data maps onto your character.
Click Apply at the bottom of the panel to generate the result.
Mesh Fit rigs your source mesh to MetaHuman standards, while Replace updates targeted body elements on your existing character.
Learn more about individual properties in the Tool Settings section of the page.
Mesh Fit Workflow
Use Mesh Fit to create a MetaHuman standard rig from your source mesh. Specify a source Body Mesh, a Head Mesh, or both — each can be a static or skeletal mesh — configure the head, body, and advanced options, then generate the rig. Your mesh is used to fit the core skeleton and helper joints, and the character is reposed to the standard MetaHuman A pose.
Mesh Fit takes mesh information from the source data, fits a MetaHuman mesh to it, and AutoRigs it to MetaHuman standards. All body joints, body RBFs, and skin weights are generated automatically to best fit the source mesh. To get the head rig, you still rig the MetaHuman using Create Full Rig or Create Joints Only Rig.
Replace Workflow
Use Replace to keep the current MetaHuman state and replace only body elements. You can also supply a head mesh for better integration of the neck area. Replacement applies to body elements only; it does not regenerate the skeleton rig.
Replace the Neutral Mesh: The underlying core joints stay identical. You can keep the helper joints and lock the skeleton, or update them based on the new mesh.
Replace the Skeleton: Replace the entire skeleton, or replace only the core body joints while helper joints align to the mesh surface from the current MetaHuman state.
Workflow Tips
Use Mesh Fit when you have a MetaHuman-topology mesh and want a full MetaHuman-standard rig. Use Replace when you want to preserve your current character and update only the body mesh or body skeleton. To fit a head or body mesh that uses standard MetaHuman topology but has a different vertex order — or that has been triangulated by Unreal Engine FBX import/export — enable Match Vertices by UVs.
Tool Settings
The available settings depend on the workflow you choose.
Mesh Fit Properties
To begin, define a source Body Mesh and / or Head Mesh. These can be static meshes or skeletal meshes. After you select a static mesh head asset, additional options for an optional left eye, right eye, and teeth mesh become available. When you use a skeletal mesh asset, the fitting process automatically detects the left eye, right eye, and teeth meshes if they are named correctly as shown in the Part Name column in the table below.
Head Mesh Parts
Use the Head Mesh Parts slots to fit specific eye and teeth shapes when working from a Static Mesh head.
| Property | Part Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
Left Eye Mesh | eyeLeft | Fits the MetaHuman left eye to the input mesh. Use this slot when you want a specific left eye shape. |
Right Eye Mesh | eyeRight | Fits the MetaHuman right eye to the input mesh. Use this slot when you want a specific right eye shape. |
Teeth Mesh | teeth | Fits the MetaHuman teeth to the input mesh. Use this slot when you want a specific teeth shape. |
To fit a head or body mesh that uses standard MetaHuman topology but has a different vertex order, or that has been triangulated by Unreal Engine FBX import/export, enable Match Vertices by UVs.
Exporting a MetaHuman skeletal mesh from Unreal Engine as an .fbx results in non-standard MetaHuman topology (triangulated, with split vertices at UV boundaries). To mesh fit using these meshes, enable the Match Vertices by UVs option.
Head Options
Control how the head aligns to the body with the Alignment Options.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
None | Use the input mesh as-is. To apply no alignment of head to body, turn off all the align checkboxes. |
Align Scale | Scale the input mesh to optimally align with the current body. |
Align Rotation | Rotate the input mesh to optimally align with the current body. |
Align Translation | Translate the input mesh to optimally align with the current body. |
Body Options
Use the Body Options to control posing and joint estimation for the source body mesh.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
Target mesh is in MetaHuman A-Pose | Appears when the source body mesh has a static mesh or skeletal mesh asset assigned. When enabled, the fitting algorithm assumes the source body mesh is already in a MetaHuman A-pose, ensuring a one-to-one rigged result with the source mesh. When disabled, the fitting process reposes the mesh into the standard MetaHuman A-pose after joint fitting, ensuring compatibility with MetaHuman animation and retargeting assets when autorigging meshes that are not already in the MetaHuman A-pose. |
Estimate Joints from Mesh | An Advanced option. When enabled, uses volumetric joint fitting to fit the joints to the mesh. This improves joint placement for source meshes that are very far from the database. |
Isolate Head From Body | An Advanced option. When fitting to a head or body mesh that does not align with the current state in MetaHuman Creator, choose whether the neck seam is "glued" between the body and head. When enabled, the neck region of the head mesh is not blended to match the neck seam of the body: a clear neck seam is visible, but the head mesh stays 100% one-to-one with your source mesh. |
The Estimate Joints from Mesh property can generate non-standard MetaHuman joint orientations, which may cause compatibility issues with MetaHuman animation and retargeting assets. To fix any inconsistencies, use the Skeleton Editor in Unreal Engine or the Pose Editor from the MetaHuman for Maya toolset.
The Estimate Joints from Mesh feature improves autorigging for bipeds far outside the database; however, joint placement, skin, and RBF weights may not be optimal.
Replace Properties
Replace works only on the body part of the character. You can provide a head mesh as well for better integration of the neck area.
Body Mesh
Use the Body Mesh options to update the mesh while keeping your existing joint hierarchy.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
Replace Mesh | Updates the mesh vertex positions in the current MetaHuman Character from the source Body and (optionally) Head mesh. The head mesh is used to get better integration of the neck area. |
Auto Rig Helper Joints | Chooses whether to refit the helper joints to the new mesh. Use this to update the neutral mesh for your MetaHuman while preserving the original positions of the helper joints — for example, when you have already skinned clothing to those joints and want the positions fixed. When enabled, helper joints are repositioned to best fit the updated mesh and RBF weights are recalculated. When disabled, only the mesh is updated; all joints and RBF weights remain unchanged from the current MetaHuman state. |
Body Joints
The Body Joints options are enabled only when your source assets are Skeletal Meshes; they are not available when you use Static Meshes as a source.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
Replace Body Joints | Imports joints from the source Body skeletal mesh. Does not update the MetaHuman mesh. |
Import Helper Joints | When enabled, all joints are imported from the source and the appropriate RBF weights are calculated. When disabled, only core joints are imported from the source; helper joints and RBFs remain unchanged from the current MetaHuman state. |
The source skeletal mesh must use MetaHuman hierarchy and naming conventions. Translations and orientations are imported, allowing for non-standard MetaHuman skeletons. Importing non-standard joint orientations may result in a skeleton that is incompatible with standard MetaHuman animations and retargeting systems.
