Custom Blender Hair To Metahuman Guide

Introduction

Tired of the default hair options for Metahumans in Unreal Engine? This comprehensive guide will walk you through creating and customizing Metahuman hair using Blender. This process involves no plugins and uses entirely free software.

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Prerequisites

• Unreal Engine installed on your PC : Download Unreal Engine
• Metahuman plugin installed: MetaHuman Plugin in Code Plugins – UE Marketplace (unrealengine.com)
• Quixel Bridge installed: Quixel Bridge – Manage 3D content and export with one click
• Blender 4.0: 4.0 — blender.org

Basic familiarity with Blender and Unreal Engine. This tutorial uses 100% free software.

If you don’t have these installed, refer to my getting started with Unreal Engine and Metahumans here (Coming soon).

1.1 Create a Metahuman

• Use the Metahuman Creator, a browser-based app, to create your custom character: MetaHuman Creator (unrealengine.com)
• Save your Metahuman for later import into Unreal Engine.

1.2 Setting Up your Unreal Project

• Open Unreal Engine via the Epic Launcher, navigate to the Marketplace on the top tab, and search “Metahuman” download the free ‘Metahuman Lighting’ rig.
• Create a new project and launch it.
• In Unreal Engine, navigate to Window and Quxiel Bridge.
• In Quxiel Bridge download your Metahuman by selecting “My Metahuman” from the lefthand side navigation window. Once downloaded Select your metahumans card and from the right handside panel select “Add” This will add your metahuman to your content draw in your UnrealProject

Step 2: Exporting Mesh to Blender

• In Unreal Engine, select your Metahuman and remove the existing hair if needed.
• Now, export the head mesh. Find the mesh in the content browser, right-click, and select “Export.” Choose FBX format for Blender compatibility. Save the file in a convenient location

Step 3: Creating Hair in Blender

3.1 Importing and Prepping the Mesh

• Open Blender, Im using Blender 4.0. In a new scene, delete the default objects.
• Go to File > Import > FBX, and select the exported head mesh.
• In the viewport, separate the scalp from the face. This isolation will help in focusing the hair creation on the scalp area.

3.2 Designing the Hair

• With the scalp selected, enter Sculpt Mode.
• Use the Add Hair tool to begin placing hair guides on the scalp. These guides will shape the overall hairstyle.
• Adjust hair length, density, and curvature. For long hairstyles, increase the length and density. For short styles, reduce these parameters.
• Apply modifiers for specific textures and effects:
  • Clump Modifier: To create grouped strands of hair.
  • Curl Modifier: For curly or wavy hair.
  • Frizz Modifier: Adds a frizzy, unstructured look to the hair.
• Focus on the hairline and parting. Add more hair guides here to ensure a natural, dense look.

3.3 Exporting Hair Back to Unreal Engine

• Once you’re satisfied with the hair design, export it as an Alembic (.abc) file. This format preserves the hair details for Unreal Engine.

Step 4: Finalizing in Unreal Engine

4.1 Importing Hair into Unreal

• Back in Unreal Engine, import the Alembic file. Navigate to the content browser, right-click, and select ‘Import to /Game’. Locate your Alembic file and import it.

4.2 Adjusting Hair Settings

• Select the imported hair in the content browser. In the details panel, fine-tune the settings:
  • Interpolation: Adjust for smooth hair transitions.
  • Root and Tip Scale: Control the thickness of the hair at the root and the tip.
  • Color Settings: Customize the hair color and texture to match your character’s style.
• Enable physics simulation for realistic hair movement.

4.3 Binding Hair to Metahuman

• To attach the hair to your character, use the ‘Create Binding’ option in Unreal Engine. This step ensures that the hair moves naturally with your character’s animations.

Conclusion

You’ve successfully created and customized hair for your Metahuman character in Unreal Engine. Experiment with different styles and modifiers to enhance your digital characters further. Don’t forget to save your project to preserve your work.

Additional Resources

• Visit my  Patreon for exclusive Blender files and additional resources:
• PromptMuse | 3D & AI Learning Community | Patreon
• Share your unique hairstyles on social media with @promptMuse.