ueGear

Unreal Engine Gear

Requires: Unreal 5.2+

ueGear 0.1 Roadmap Goals

Goal:

• IO layout data (Cameras + static Mesh + skeletal mesh)

New tools:

• Core libraries

mGear 4.3 counterpart/Pipeline tools for ueGear

These tools will be implemented in mGear

Goal:

• improve game pipeline

ueGear 0.2 Roadmap Goals

Goal:

• Syncing selected assets in Unreal Levels with Maya.

ueGear 1.0 Roadmap Goals

Goal:

• Generate a simple Runtime rig with Control Rig
• Generate Full Animation rig with Control Rig
• Generate IKRig with retargeting mapping
• IO layout data (Cameras + static Mesh + skeletal mesh)
• Assembly of modular characters

New tools:

• Core libraries
• Control rig function solvers like Maya counterpart
• ueShifter:
  • EPIC component counterpart to build from Collected data in Maya

mGear 4.3 counterpart/Pipeline tools for ueGear

These tools will be implemented in mGear

Goal:

• improve game pipeline
• gNexus (.gnx): General data collector for ueGear

New tools:

• FBX exporter
  • 1click send to Unreal (FBX) Skeletal mesh and animation

DESIGN DECISIONS

• Always starting from Unreal
• Always assume camera in sequencer Unreal > Maya > Unreal camera flows
• Adding custom attributes on Camera to FBX
• A shot represents one Camera track.

Unreal Plugins

The following plugins must be activated in your project to get the full benefit of ueGear.

• Python Editor Script Plugin
• Sequencer Scripting
• Remote Control API, Required for Maya to pipe queries into Unreal

Workflow

New Maya Scene, Existing Level and Sequencer Data

NOTE: Before starting you will need to have MGEAR_FBX_SDK_PATH setup in your environment varialbes, and have it pointing to an FBX SDK, which can be downloaded from SDK

WIP: Working on making the Maya to Unreal workflow not require FBX SDK, as this adds a level of complexity for the User.

1. Open Maya and Unreal
2. Make sure that mGear is installed for both applications (mGear, ueGear).
3. In Unreal, Open the Level and LevelSeqence in Sequencer, that you want to work on.

NOTE: Any information that is in the Sequencer and outside of the Playback region (red/green lines), will not be exported. This means animation keys on the camera. [Functionality could be added at a later date to implement entire camera track sections get exported even if outside of the Playback region]

FBX SDK Setup

OSX

Go to the FBX webpage and install the latest version that works with your Maya version.

Unreal Cameras

• Can exist in LevelSequencer
• Can exist in a sub sequence of a LevelSequencer
• Can be instantiated by the LevelSequencer
• Can exist in a Level and not in a LevelSequencer
• Never exists in the Content Browser. It will appear in a LevelSequence or inside a level.

Control Rig

The ueGear Control Rig Library can be found in the following location Repo: ueGear/Plugins/ueGear/Content/Python/ueGear/controlrig/ueGearFunctionLibrary.uasset Unreal: ueGear/Content/Python/ueGear/controlrig/ueGearFunctionLibrary.uasset

If you enable plugins in the Content Browser Settings, you will be able to see the folder.

Unreal meta data storing

Blueprint class > Primary Dataset - blueprint class - can store a bunch of variables

From blueprint > you can create a dataasset (instance)

ControlRig > Asset User Data >

Can only read data fom a dataset in constructino event > read user data

Limitations

Unreal 5.3

• Control Rig Functions do not return the size when queried.

TODO

• Leg

  • IKRef is used to constrain the IK hierarchy to different objects.

• Control Shape Orientation

  • Spine
  • Neck

• Backwards Solve

• Tests

  • Rig Complexity - different structures

• 5.4 Add Modular System

How to set limits

Limits are not available to be set via a construction node in 5.3, they only appear in 5.4+