no chance for me, followed exactly the steps (as others plugin loaded by script) but nothing happen when I open the script in load python


     

Would you mind having a look at the console tab and reporting the error it gives? Here or on the private forum. Thanks so much charly!

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virtualfilmer.com | youtube

I'll do that later cause I've got to go to work now :) in anycase, thank you so much Toby


     

Actually, I signed up to the beta shortly after posting my comment and watched the video, and it’s an intriguing idea.

So am I right in thinking that you are looking at the data from the exported MHA animation clip and then transposing them into extended CC4 blendshapes? I mean that’s the only way I can think you would be able to do it, and even then it must be a very difficult task with all of the MH control points and number of CC4 blendshapes.

I mean respect and kudos for you if you can pull it off.

In terms of the MH pipeline, I have got it working since the kit was originally produced but I find it overly complex, especially as my interest is in stylized characters, so have been using Zwrap to wrap to CC4 base mesh with some success. One thing that was bothering me about that pipeline is that the facial animation on the MH now with MHA is far superior in my opinion to anything else, so I’m at a crossroads whether to actually carry on this pipeline with Zwrap (and now headshot 2 that I’m trying out, started yesterday) on CC4 and animate this way or whether to then use the export head feature to send to MH creator and then incorporate that and actually use the Metahuman to animate. There are several issues for me going down the actual MH mesh road.

Firstly, I can’t get the eyes to be as stylized as I would like using the MH mesh as going beyond certain sizes and shapes of eyes etc breaks the animation due to the MH post process functions in the Unreal dual skeleton approach. I can create my own normal maps to get stylized features, but still it will be limited in creating the type of characters I want.

Secondly, I find the process of body and head animations for the MH difficult and time consuming compared with animating a single CC4 skeleton.

Thirdly, to get the body stylized as well presents similar issues which leaves things like the Mesh Morpher plug-in which is an option, but again the complexity for this is in the post process MH animation where a lot of adjustments have to be made.

I’ve also tried the hybrid approach with a MH head on a CC4 or other body mesh, and yes it does work, but again the complexity is with the masking of the head to body and results are very mixed for me.

I’ve actually documented these 2 different workflows and the steps involved, and the only real benefit of the MH workflow I can’t get with the CC4/Zwrap/Headshot 2/ is the quality of the MHA quality for facial animation.

If you can get this plug-in to produce something near that MHA quality, then for me that is the magic bullet, the missing link that streamlines the pipeline significantly.

I look forward to the progress and development of the plug-in, and thank you for your efforts. 👍

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If anyone has a chance, I'd love love if anyone trying the plugin could please open the Console Log, and see what the error is - copy and paste it and send to me via direct message on here? Would be amazing! Otherwise I can't problem solve unfortunately.

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virtualfilmer.com | youtube

Just an update everyone - there's a new version that I'm confident fixes the problem. Here's the release note on it:

IMPORTANT: July 7, 2023 11:30pm. NEW VERSION RELEASED! 0.04b. :-) I discovered a bug that meant NO version so far will work on any PC really, unless you happen to have a little-known package called 'numpy' installed. I apologize! I now have set up a separate testing PC with a clean install of Windows 10 and iClone, so that this won't happen anymore. ANYWAY, I've posted version 0.04b and I'm hoping that will now work for everyone. :-)

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virtualfilmer.com | youtube

Yes exactly! I have a large spreadsheet of all the values, which has taken a long time to compare and double check etc etc etc. There are some that are 1:1 matches, and some where the MetaHuman version is split into four quadrants on the mouth instead of two, etc etc. A lot of complexity to it. But I have a plan written out (in that spreadsheet), I'm just taking it step by step with the coding.

In terms of the MH pipeline, I have got it working since the kit was originally produced but I find it overly complex

Yes I completely agree. I've been using my 'frankenmetahuman' process [its a video I made with a man and a woman boxing] and that has made it easier - asingle body and head COMBINED in iclone, for metahumans. And it means that characters can touch etc perfectly and it all matches absolutely in Unreal at the end. Before I developed that technique, it all was just impossible for me. 



I have a full-length tutorial made for that which is almost done, but I didn't get much up-take on that video haha so I think I'll wait and see if people start being interested to know more about it. 

One thing that was bothering me about that pipeline is that the facial animation on the MH now with MHA is far superior in my opinion to anything else, so I’m at a crossroads whether to actually carry on this pipeline

That's so interesting. I definitely am not at all familiar with the particular challenges of stylized characters when it comes to MetaHumans! Yes the post process blueprints - in fact ALL the blueprints when it comes to MetaHumans - are incredibly complicated. Very difficult if you're trying to do non-humans, I would think, because they simply haven't officially been playing with that (Epic I mean) and problem solving the issues. Difficult!

Secondly, I find the process of body and head animations for the MH difficult and time consuming compared with animating a single CC4 skeleton.

Well exactly. That's why I use the "frankenmetahuman" thing, but of course there's no such thing as MetaHuman dummies for non-human characters yet, so maybe that wouldn't work as well for you as it has been for me :-)

If you can get this plug-in to produce something near that MHA quality, then for me that is the magic bullet, the missing link that streamlines the pipeline significantly.

I'm not sure there is any perfect solution - it's hard, because even once MetaHuman facial animation is inside iClone, it's still going to be difficult to wrangle. But yes, could be good! As long as - and I know I keep saying this on this thread - you are committed to rendering in Unreal (otherwise Epic will get v annoyed). :-)

I'm hoping that there, at some point soon, becomes a true official Reallusion workflow for (a) a single metahuman body and face inside of iClone (even if its CC4 EXTENDED blendshapes on the face, but the body is 1:1 the same as the 18 MetaHuman body formats). And (2) facial animation import. I know this plug-in will do it, but I really hope that Reallusion themselves come to the party and throw some developers at it. :-)



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virtualfilmer.com | youtube

It works like a charm Toby. I can't wait to try the MHA importer


     

So glad to hear it’s working for you, Charly :))

There’s still things to do with the livelinkface arkit - it’s not as good as Rokoko (various things like lip touch etc that can be refined) but yes it’s close!

MetaHuman Animator is going to take me a while. But hang in there, I’ll get it done eventually :) So far it looks bad but every hour I work on it, it looks better and better

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virtualfilmer.com | youtube