MetaHuman: What It Is and Why It Matters
MetaHuman is Epic Games' real-time digital human framework for Unreal Engine 5. It provides an online character creator (MetaHuman Creator) that generates photorealistic human characters with a fully rigged face, body, hair groom, and clothing — all ready to animate in UE5 without any manual rigging work.
What took production teams months of custom development is now achievable in hours. The MetaHuman framework includes a 72-bone face rig designed for ARKit compatibility, a standard Mannequin-based body skeleton, hair and clothing simulation, and Level of Detail (LOD) management for real-time performance. It integrates directly with Live Link Face for iPhone ARKit facial capture, with motion capture animation workflows, and with MetaHuman Animator — Epic's high-fidelity offline face solve pipeline.
This tutorial covers the full MetaHuman workflow: creating a character, importing it to UE5, setting up facial animation, connecting body motion capture, and using the character in a cinematic or game pipeline.
What you'll learn: By the end of this metahuman tutorial, you'll know how to build a photorealistic digital human from scratch in MetaHuman Creator, import it into Unreal Engine 5, and animate it using both iPhone-based facial capture and professional body motion capture. You'll understand the difference between Live Link Face streaming and MetaHuman Animator offline processing, how to combine face and body tracks in Sequencer, and how to connect metahuman animation from external mocap sources to your character's skeleton. Whether you're targeting a real-time game, a cinematic cutscene, or a virtual production workflow, this guide gives you the technical foundation to get there.
Step 1: Create a MetaHuman in MetaHuman Creator
MetaHuman Creator is a browser-based tool accessed through the Unreal Engine Fab marketplace or directly at the Epic Games portal.
Accessing MetaHuman Creator:
1. Log into your Epic Games account
2. Navigate to Fab marketplace and search for "MetaHuman Plugin" — install it for your UE5 version
3. Inside UE5, go to Window → MetaHuman Creator to launch the web tool, or access it directly in your browser
Creating the character:
MetaHuman Creator provides a library of over 60 preset characters spanning diverse age ranges, body types, and facial structures. You can:
- Start from a preset and sculpt variations using blend shape sliders
- Adjust facial features (jaw shape, nose width, eye depth, cheekbone height) with intuitive sliders
- Set skin tone, eye color, freckles, and texture detail
- Choose from hair groom options or leave the head bare for custom hair implementation
- Select clothing outfits (the default outfits use the MetaHuman standard rig)
Optimization settings:
MetaHuman Creator allows setting LOD performance targets. For cinematic use, max quality (LOD0) uses the full 72-bone face rig with displacement mapping and ray-traced hair. For real-time game use, select the performance profile that hits your target polygon/render budget.
Saving:
Click Export to My Project. The character is saved to your Epic account and becomes available for download into any linked UE5 project.
Step 2: Import a MetaHuman Into Unreal Engine 5
Once created, the MetaHuman character is downloaded into UE5 via the Quixel Bridge or the MetaHuman plugin.
Import steps:
1. In UE5, open Window → Quixel Bridge (or the MetaHumans panel if using the dedicated plugin)
2. Navigate to My MetaHumans and find your character
3. Click Download — UE5 downloads the Blueprint, skeletal mesh, materials, and all associated assets
4. The MetaHuman appears in your Content Browser under Content/MetaHumans/[CharacterName]/
What you receive:
- Blueprint (BP_[Name]): The main character Blueprint containing the Face and Body components
- Skeletal Meshes: Body_Mesh and Face_Mesh (separate meshes with separate skeletons)
- Materials and textures: Full PBR material sets for skin, hair, eyes, teeth
- Groom assets: Physics-simulated hair if applicable
- Animation Blueprint (ABP_Face): The face animation Blueprint pre-configured for ARKit blend shapes
Place the MetaHuman Blueprint in your level. The character appears with default T-pose body animation and neutral face expression.
Step 3: Set Up Facial Animation With Live Link Face
Live Link Face is Epic's free iOS application that streams ARKit face capture data from an iPhone to UE5 in real time. Combined with MetaHuman's ARKit-compatible face rig, this gives you real-time high-quality face capture for no hardware cost beyond an iPhone.
Prerequisites:
- iPhone with Face ID (iPhone X or newer; iPhone 12+ recommended)
- Live Link Face app installed (free, App Store)
- UE5 with Live Link plugin enabled (Edit → Plugins → Live Link)
- Both devices on the same Wi-Fi network
Configuration:
1. In UE5, go to Window → Live Link panel
2. Click + Source → Face AR Source
3. Enter your iPhone's IP address (visible in iPhone Settings → Wi-Fi → tap your network)
4. Open the Live Link Face app on your iPhone
5. Go to Settings → UE — enter your PC's IP address and port 11111
6. Enable Live in the app
7. In UE5's Live Link panel, the subject appears with a green active indicator
Connecting to the MetaHuman:
The MetaHuman's Face Blueprint (BP_Face) already includes a Live Link Component configured for ARKit data. Open the MetaHuman's Face Blueprint and verify that the Live Link Subject Name in the Live Link Component matches the subject name showing in the Live Link panel (typically "iPhone").
Once connected, press Play in the editor — the MetaHuman's face mirrors the performer's expressions in real time.
Step 4: Record a Face Capture Performance
For use in cinematics or stored animation assets, you need to record the face capture rather than use it only in real-time preview.
Using Take Recorder:
1. Go to Window → Take Recorder
2. Add a source: your MetaHuman actor, or specifically the Face component
3. Enable Live Link Face as a source in the Sources panel
4. Press Record and have the performer deliver the capture
5. Stop recording — UE5 creates an Animation Sequence from the captured blend shape data
This recorded Animation Sequence can be used in Sequencer (UE5's cinematic tool), applied directly to the MetaHuman in any scene, or exported as FBX for use in DCC tools.
Using MetaHuman Animator (higher quality):
MetaHuman Animator (available in UE5.2+) is an offline solve that processes iPhone video footage through a neural face solve model and produces higher-quality results than raw ARKit streaming.
- Open the MetaHuman Animator tool (Window → MetaHuman Animator)
- Import iPhone video footage (recorded from the Live Link Face app's video export)
- Assign your MetaHuman character
- Run the solve (takes several minutes per take)
- Review the solve result and export as an Animation Sequence
MetaHuman Animator produces noticeably better lip, eye, and subtle expression results than real-time ARKit streaming. Use it for hero cinematic performances; use Live Link Face for iteration and live applications.
Step 5: Connect Body Animation
The MetaHuman body uses a Mannequin-based skeleton, which means all standard UE5 body animation workflows apply directly.
Using MoCap Online animation packs:
MoCap Online's packs use a skeleton aligned with UE5's Mannequin hierarchy. Import FBX animations via the standard UE5 FBX import workflow:
1. Drag FBX into Content Browser
2. In FBX Import Options, select the MetaHuman body skeleton (BP_AnimBP_Body or the underlying body SKM's skeleton)
3. Enable Import Animations
4. Click Import All
The resulting Animation Sequences can be applied directly to the MetaHuman Blueprint's Body component in Sequencer or via an Animation Blueprint.
Combining face and body in Sequencer:
In UE5's Sequencer (a cinematic track-based editor):
1. Add your MetaHuman actor to the Sequence
2. Add an Animation Track for the body — drag in the body Animation Sequence
3. Add an Animation Track for the face — drag in the face capture Animation Sequence (from Take Recorder or MetaHuman Animator)
4. The two tracks compose cleanly — body skeletal animation drives the body bones, face blend shape animation drives the face morph targets independently
This is the standard cinematic workflow: professional body mocap from a library + iPhone face capture = complete character performance at accessible production cost.
Step 6: Optimize for Real-Time Use
MetaHumans at max quality LOD are expensive to render. For real-time game use (not just cinematics), optimization is essential.
LOD management:
MetaHuman includes 8 LOD levels. In your MetaHuman Blueprint:
- Set LOD0 (full quality) for close-up cutscenes
- Set LOD2–3 for mid-distance gameplay
- Use the LOD bias system to automatically switch based on screen size
Groom hair: Physics-simulated groom hair is the most expensive element. For distant game characters, replace groom hair with a texture-mapped hair card version (UE5 includes both in the MetaHuman asset set).
Nanite: MetaHuman meshes support Nanite for virtual geometry. Enable Nanite on the body mesh for distance-adaptive geometry density.
MetaHuman Performance Capture: Connecting Live Capture to Your Character
Performance capture for a metahuman ue5 character involves two separate systems working in parallel: face capture that drives the 72-bone facial rig via blend shapes, and body animation that drives the Mannequin-based skeleton. Understanding how each input source connects to the MetaHuman is the key to assembling a convincing full-body performance.
Face Capture via iPhone Live Link Face
The iPhone's TrueDepth camera and ARKit framework generate 52 blend shape coefficients — one for every major facial muscle group — at up to 60 frames per second. Live Link Face transmits this data over your local Wi-Fi network to UE5's Live Link system, where the MetaHuman's ABP_Face Animation Blueprint maps each coefficient to the corresponding morph target on the face mesh. For recording a final performance, Take Recorder captures the incoming blend shape stream as an Animation Sequence. Open Take Recorder via Window → Take Recorder, add your MetaHuman actor as a source (or specifically its Face component), ensure Live Link Face is enabled as a data source, and hit Record. When you stop, UE5 writes the captured blend shape curves directly into an Animation Sequence that you can trim, reuse, and composite in Sequencer just like any keyframe animation.
Body Animation via Rokoko, Mocap Suit, and MoCap Online Packs
The MetaHuman body skeleton is the standard UE5 Mannequin hierarchy, which means any source of Mannequin-compatible animation drives it without custom retargeting. Real-time body capture from a Rokoko Smartsuit Pro streams via the Rokoko plugin directly into a MetaHuman Blueprint in the editor — useful for previsualization and virtual production. For production-quality body animation, professional mocap libraries provide pre-cleaned, game-ready FBX animation sequences that import directly onto the MetaHuman body skeleton. When importing FBX, select the MetaHuman body skeleton (found under Content/MetaHumans/[CharacterName]/) in the FBX Import Options dialog, enable Import Animations, and UE5 creates the Animation Sequence bound to the correct skeleton automatically.
Recording Performances With Take Recorder and Baking to the MetaHuman Skeleton
Take Recorder is UE5's dedicated live performance capture tool — it handles both face blend shape streams and body mocap input in a single recording session. For body animation coming from a live mocap suit, enable the corresponding Live Link subject as a Take Recorder source alongside the face data. Once recorded, the resulting takes appear as Level Sequences in your Content Browser. To bake the captured animation onto the MetaHuman skeleton permanently — rather than keeping it as a live-evaluated Live Link stream — use the Animation Sequence Bake function in the Animation Editor: open the recorded sequence, select Bake, and UE5 evaluates the IK solve and writes the result as a standard keyframed Animation Sequence on the MetaHuman bones. This baked result is portable, reusable, and no longer depends on any live connection or plugin at runtime.
Compositing Face and Body in Sequencer
Unreal Engine's Sequencer handles face and body tracks as independent layers on the same MetaHuman actor. Add your MetaHuman to a Level Sequence, create an Animation Track for the Body component, and assign your body Animation Sequence. Then create a separate Animation Track for the Face component and assign the face capture Animation Sequence from Take Recorder or MetaHuman Animator. Because the face mesh and body mesh use separate skeletons, the two tracks compose without conflict — body skeletal data drives bones, face data drives morph targets, and both evaluate simultaneously at runtime. This architecture is what makes the unreal engine metahuman pipeline exceptional for cinematic production: a single actor carries professional-grade body performance and high-fidelity face capture, combined in a non-destructive, fully editable timeline.
FAQ: MetaHuman Tutorial
Is MetaHuman free to use?
MetaHuman Creator is free. MetaHuman characters are free to use in UE5 projects. There is no licensing cost per character or per project. The underlying UE5 engine has its standard royalty terms for commercial projects (5% of gross revenue above $1M USD as of 2024).
Can MetaHumans be exported to other engines?
MetaHumans are tightly integrated with UE5's rendering pipeline. They can be exported as FBX for use in Maya, Blender, or other DCCs, but the hair groom, displacement, and real-time material complexity don't transfer. Third-party tools exist for importing MetaHumans to Unity or other engines, but they require significant asset conversion work.
What is the difference between Live Link Face and MetaHuman Animator?
Live Link Face streams real-time ARKit blend shape data — 52 coefficients computed by the iPhone's depth sensor — directly to the MetaHuman rig. MetaHuman Animator is an offline process that analyzes video footage with a neural model trained on performance capture data and produces a higher-fidelity solve. Live Link Face is for real-time applications; MetaHuman Animator is for cinematic quality.
How do I animate a MetaHuman body?
MetaHuman body uses the standard UE5 Mannequin skeleton. Any UE5-compatible animation — from motion capture packs, Mixamo, or custom animation — can drive the MetaHuman body through standard Animation Blueprint or Sequencer workflows. Professional mocap packs from MoCap Online are designed for minimal friction with the Mannequin skeleton.
Can I use my own face scan with MetaHuman?
Epic has released MetaHuman Identity, a tool that allows you to start a MetaHuman from a video scan of a real face. The resulting character blends photogrammetry data with the MetaHuman rig, producing a digital double of a real person. This requires clean reference footage and specific capture conditions.
Can I use MetaHuman with motion capture animation packs?
Yes — MetaHuman's body skeleton is based on the standard UE5 Mannequin hierarchy, which is the same skeleton that professional mocap animation packs are authored for. You import FBX animation files from a pack like MoCap Online's library directly into UE5, select the MetaHuman body skeleton during import, and the resulting Animation Sequences play correctly on your MetaHuman character without any retargeting step. This makes it straightforward to layer professional locomotion, combat, acting, and daily-life animations onto a photorealistic digital human and use them in Sequencer or an Animation Blueprint.
How do I retarget mocap animations to a MetaHuman in UE5?
If the source animation was built for a different skeleton (such as a custom character rig or a Mixamo skeleton), UE5's IK Retargeter handles the conversion. Open the IK Retargeter asset, set the source skeleton as the origin and the MetaHuman body skeleton as the target, then define the IK chain mappings — Root, Spine, Left/Right arm chains, Left/Right leg chains, and head. Once the mapping is configured, use the Export Animations function to batch-bake all selected Animation Sequences to the MetaHuman skeleton. For animations already authored on the UE5 Mannequin skeleton (like MoCap Online packs), this retargeting step is not needed at all because the MetaHuman body skeleton is compatible by design.
What is the MetaHuman LOD system and how does it affect animation?
MetaHuman includes eight Level of Detail (LOD) tiers, from LOD0 (full cinematic quality with 72-bone face rig, displacement, ray-traced hair groom) down to LOD7 (a highly simplified mesh for distant views). The LOD level affects which bones are evaluated, whether physics simulation runs on the groom, and how many vertices the mesh contains — but the core metahuman animation data is the same regardless of LOD. For game production, you typically render cinematics at LOD0 and gameplay at LOD2 or LOD3 to hit real-time frame budgets. You can set LOD bias overrides in the MetaHuman Blueprint to force specific tiers at specific distances, and UE5's Scalability system can tie LOD selection to graphics quality settings automatically.
Bring Your MetaHuman to Life
A MetaHuman with compelling body animation requires professional motion capture quality. Browse the MoCap Online motion capture animation library for locomotion, combat, daily life, and cinematic acting packs designed for the UE5 Mannequin skeleton — and therefore directly compatible with MetaHuman's body rig.
Start with the free animation pack to verify the import workflow for your MetaHuman setup, then explore cinematic acting packs and specific performance categories for your project type. For face capture workflow guides and UE5 animation tutorials, visit the animation blog.