Exporting Low-Poly Characters from Blender to Unreal Engine 4

Are you looking to take your low-poly character creations from Blender to Unreal Engine 4? In this guide, we will walk through the essential steps and considerations to ensure a seamless transition. Let's dive in and explore the process in detail.

Preparation in Blender

First and foremost, before exporting your character, it's crucial to set up the model correctly in Blender. Here are the key steps you need to follow:

UV Unwrapping

• Enter edit mode in Blender and select all vertices by pressing 'A'.
• Proceed to unwrap the model by pressing 'U' and selecting 'Reset'.
• This method ensures that all UV islands have uniform sizes, facilitating texturing.
• Check out detailed video tutorials on this texturing technique for low-poly models in the description below.

Exporting as FBX

• Switch back to object mode and select both the character and the armature.
• Use a simple trick by pressing 'Ctrl' and clicking the hierarchy icon to select all related objects.
• Export these selected objects as FBX with specific settings:
  • Choose to export selected objects only.
  • Include both mesh and armature.
  • Apply modifiers, ensuring the mirror modifier is set correctly.
  • Set smoothing to 'Face' for the armature.
  • Keep all animation options checked for a comprehensive export.

Importing into Unreal Engine 4

Once you have successfully exported your character from Blender, it's time to bring it into Unreal Engine 4. Follow these steps for a smooth import process:

• Directly export the FBX file to your Unreal Engine 4 project directory.
• Upon import, ensure the following settings:
  • Reset to default in the FBX import dialog.
  • Remove any automatically assigned skeleton.
  • Keep other options unchanged.
  • Import animations must be checked to retain character movements.

Testing and Finalization

After importing the character into Unreal Engine 4, you will find the skeleton, physics asset, idle animation, and skeletal mesh ready for use. Follow these final steps:

• Drag the idle animation into the scene to preview the character in action.
• Test the animation within the engine to ensure smooth playback.
• Consider adding new animations, assets (such as weapons), and configuring the character as a player or enemy based on your game requirements.

Conclusion

Exporting low-poly characters from Blender to Unreal Engine 4 opens up a world of possibilities for game development. By following the outlined steps, you can seamlessly transfer your creations and further enhance them within the Unreal Engine environment.

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