MetahumanToManny: Documentation

Learn how to convert MetaHuman skeletal meshes to UE5 Manny skeleton using Blender - step-by-step guide with video tutorial.

Introduction

This documentation covers how to use MetahumanToManny to convert MetaHuman skeletal meshes for compatibility with UE5 Manny. By the end of this guide, you'll be able to:

• Export MetaHuman meshes from Unreal Engine
• Run the in-place conversion in Blender
• Set up LOD hierarchy
• Export back to Unreal with correct settings

Video Tutorial

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:

Installation

Option 1: Blender Extensions (Recommended)

1. Open Blender
2. Go to Edit → Preferences → Get Extensions
3. Search for "MetahumanToManny"
4. Click Install

Option 2: itch.io

1. Download from itch.io
2. In Blender, go to Edit → Preferences → Add-ons
3. Click Install and select the downloaded .zip
4. Enable the add-on

Option 3: GitHub

1. Download from GitHub
2. In Blender, go to Edit → Preferences → Add-ons
3. Click Install and select the downloaded .zip
4. Enable the add-on

Step-by-Step Conversion

Step 1: Export from Unreal Engine

1. Open your Unreal project containing the MetaHuman
2. Navigate to the skeletal mesh assets you want to convert
3. Right-click and select Asset Actions → Export
4. Export as FBX with default settings

[!TIP] Export each body part (head, body, etc.) separately for easier management.

Step 2: Import into Blender

1. Open Blender
2. File → Import → FBX
3. Select your exported MetaHuman FBX file
4. Import with default settings

Step 3: Run In-Place Conversion

This is the main conversion step that transforms the MetaHuman skeleton to Manny-compatible format.

1. In the 3D viewport, select one LOD mesh (e.g., head_lod0_mesh)
2. Shift-click to also select the armature
3. Open the sidebar (N key) and find the MetahumanToManny panel
4. Click In Place Conversion

The add-on will automatically:

• Process all LOD levels
• Clean up face bone weights
• Fix twist bone naming
• Normalize toe chains
• Adjust seams

Step 4: Setup LOD Hierarchy

After conversion, you need to organize the LOD meshes:

1. Select any LOD mesh
2. In the MetahumanToManny panel, click Setup LOD Hierarchy

This creates an empty parent object that organizes all LODs correctly for Unreal.

Step 5: Export to Unreal

1. Select all meshes (including the LOD empty parent)
2. Shift-select the armature
3. File → Export → FBX
4. Use these settings:

[!IMPORTANT] Only the face mesh requires material section reordering after import in Unreal.

Import Back to Unreal

1. In Unreal, Import your exported FBX
2. Set the skeleton to SK_Mannequin (UE5 Manny)
3. Import and verify the mesh works with Manny animations

Your converted MetaHuman mesh is now fully compatible with:

• UE5 Manny IK Retargeter
• Manny animation blueprints
• Shared animation assets

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Mesh appears distorted after conversion

• Ensure you selected both the mesh AND armature before running conversion
• Try running conversion on each body part separately

Export creates extra bones

• Disable "Add Leaf Bones" in FBX export settings

Materials look wrong in Unreal

• For face mesh, reorder material sections in Unreal's skeletal mesh editor

Animations don't retarget correctly

• Verify the skeleton was set to SK_Mannequin on import
• Check that IK Retargeter is properly configured

Best Practices

• Keep pose presets: Save a pose matching preset per MetaHuman archetype to speed up repeated conversions
• Preserve blendshapes: If you need facial blendshapes, skip deleting relevant vertex groups during cleanup
• Fix seams early: Run seam fixes before parenting to avoid split normals on export

Limitations

Additional Resources