In nuce: Epic Games has released version 1.3 of its MetaHuman Creator – initially as Early Access. This is software that can be used to create 3D human characters. This is accompanied by another release – the MetaHuman DNA Calibration Library , which includes several add-ons for the MetaHuman Creator. The library is intended to simplify the customised editing of 3D characters in tandem with the MetaHuman Creator. The library allows access to a wide range of customisable assets (such as hairstyles or clothing) that can be used to equip 3D characters and is primarily aimed at technical artists. The library is made available via binary files for Windows and Linux.

MetaHuman Creator Early Access Out Now: Meet the Team | Unreal Engine

In toto: Below are just a few of the innovations that come with the dual release. In the almost five-minute video above, Vladimir Mastilovic, Vice President of Digital Humans Technology at Epic Games, Paul Doyle, Director of Product Management at Epic Games, and James Golding, Technical Director at Epic Games, explain what Early Access entails.

• Exporting .mhb files: This facilitates collaborative work on a 3D character. Once exported as a .mhb file, other users can import it into their MetaHuman Creator to work on the design of a character. Until now, characters created using the MetaHuman Creator were linked to the respective artist’s Epic Games account.
• The MetaHuman DNA Calibration Library is divided into DNACalib and DNAViewer. DNACalib can be used, for example, to rename character meshes, remove joints, facial blendshapes or LODs. DNACalib is a C library with Python bindings. DNAViewer, on the other hand, reads DNA files into Maya, creating a 3D head equipped with operable rigs. The rigged 3D head can be exported from Maya in FBX format.

Click further: All further information can be found in the official announcement on unrealengine.com . Interested parties can access MetaHuman via unrealengine.com/en/metahuman.

Sources: cgchannel.com ( message from Jim Thacker), unrealengine.com ( blog entry from Epic Games)

The post MetaHuman Creator 1.3 and DNA Calibration Library ! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: Quixel, the developer behind the PBR scan library Megascans and the asset tools Bridge and Mixer (Digital Production reported on13 November 2019 on the acquisition of Quixel by Epic Games), has released the latest version of its material authoring tool: Mixer 2022.1. cgchannel.com says Mixer is a non-destructive, layer-based toolset tailored for multi-channel painting and sculpting.

In toto: The new functions of Mixer 2022.1 will follow shortly.

• Support for emissive and opacity maps: For example, rendering of opacity maps is now user-definable; materials assigned to a model can be set regarding rendering. This includes the ability to render hard or soft hidden masks.
• How are materials displayed on 3D models? There are now new selection options for this. In some cases, materials can now also be rendered transparently or on both sides.
• A new Bloom effect has also been added, with settings for intensity, radius and threshold values.

How will Mixer evolve? Mixer 2022.1 is described on cgchannel.com as “one of the last updates to Mixer” in its current form, based on a comment from Quixel Community Support Lead Jonathan Holmes. Quixel will continue to be developed in the future, positioning itself even more strongly than before. According to cgchannel.com, Jonathan Holmes is currently unable to disclose specific details. In our report from 13 November 2019 , author Tom Jansen emphasised that Mixer was originally “seen as a competitor to Substance Tools” by Epic Games. An indication of how the development of Mixer could continue?

Click further: The corresponding release note provides further information on Mixer 2022.1

Source: cgchannel.com ( message from Jim Thacker)

The post The material authoring tool Mixer 2022.1 is released! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: Epic Games recently announced the release of Unreal Engine 5.1 Preview – the test version of the next update of the popular graphics engine. Unreal Engine 5.1 Preview is now available for developers.

https://twitter.com/UnrealEngine/status/1578037898485542912?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^1578037898485542912|twgr^55ff31a94b843c3e7f8a129bb5e6c228f34bdae6|twcon^s1_&ref_url=https://80.lv/articles/unreal-engine-5-1-preview-is-now-available/

In toto: The background to this: Epic Games hopes to use the test version to find and fix bugs with the support of users. It can be strongly assumed that this test version is still heavily buggy. It is therefore advisable to wait until the full release to tackle serious creative projects with Unreal Engine 5.1. If you want to try out the test version, you can use the How to Report a Bug guide on unrealengine.com to participate in the further development. In the corresponding announcement by Epic Games Community Lead Amanda Schade, it says: “Developers can experience improved performance with Lumen, Nanite and Virtual Shadow Maps, which now also supports games with 60 FPS on next-gen game consoles and PCs.” Virtual Shadow Maps provide high-quality shadow casts in real time.

Clicked further: The Unreal Engine 5.1 preview is available on Epic Games’ GitHub page .

The post Jetzt Unreal Engine 5.1 Preview testen! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.