Epic Games has unveiled MetaHuman Creator, a tool for creating 3D digital humans that you can use right in your browser. It has several possible applications, including games and animation. Its greatest appeal is the ease with which users can create stunning, photorealistic humans in a matter of hours instead of weeks.
“So far, one of the most arduous tasks in creating 3D content has been to build truly compelling digital humans,” said Vladimir Mastilovic, vice president of digital technology at Epic Games, in a press release. “Even the most experienced artists require a significant amount of time, effort and equipment, just for one character.”
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Via MetaHuman Creator, the time it takes to assemble a 3D character is reportedly reduced from weeks or months to less than an hour. The app also makes it easy for developers to create a multitude of different characters, which should be useful when creating character-based experiences for the latest generation of consoles, Xbox Series X | S and PlayStation 5. The app’s creations have now been tested for Xbox Series X | S, PS5 and PS4 – they work on mobile devices too, although the visual quality is not as high as what you get on consoles.
“It’s mainly about democratization, we want to transform the industry, people couldn’t [do these kind of] things because of budgets, but now storytellers can do it, “Mastilovic told GameSpot in an interview.” New types of stories can be told now. “
So far, our favorite part of the app is the ability to quickly apply a variety of hair styles to a character, including more diverse styles that better suit people of color. MetaHuman Creator also includes 18 different body types and several clothing options, which should help in creating more diverse characters.
“[MetaHuman Creator] it’s a game, the goal of the game is to make a character – the standalone version is difficult, as it feeds on a database that cannot be dispatched, “Mastilovic told GameSpot.” It is accessible through Pixel Streaming; [we] I can imagine influencers creating avatars and movies with [their] character itself. “
The app does not allow child and teen characters at the beginning – Epic Games found it difficult to scan resources from younger individuals. And as realistic as 3D models are, MetaHuman Creator was not designed to create substitutes for real people.
“The characters look incredible [and have] fantastic animation, but are they ready for the big screen? Will they be able to digitally replace Luke Skywalker? “Said Kim Libreri, CTO of Epic Games, speaking to GameSpot.” No, [the app isn’t] quite ready for that yet. “
In May 2020, Epic Games unveiled Unreal Engine 5, the latest version of its game creation technology, running on PS5. Unreal 5 promises to deliver photorealistic graphics – Epic has already confirmed that Fortnite will transition to Unreal 5 in 2021, and developer inXile Entertainment is planning to use the new engine in its next game.