Epic Games, creator of the video game ‘Fornite’, has released a preview of its browser-based software tool that allows developers to create ‘digital humans’.
Powered by the company’s Unreal Engine, MetaHuman Creator offers dozens of hair styles, ear types, lip tones and more, allowing users to mix and match to create 3D characters that move and speak as if they were human – all which can be completed in less than an hour.
The system works by pulling the human look and movement from a huge library of variants, which are used as a starting point for developers who can then mix and match the presets provided.
Epic says that ‘when you’re happy with your human’, you can download digital creation for use in movies, video games and a variety of applications.
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Epic Games, creator of the video game ‘Fornite’, has released a preview of its browser-based software tool called MetaHuman, which allows developers to create ‘digital humans’
Creating digital humans is not an innovation, as there are several applications capable of accomplishing this task, but Epic says that MetaHuman allows users to create 3D characters in less than an hour – others can take weeks to months.
Along with its advanced speed, MetaHuman can be opened within a browser, eliminating the need to download another application to your computer.
“It works based on an ever-growing library of variants of human appearance and movement, and allows you to create compelling new characters through intuitive workflows that allow you to sculpt and create the result you want,” Epic said. Games on your website.
‘As you make adjustments, MetaHuman Creator combines real examples in the library in a plausible and data-constrained way.’
It offers dozens of hair styles, ear types, lip tones and more, allowing users to mix and match to create 3D characters that move and speak as if they were human – all of which can be completed in less than an hour
The system allows users to choose from a library of presets, including 30 hair styles and 18 different body types. Epic says that ‘when you’re happy with your human’, you can download digital creation for use in movies, video games and a variety of applications
The creation of digital humans is not an innovation, as there are several applications capable of accomplishing this task, but Epic says that MetaHuman allows users to create 3D characters in less than an hour – others can take weeks to months
‘You can choose a starting point by selecting a series of predefined faces to contribute to your human from a diverse range in the database.’
The system allows users to choose from a library of presets, including 30 hair styles and 18 different body types.
Characters can sport a long beard or a short haircut, in addition to being completely bald.
There are also a variety of skin tones and other features to choose from.
MetaHuman also allows motion capture and animation techniques that provide digital creations with realistic movements and human interaction scenes for use in video games, movies and other applications.
And digital humans can also be manipulated in real time in the navigation tool, says Epic.
Characters can sport a long beard or a short haircut, in addition to being completely bald. There are also a variety of skin tones and other features to choose from
MetaHuman also allows motion capture and animation techniques that provide digital creations with realistic movements and human interaction scenes for use in video games, films and other applications
Vladimir Mastilovic, VP, Digital Humans Technology at Epic Games, said: ‘So far, one of the most arduous tasks in creating 3D content has been to build truly compelling digital humans. Even the most experienced artists require a significant amount of time, effort and equipment, just for one character. ‘
“After decades of research and development, and thanks to bringing companies like 3Lateral, Cubic Motion and Quixel to the Epic family, this barrier is being removed through the Unreal Engine and we are excited to introduce the MetaHuman Creator.”
Epic also notes that ‘MetaHuman Creator will be available as part of an early access program in the coming months.’