When importing a Skeletal Mesh, inside the FBX Import Options window, leaving the Skeleton field empty will automatically create a Skeleton asset based on the Skeletal Mesh being imported.Īfter importing your Skeletal Mesh, the Skeleton asset will be created:ĭouble-clicking on the Skeleton asset will open the Skeleton Editor:Įvery Skeletal Mesh or animation that you import into the Engine, requires an associated Skeleton asset.ĭuring the FBX Import process, instead of creating a Skeleton, you may use an existing Skeleton asset (pending the rules for sharing Skeleton assets are met).Ī Skeleton's initial proportions are defined by the original Skeletal Mesh from which it was created and is important to consider when retargeting animations.

The primary way to create a Skeleton asset occurs during the importing of a Skeletal Mesh. If you are new to animation in UE4, to obtain a greater understanding of Skeleton assets, it is recommended you check out the Working with Skeletons tutorial series: Storing Animation Curves (which can be used to drive Material Parameters or Morph Targets) and Slot Names (which can be used to play Anim Montages for a Character). Storing Anim Notifies - which allow you to add effects to animations like footstep sounds, particle systems or even custom events that may trigger other code.

In addition to driving animation, the Skeleton asset is responsible for:Īnimation Retargeting - which allows the adjustment of animations for characters with different proportions.Ĭreating and saving Sockets - which allows you to attach things to your characters. The sharing of a Skeleton asset between Skeletal Meshes provides a way for you to share animations between characters or even entire Animation Blueprints used to define animation logic for a character.

The primary focus of the Skeleton asset is to handle animation data, not the Skeletal Mesh.Īnother important facet of the Skeleton asset is that if your Skeletal Meshes share the same Skeleton asset (pending some basic rules are met), you can share animation data even if the hierarchy does not exactly match.

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