GROUP PROJECT – Xuanyuan's blog

From Scratch to Screen: Building the Cthulhu Horror Short CG in UE5

My responsibilities :

Pre-pro: Human character design.
Assets: Human character modeling and rigging.
Animation: Mocap, facial capture, and animation synthesis.
Post-pro: UE5 integration, final rendering.

Human Character Design

The protagonist is defined as a submarine soldier. To evoke the claustrophobia of deep-sea environments, I opted for a realistic military aesthetic over flamboyant sci-fi elements.

Key Design Features:

Identity & Uniform: Inspired by modern naval fatigues and submarine workwear, I added rank insignia and vessel patches for professional authenticity.
Weathering & Durability: Given the cramped, metallic environment of a submarine, I applied heavy weathering to the textures to simulate wear-and-tear and deep-sea humidity.
Tactical Gear: To accommodate the “clipping the walkie-talkie” action in the script, I designed a quick-release mount on the chest rig to ensure the mocap animation looks logical.
Facial Topology: Knowing the submarine lighting would be dim, I emphasized facial bone structure during modeling to better capture the soldier’s terror through facial mocap.

The Patche I Designed

Human Character Modeling

I initiated the project by establishing a high-fidelity MetaHuman base. To reflect the WWII veteran background, I implemented custom LookDev, adding realistic scars and bruising to enhance the visual storytelling.

1. Garment Modeling & Texturing

In Blender, I refined the soldier’s clothing and designed custom textures. After integrating the textures with the mesh, I initially imported the assets into UE5 for character binding.

2. Weight Painting & Troubleshooting

During testing, I identified weight painting issues that caused unnatural deformation. To resolve this, I utilized Meta Tailor to recalibrate and optimize the weights between the garments and the character body, fixing initial clipping and stretching issues.

3. Refined Rigging in Maya

For superior dynamic results, I transitioned the model into Maya for advanced skeletal editing. I performed meticulous manual weight painting and fine-tuning to ensure that every fold and deformation behaved realistically.

4. Final Integration in UE5

Finally, I re-imported the optimized clothing back into UE5. Through final binding tests, the clothing now synchronizes perfectly with the character’s movements.

Motion Capture & Animation Synthesis

1. Vicon Data Integration

After acquiring the raw Vicon motion capture data, I linked it to my custom-designed soldier model within UE5. The goal was to establish a consistent logic between the source mocap skeleton and the target character skeleton.

2. Creating IK Retargeter (RTG)

To account for the proportional differences between the mocap actor and the 3D model, I developed an IK Retargeter (RTG). By configuring Retarget Chains, I ensured the character’s limbs accurately followed the mocap data trajectories.

Using the RTG, I successfully “translated” the high-fidelity Vicon data onto the soldier model. For critical sequences such as the “cautious backing away” and “sprinting”, I focused on refining Foot Locking to eliminate sliding, ensuring every step felt grounded and realistic.

Facial Capture & Implementation

1. Data Ingestion & Setup

To begin the process, I configured a Capture Source and linked it to my teammate raw iPhone data. Using the Capture Manager, I ingested the takes while ensuring the Depth Processing plugin was active to leverage the high-precision depth data from the iPhone’s TrueDepth camera.

2. Calibrating MetaHuman Identity

I developed a MetaHuman Identity asset to map the actor’s unique facial structure. After selecting a neutral frame for Tracking and Solving, I ran the Prepare for Performance command. This is a crucial step that bakes the rig logic required for the animation solver.

3. Processing the Performance

Once the identity was ready, I created a MetaHuman Performance asset. By linking the footage with the custom identity and clicking Process, the engine analyzed the video and depth frames to translate muscle movements into high-fidelity animation data.

4. Export & Implementation

I exported the final result as an Animation Sequence. In the Level Sequence, I applied this animation to the MetaHuman’s Face Component. This workflow allowed the character to perfectly mirror the original actor’s performance with incredible detail.

5. Asset Migration for Collaboration

To share the assets with my teammates, I used the Migrate tool. By migrating the sequences to the target project’s Content folder, I ensured that all skeletal dependencies remained intact for a seamless “plug-and-play” experience.

Technical Support & Team Collaboration

After finalizing the core character and animation pipeline, I transitioned into a cross-departmental technical support role to ensure the project’s overall stability. I assisted the animation team with cinematic layout calibration and conducted extensive scene troubleshooting to resolve playback bugs, rig deformations, and retargeting errors. Furthermore, I collaborated closely with the creature modeling team, taking charge of the custom skeletal rigging for the non-standard monster asset, and optimized its final animation sequences for smooth performance in Unreal Engine. By solving these technical bottlenecks and managing heavy asset optimization, I helped streamline the team’s workflow and ensured all individual components merged seamlessly into the final cinematic.