GUIDE

How to make yourself into a realistic game character

Headshot 3 builds a 3D head from a single front photo, and Character Creator 5 gives it a high-detail body with 8K skin. Together they produce a character that looks like you and is already rigged for animation.

For a convincing likeness, photograph yourself in soft, even light with a neutral face from the front, both sides and three-quarter, plus full-body photos for proportions. Then refine the face with guide curves, remove the photo lighting with DeLight, and fit clothes made in Blender.

The steps

1. Step 23: Photograph yourself

   Headshot 3 needs only one front photo. For the best likeness, shoot in soft even light with a neutral face: front, both sides and three-quarter, plus full-body front, side and back.

2. Step 24: Generate your head in Headshot 3

   Load the front photo into Character Creator 5 and run Headshot. Its AI builds the head and fills in what the photo cannot see. Then refine it to look like you.

3. Step 25: Build the body in Character Creator 5

   Start from the HD base, which carries up to 16 times more mesh detail. Set your height and proportions, use 8K skin for pores and wrinkles, and pick the HD facial profile so MetaHuman facial animation works on you.

4. Step 26: Create and fit the costume and gear

   Start with Character Creator clothing that fits automatically. Model custom pieces in Blender, import them, and let Character Creator transfer the skin weights.

5. Step 27: Make the surface detail

   Every custom piece needs UVs (a flat layout for its textures), texture maps and materials for skin, cloth, leather and metal. Fine sculpted detail is baked into normal maps.

6. Step 29: Check the skeleton and skin weights

   Bend shoulders, elbows, knees, fingers and waist. Fix any stretching or clothes poking through.

7. Step 30: Create or obtain the animations

   At minimum: idle, walk, run, jump, land, attack, dodge, hit reaction and death. Capture yourself, buy motion, or keyframe with AI help, then retarget onto your skeleton.

8. Step 33: Build other species

   Humanoid species come from Character Creator morphs, ActorMixer blends and Blender sculpting, so they keep the shared skeleton and animations. Non-humanoid creatures are sculpted and rigged separately.

Common questions