MetaHuman Creator

MetaHuman Creator allows anyone to create realistic digital people „in minutes“. Software and gaming company Epic Games has created an app that can build lifelike virtual humans for games and movies.

Named MetaHuman Creator, the app has an interface similar to that of The Sims video game that allows users to select from a variety of preset faces.

They can then customise everything from lip protrusion to eye distance, skin complexion and teeth, creating humans with lifelike wrinkles, broken capillaries and individual bristles of stubble.

The final „digital human asset“ can be downloaded and animated using the motion-capture tools within Epic Games‚ 3D creation platform Unreal Engine for use as a character in video games, films or other virtual productions.

„Up until now, building realistic digital humans has been an arduous process that takes weeks or months and lots of technical expertise,“ said Epic Games‘ chief technology officer Kim Libreri.

„It’s a difficult, expensive endeavour that has traditionally only been attainable by blockbuster game development studios,“ he told Dezeen.

„Creation time for a high-quality digital character can now be measured in minutes and hours rather than weeks or months.“

The app lets users choose from 18 different preset body types as well as a variety of clothing options and hairstyles using Unreal Engine’s photorealistic „strand-based hair system“.

This information can be downloaded with varying levels of detail (LOD) via Quixel Bridge, a desktop management system for high-resolution 3D models.

So far, Epic Games has released two sample characters to allow users to experiment with the software before it is officially launched later this year.

South Korean electronics giant Samsung has previously created a series of lifelike avatars, called Neons, that are powered by artificial intelligence to act like human-shaped chatbots…