Unreal Engine pipelines often rely on FBX for skeletal meshes and animation imports. If you have a static FBX character (no skeleton), the fastest route is: make sure it's in a correct T-pose, run auto-rigging, then import the resulting skeletal FBX into Unreal as a Skeletal Mesh.
Step 1: Make sure your FBX is in a clean T-pose
- arms straight out horizontally (not "almost T")
- legs straight, feet flat
- no extreme twists in shoulders/wrists
- apply transforms in your DCC if possible
Step 2: Auto-rig the FBX online
Upload your FBX (or provide a direct link) on autorig.online and run the rig. After the task completes, download the Unreal-friendly FBX export.
Step 3: Import into Unreal
- In Unreal, go to Content Browser → Import.
- Select the rigged FBX export.
- Choose Skeletal Mesh (not Static Mesh).
- If there are animations included, enable Import Animations.
- Import and open the Skeletal Mesh asset to preview.
Step 4: Retargeting (optional)
If you want to reuse animations from another character, Unreal's retargeting tools can map animations between skeletons. The better your base pose and proportions, the smoother retargeting will be.
Common Unreal issues
Mesh is scaled wrong
Scale mismatches come from inconsistent units. If you can, normalize the scale in your DCC before rigging.
Skinning artifacts
Auto skinning is a best-effort process. Heavy clothing, armor, or unusual topology can create deformations. For hero characters, use the auto-rig as a baseline and polish weights manually.
Bone orientation warnings
Unreal is picky about skeleton consistency. Use one consistent export path (same tool) for all your characters to avoid unexpected bone axis behavior.
Tip: If you're seeing consistent issues, try improving the starting pose first. Pose quality matters more than people expect.