Tutorial — MetaHuman Avatar into Marvelous Designer

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How to bring the figure's own MetaHuman body into MD as the avatar, so garments are cut and fitted to the real character rather than a stock mannequin.

Draft. Written from Marvelous Designer's and Epic's documentation. Validate on the first figure and correct menu names here.

1. Two ways in

Route Needs Use when
A. DNA importer (recommended) MD 2025.2 or later; the character's body and head .dna files Normal case. The avatar arrives rigged, in one step
B. Combined Skeletal Mesh Unreal: MetaHuman Creator → Export Combined Skel Mesh → FBX If the DNA import fails, or for the Unreal-side skin-weight transfer (you need this mesh in Unreal anyway)

2. Before you start

3. Route A: DNA importer

  1. Get the DNA files. In Unreal, right-click the character's MetaHuman DNA assets → Export DNA for the body and the head. Both are needed.
  2. In MD: File → Import (or Import (Add)) → DNA. Select both files.
  3. Options:
    • Unit: centimetres; scale 100% if it arrives in cm;
    • Axis conversion: Unreal is Z-up and MD is Y-up; let the importer convert;
    • Auto arrangement points: on, so pattern pieces snap to the body;
    • Auto fitting suit: on if you want MD's fitting suit for measurements.
  4. Check the avatar:
    • height matches the character sheet;
    • the arrangement points sit on the hips, shoulders and arms;
    • the face and hands are present, so you can check collars and cuffs.
  5. Pose: .mtn motion files don't work on DNA avatars. To check fit in a gesture, pose the joints and set keyframes in the Animation mode.

4. Route B: Combined Skeletal Mesh

  1. In Unreal, open the character in MetaHuman Creator and use Export Combined Skel Mesh. Save an FBX copy: right-click the asset → Asset Actions → Export.
  2. In MD: File → Import → FBX as Avatar, units cm, Y-up conversion.
  3. Add arrangement points by hand (Avatar → Arrangement → Edit), or use MD's auto arrangement.
  4. Keep the Unreal asset. The Cloth Asset's skin-weight transfer uses it later (Tutorial — Marvelous Designer Garment to MetaHuman Outfit).

5. Make it a studio avatar

  1. Save the avatar (.avt) as AT_<Figure>_Avatar_v###.avt in Characters/<Figure>/Costume/MD/.
  2. Add a period "understructure" avatar variant. For corseted figures, the costume is cut over the corseted shape, not the natural body:
  3. Record the measurements MD reports (bust, waist, hip, nape-to-waist, shoulder width) in the costume sheet, and check them with the costume designer.

6. Check before drafting

Sources