Maya — Tutorials
Process notes: Maya — Process · MetaHuman for Maya — Considerations
Collected 19 September 2026.
Stage 2 — MetaHuman for Maya (ZBrush → Maya → MetaHuman)
Skinning (Maya 2027 Skin Tools / ngSkinTools 2)
Full list: ngSkinTools — Tutorials
Maya fundamentals (external)
Local tutorials (Augmented Traveler)
| Tutorial | Covers | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Tutorial — Obtaining Initial Head DNA | ZBrush sculpt → Mesh to MetaHuman → Creator (Global Delta) → DCC Export → head DNA loaded in the Expression Editor; file naming and archive | Character artist |
| Tutorial — Expression Editor Fundamentals | Session vs scene; Neutral Pose, Skin Weights and Expression Poses modes; order of work; tiers; MH1 likeness; exporting to Creator or Unreal | Character artist, technical animator |
| Tutorial — ZBrush No-Topology-Change Round Trip | LOD0 out to ZBrush, sculpt on layers, level 1 back, blendShape test, Transfer Vertices and Update Vertices (lives in zbrush/) | Character artist |
| Tutorial — Skinning Garments and Props to a MetaHuman | Skinning period garments and props to the MetaHuman body skeleton with Skin Tools / ngSkinTools 2, testing, and export to Unreal | Technical animator |
| Tutorial — HumanIK Mocap Cleanup for MetaHuman | Characterize the mocap and MetaHuman skeletons, retarget, bake to control rig, fix on animation layers, bake and export FBX to Unreal | Technical animator |
| Tutorial — USD for Maya | Props as USD components with variants; editing USD in Maya; export to Unreal, Vision Pro and iPhone USDZ | Environment artist |
| Tutorial — Pose Editor Correctives for Period Tailoring | RBF and SwingTwist correctives at the shoulders and elbows under period sleeves and bodices; staying compatible with Creator | Technical animator |
| Tutorial — Hand Pose Library for Gestures | Period-appropriate hand poses in Studio Library; delivered to Unreal as a Pose Asset for cleanup and live gestures | Technical animator, Unreal engineer |
| Tutorial — FBX Export Presets for Unreal | The studio's FBX presets for static props, skinned meshes and animation; matching Unreal 5.8 import settings | All Maya seats |
| Tutorial — Maya Python Batch Export and Naming Checks | Script that checks names, units, history and transforms, then batch-exports with the studio preset | DevOps engineer, CTO |
| Tutorial — Sculpting Expression Targets for the Expression Editor | ZBrush-sculpted fixes to single expressions, returned through Expression Poses and Joint Matching (lives in zbrush/) | Character artist |
All local tutorials are drafts until they have been run on the first figure. Whoever runs one corrects the menu names and settings in it.
Every Maya tutorial the project needs
Status: ✅ local tutorial written · 🔗 an external tutorial is enough. Every Maya tutorial on the list is now written or covered.
| Area | Need | Status | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| MetaHuman for Maya | Install the plugin; Character Assembler on a DCC Export | 🔗 | Epic: Installing MetaHuman for Maya (above) |
| Obtaining initial head DNA | ✅ | Tutorial — Obtaining Initial Head DNA | |
| Expression Editor fundamentals | ✅ | Tutorial — Expression Editor Fundamentals | |
| Neutral Pose editing with a ZBrush sculpt | ✅ | Tutorial — ZBrush No-Topology-Change Round Trip | |
| Skin Weights mode (face LOD weights) | 🔗 | Epic: Editing Modes | |
| Expression Poses editing and likeness calibration (MH1) | 🔗 | Epic: Expression Poses Editing; Expressions for Likeness Calibration; Unreal Fest 2025 talk | |
| Sculpted fixes to single expressions | ✅ | Tutorial — Sculpting Expression Targets for the Expression Editor | |
| Pose Editor: shoulder and elbow correctives under period tailoring | ✅ | Tutorial — Pose Editor Correctives for Period Tailoring | |
| Exporting calibrated DNA back to Creator and Unreal | ✅ | Section 8 of Tutorial — Expression Editor Fundamentals | |
| Grooms | XGen period hair → Groom Exporter → Unreal | 🔗 | Grooms — Tutorials |
| Skinning | Garments and props to the MetaHuman body | ✅ | Tutorial — Skinning Garments and Props to a MetaHuman |
| Skin Tools / ngSkinTools layers, masks, mirroring | 🔗 | ngSkinTools — Tutorials | |
| Animation | HumanIK mocap cleanup and retarget to MetaHuman | ✅ | Tutorial — HumanIK Mocap Cleanup for MetaHuman |
| Graph Editor filters and animation layers (general) | 🔗 | Autodesk docs | |
| Finger and hand posing library for gestures (writing, holding instruments) | ✅ | Tutorial — Hand Pose Library for Gestures | |
| Interchange | USD for Maya: props, variants, Unreal and Apple export | ✅ | Tutorial — USD for Maya |
| FBX export presets for Unreal (props, animation) | ✅ | Tutorial — FBX Export Presets for Unreal | |
| Modelling | Period props and set pieces to real dimensions; LODs; UVs | 🔗 | Autodesk Maya 2027 learning; Smart Bevel in What's New |
| Automation | Python for batch export and naming checks | ✅ | Tutorial — Maya Python Batch Export and Naming Checks |
Suggested learning order
- Install MetaHuman for Maya; run Character Assembler on a DCC-exported test character.
- Tutorial — Obtaining Initial Head DNA, then Tutorial — Expression Editor Fundamentals.
- Neutral Pose edit with a ZBrush round trip: Tutorial — ZBrush No-Topology-Change Round Trip.
- Watch the Unreal Fest 2025 expression-editing talk before attempting calibration.
- Technical animators: Tutorial — HumanIK Mocap Cleanup for MetaHuman → Tutorial — Hand Pose Library for Gestures → Tutorial — Skinning Garments and Props to a MetaHuman → Tutorial — Pose Editor Correctives for Period Tailoring.
- Environment artists: Tutorial — USD for Maya → Tutorial — FBX Export Presets for Unreal.
- Pipeline: Tutorial — Maya Python Batch Export and Naming Checks once the second figure starts.
Related: MetaHuman — Tutorials · Grooms — Tutorials