Is Animation possible in UE4 like in this video

Hi!

No. In UE4 you can create animation like a “fly/move box”. You just import a static mesh, create matinee actor, add animation channel for your object and animate object. For animation complex object like skeletal mesh and create skeletal mesh, you need have program for 3D modeling and animation (3DS MAX, MAYA, Blender, etc). Because UE4 cannot create skeletal mesh. UE4 does import skeletal mesh and its animation only from FBX file.

Hi, so I have been looking for about a week now through all the tutorials and wiki-pages and it seems to me that in UE4 it is not possible to do something like this ( skip to 8:30 Tutorial "Biped Animation Basics" Part 1 -3DS MAX - YouTube).

What I am trying to make is an animation like what is shown in the video using a cad model of an arm that I have. I would like to have the hand bend into a fist then open up. But the reason that I am asking this is because I don’t want to download 3DsMax and I’m hoping I can do this in UE4.

Also I know you can do the animation in 3DsMax and import it to UE4 but I still do not want to do this.

Thanks Alex

btw I have been using UE4 for about a 2 weeks now so I am still just a beginner.

The idea is that you create your animations in a different software package, then import them into Unreal. Unreal blueprint or C++ code can actually control individual bones, but Unreal doesn’t provide an interactive animation editor, so it would be really painful creating a complete animation that way. The idea is that you use that control for tweaking animations at run-time, for example placing characters’ feet accurately on an uneven floor.

If you mean you don’t want to pay for Max, just get Blender instead, as it’s free. You will need something though.

BTW, if you’re new to animating, I would recommend getting Richard Williams’ book, the Animator’s Survival Kit. It’s quite old and written from the point of view of pen-and-paper animation, but I found it very helpful for constructing characters’ walks and runs.

Thank You to both of you for answering very helpful answers to my question.