MetaGen is a real-time procedural genetic inheritance system for MetaHumans in Unreal Engine 5, developed as a Bachelor's Thesis.
MetaGen provides a streamlined, time-saving workflow for technical artists and developers, automating the creation of MetaHuman offspring from two selected parents. It generates a unique child in seconds instead of hours of manual character sculpting — while still leaving room for final user customization.
By using real-time Morph Targets and Data Tables, MetaGen computes Mendelian genetic inheritance (eye color, skin tone, hair texture, and hair color) and morphological interpolation between two selected MetaHuman parents.
The project ships as an interactive simulation template featuring 6 pre-configured parent models and 1 base child model, built to be extended with your own custom parent characters.
Note: MetaGen is a real-time generation and preview prototype. Persistent saving — exporting generated characters and runtime mesh modifications back to editor assets — isn't supported yet; it is the current focus of ongoing development.
Developed and tested with:
- Unreal Engine:
5.6.1 - Blender:
4.2.2 LTS
Watch a brief 1-minute video summarizing the development workflow, from Blender to Unreal Engine 5.
metagen.mp4
Want to add your own parent characters? Check out the step-by-step integration guide on the project website.
It covers:
- Mendelian trait configuration
- Facial geometry extraction
- Morph target generation & segmentation
- Mutable system integration
Includes the GeneticChild_Template.blend file available for download.
For full project documentation, guides, workflow breakdowns, and contact information, visit the official MetaGen Website.
Developed by Carla Puga Pérez as a Bachelor's Thesis.