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Custom Hair#

This guide walks you through the process of creating and packaging Custom Hair for the Creator Hub using the Creator Kit.

1. Acquire Your Required Template Resources

Notice We have supplied Template assets inside of Creator Kit to make custom asset development easier. This can currently be found in Content/CKTemplateAssets

For this tutorial we will need SM_Headfemale or SM_Head_Male to guide your hair creating and positioning.

  1. Launch the Creator Kit editor.
  2. Navigate to CKTemplateAssets in the Content Browser.
  3. Search for SM_Headfemale / SM_Head_Male or look in the appropriate folders (e.g. CKTemplateAssets/Meshes).

  4. Right Click the asset and select Asset Action > Export.

    IMG_Hair_ExportHeadTemplate.png

Note: If you’re creating hair for a male, export the male head, if you’re creating hair for a female, export the female head. If the hair you want to create is unisex you’ll have to create two separate variants of the hair where it’s aligned to each head of the corresponding gender

2. Hair Creation

After acquiring the template asset we need to put them to use into an 3d modelling package such as 3DS Max, Maya, zBrush or Blender. I recommend Blender as a free, accessible option

  1. Launch your modelling package e.g. Blender.
  2. Import the head template asset.
  3. Create your hair on top of the head. (Skip to step 6 if you’re importing an existing hair mesh)
  4. Convert your hair to hair cards if you haven't already.
  5. Export your hair alpha texture.
  6. Make any final placement adjustment to the hair mesh
  7. Paint your mesh weights if and where appropriate.

  8. Select and export your hair mesh as a .fbx using the SM_ naming prefix (Excluded the head and any other scene elements from the export)

    IMG_Hair_BlenderExport.png

3. Creator Kit Package setup

  1. Launch the Creator Kit editor.

  2. Access the HELIX Packaging Tool from the main toolbar.

  3. In the packaging tool window, click New Package.

  4. Enter a unique Package Name (e.g. MyHairSet01).

  5. Select Wearable as the Package Type.

    image.png

  6. Click Add New Package. This action creates a dedicated plugin folder for your assets (e.g., Plugins/Wearable_MyHairSet01).

    image.png

  7. Go into the folder you've created and click the Import button in content browser. Choose your .fbx model file. (You can also drag it into the Content Browser from Windows File Explorer)

  8. Do the same import procedure for all your texture e.g. HairCardAlpha.png

4. Convert Static Mesh to Skeletal Mesh.

  1. Right Click the newly imported mesh and select Convert to Skeletal Mesh.

  2. Make sure the desired path is your pack content folder (e.g. /Wearable_MyHairSet01).

  3. Set creation Type to Use Existing Skeletal Mesh.

  4. In the Skeletal Mesh box assign the Skeletal mesh hair example from Content/CKTemplateAssets.

  5. Set Binding Bone Name to head.

  6. Set Prefix to Remove to SM_.

  7. Set Skeletal Mesh Prefix to SKM_.

  8. Press Convert.

    IMG_Hair_SmToSk_01.png

  9. Save the newly created skeletal mesh

  10. Delete the originally imported Static Mesh from the project

5. Material Setup

  1. Find MI_HairSample from the Content/CKTemplateAssets folder.

  2. Copy MI_HairSample to your package folder (e.g. Plugins/Wearable_MyHairSet01).

  3. Under Global Texture Parameters, Tick Alpha and replace the texture with your hair cards alpha texture.

  4. Then do the same for Depth, DyeMask, Roots and any other textures you have for application.

    1. If you don’t have any of the other textures that are active or you have more textures that the material supports you can toggle them from GlobalStaticSwitchParameterValues and assign your mask texture to the remaining unused slots.

  5. Now you can edit the default hair colours under Global Vector Parameters or adjust the roots under Root Control.

  6. Then open your Hair Skeletal Mesh and apply your material to it.

    IMG_Hair_MaterialAdd.png

6. Data Asset Initial Setup

  1. In your created package folder, right click and search Data Asset.

  2. Select Data Asset and set Character Customization Data Asset as the class

  3. Rename your new data asset (e.g. MyAnimeHairCollection01)

  4. Open your new Data Asset.

  5. Press (+) to add a new wearable type.

  6. Change Full Character Presets to the type of wearable you want to add (e.g. Hair)

  7. Expand this new array element and press (+) next to Data to add a new wearable of the above mentioned type.

  8. Rename your new wearable appropriately (e.g. F_AnimeHair_01 - F denoting Female)

7. Hair Data Setup

  1. Set Hair Back Texture to your created hairline mask based on the face uvs (Optional)

  2. Set Preset Skeletal Mesh to your Hair SKM.

  3. Select the Gender of the head you used for your hair (e.g. Female - Note: Hair is not compatible with All. A separate SKM is needed for each gender)

  4. Set a Pre-set Icon if you have one (Please create and assign a 512x512 // 256x256 icon before uploading to Vault)

  5. We’d recommend enabling both “Has Color Picker” and “Has Remove Button”

    IMG_Hair_DASetup_01.png

  6. Under Material Parameters see HERE  for options

    Material Parameters (Optional but preferred)#

    Type: Color Selected part name: Tint Material Slot Name: -INPUT MATERIAL SLOT NAME FROM YOUR SKM- Parameter Name: Tint Display Parameter name: Tint Color Value: -SET YOUR DEFAULT-

    Type: Float Selected part name: None Material Slot Name: -INPUT MATERIAL SLOT NAME FROM YOUR SKM- Parameter Name: Depth Cut Display Parameter name: Depth Cut Used with perameter: None Value: -SET YOUR DEFAULT e.g. 1- Min: 0.02 Max: 1

    Type: Float Selected part name: Tint Material Slot Name: -INPUT MATERIAL SLOT NAME FROM YOUR SKM- Parameter Name: Tint Fill Display Parameter name: Tint Fill Used with perameter: Color Value: -SET YOUR DEFAULT e.g. 1- Min: 0 Max: 1

    Type: Color Selected part name: Dye Color Material Slot Name: -INPUT MATERIAL SLOT NAME FROM YOUR SKM- Parameter Name: DyeColor Display Parameter name: Dye Color Color Value: -SET YOUR DEFAULT-

    Type: Color Selected part name: Root Color Material Slot Name: -INPUT MATERIAL SLOT NAME FROM YOUR SKM- Parameter Name: RootColor Display Parameter name: Root Color Color Value: -SET YOUR DEFAULT-

  7. To find your material slot name, navigate to you hair Skeletal Mesh and under Material Slots and the Material Element you want to affect you’ll see your slot name. You can edit this to your liking but make sure you match your slot name in the Data Asset Material Parameters with it.

    IMG_Hair_MaterialSlotName.png

8. Packing

  1. Return to the HELIX Packaging Tool window.

  2. With your package selected, click the Package button. This process will cook your assets into the final .pak file format required by the HELIX Creator Hub. This may take some time.

    image.png

  3. Once cooking is complete, a file explorer window will automatically open, displaying your final .pak files. Your wearable is now ready to be uploaded to the Creator Hub!

    image.png

9. Testing your Wearable

1. In Creator Kit

  1. This method doesn't require you to cook the package on the previous steps. As long as you placed all the required assets in your package folder in Creator Kit, and created the data asset as explained, it automatically becomes available for editor playthroughs.

  2. Press play in the Creator Kit editor, and press the P key to show the Character Customization UI for your character.

  3. In the shown UI, you should be able to navigate to your new wearable and click on it to test it on the character. (e.g. Face > Hair)

2. In HELIX

  1. Create a draft world and import the .pak file you've cooked in Creator Kit.

    image.png

    image.png

  2. If import was successful, you should see your assets in the left panel.

  3. Importing also makes your wearables automatically available in Character Customization UI. Go back to the game from build mode, and the press P key.

  4. Your imported wearable should be available in the corresponding category.

10. Ready To Rock

Once you've followed these steps, uploaded your package to Creator Hub, and imported it into your world, your new wearable items will be available for players joining your public world!