Discussion Any solution for editing skinned mesh models in-editor?

I have been enjoying using store bought assets for my game but sometimes I wanted to modify some of them to create some variation from original to avoid that "asset flip" feeling.
Granted, I can modify texture, color and such, putting in new nodes of weapons or decorations. But when it comes to skinned mesh models, I cannot find a way to easily edit them yet.

My workflow already can create/edit animations in-editor with UMotion.
I can also edit non-skinned-mesh, usually level objects with tools like Probuilder.
If I can edit this skinned model at last. My "all-stay-in-editor" life will be complete!


for example in screenshot above, I might want to try remove his armor, scarf or remake their UV, etc.

Things I tried:

• Importing and exporting bought FBX into DCC like blender, but you know that when exporting it back you usually cannot re-use it with original animations unless the exporter make all bones orientation/hierarchy EXACTLY like original's, which is rarely the case.
• So far my best luck with blender is with this plug-in Better Fbx Importer & Exporter that make import/export less painful than blender's stock FBX import/export. But sometimes still not 100% matching transform/hierarchy when I export back a FBX.
• Tried Probuilder, those cannot edit mesh with bone weights. Havn't tried UModeller Pro but I guess it can't handle the skinned mesh too. They are tools for different purpose.

Any solution or idea on this? Or there might be some awesome github that I'm missing?

 

Depending on how much editing and modification you're talking about, you might find something like MegaFiers to be helpful. Either that or one of the other mesh deformer tools that work with skinned meshes. Barring that, you could even try simply scaling some of the bones in the Editor or via code.

If you were able to get the FBX in and out of Unity/Blender without the bones problem you mentioned (that mostly should only be a problem with generic animations/figures), then you could always add a few blend shapes to the model then bring it back in. If you're going the blendshapes route, there are even assets in the store that let you modify a skinned mesh and make blendshapes for it right in the Editor.

Again all of this totally depends on how much modification you're wanting to do. There are numerous ways to go about it. If you're wanting to do it all in the Editor then start by looking into mesh deformation tools, and that should lead you in the right direction.