So, you’ve captured a take with Mimem.AI and you’re eager to see it running in Unreal Engine. Fantastic! Below is the most straightforward path: export an Unreal-ready FBX from mimem, import it into UE, and retarget it to Manny (or Quinn) in a few clicks.
Works on UE 5.3+. No special plugins or Blueprint setup needed
1. Export from Mimem.AI
- Go to mimem.ai and process your motion. Check Getting Started guide.
- Make sure to enable “Insert t-pose at keyframe 0” in the “review” step before processing the animation
- Click Download → choose Unreal Engine.
- This FBX uses an Unreal-compatible skeleton, which makes retargeting simple.
2. Import the FBX into Unreal
- Open your UE project (the Third Person template is perfect).
- In the Content Browser, pick or create a folder for your clip (e.g.,
Content/Animations/Mimem/).
- Drag-and-drop the FBX into the Content Browser.
- In FBX Import Options, set:
- Import Skeletal Mesh: On
- Import Animations: On
- Import Materials/Textures: Off (we’ll retarget to another character)
- Click Import.
You should now see: a Skeletal Mesh, a Skeleton, a Physics Asset, and an Animation Sequence. Double-click the Animation Sequence to preview the motion on the Mimem character.
For best accuracy, always import each mimem animation with its own skeleton. Do not reuse skeletons between different mimem animations.
3. Retarget to Manny or Quinn (Auto Retarget)
- In the Content Browser, right-click your Animation Sequence → Retarget Animations.
- In the Retarget window:
- Source Skeletal Mesh: already set (the Mimem skeleton from import).
- Target Skeletal Mesh: search for and select
SKM_Manny(orSKM_Quinn). - Auto Generate Retarget: On (leave enabled).
- In the list, select your animation and click Export Animations.
- When prompted to rename, add a suffix like
_Manny(example:Run_Manny) and confirm.
Result: A new Animation Sequence appears—your motion on Manny/Quinn.
4. Advanced: finer control with a Retargeter (RTG) asset
If hands/feet need tighter contacts on a different body shape, use a Retargeter for more control:
- Right-click the original (source) Animation Sequence → Retarget Animations.
- Click Export Retarget Assets (instead of Export Animations). UE creates an RTG asset.
- Open the RTG. In the Asset Browser, double-click your animation to preview source vs. Manny side-by-side.
- In the RTG toolbar/settings:
- Enable IK for feet and hands chains.
- Increase Blend To Source on those chains until contacts look right.
- Click Export Selected Animations in the Asset Browser to generate the tuned versions.
Troubleshooting
- Can’t find Manny? Use a Third Person template, or search
SKM_Mannyin the Content Browser.
- Export button is greyed out in the retarget window: set Target Skeletal Mesh to
SKM_Manny/SKM_Quinn, then try again.
- Foot Sliding: If you notice foot sliding, make sure to check our article on How to Get Accurate Foot Tracking
- Lifelike Finger Tracking : getting accurate finger motion will make your animations much more convincing. Make sure to checkout How to Get Accurate Hand and Finger Tracking
Unstable or drifting feet during retargeting
If feet do not properly lock to their IK targets (for example one foot drifting or behaving differently than the other), Unreal Engine’s IK solver iteration count may be too low, which can prevent the solver from correctly fitting IK targets.
Fix:
- Open the IK Rig used by the retargeter
- Increase Iterations in the Full Body IK Solver (e.g. from
20to100–200)
- Re-run the retarget
For offline animation retargeting, higher iteration counts have no downside and often significantly improve foot stability.
You’re done 🎉
That’s all it takes to see your Mimem.AI performance running on Manny/Quinn. From here, you can drop the retargeted clip into Sequencer, or plug it into an Animation Blueprint for gameplay. Happy animating!