If you are using an Aximmetry version before 2024.1.0, please refer to the Installing Plugins Before Aximmetry 2024.1 documentation instead of the one provided below.
Prerequisites
Make sure you download and install Visual Studio 2022. Opt for the Community Edition, which is available for free. Official installation instructions including the download link can be found here.
When prompted to choose a workload during the installation process, you must select the following:
- .NET desktop development
- Desktop development with C++
- Universal Windows Platform development
- Game Development with C++.
Additionally, when Game Development with C++ is selected, make sure to include the following in the Installation details:
- C++ profiling tools
- C++ AddressSanitizer
- Windows 10 SDK (10.0.18362 or Newer)
- Unreal Engine installer
For the most up-to-date information on using Visual Studio with Unreal Engine, refer to Unreal Engine's official documentation.
NOTE: Some plugins are only active in the editor. These editor-only plugins do not require installing Visual Studio.
Obtaining Plugins
A wide array of plugins and assets are available on the Unreal Engine's official Marketplace, which can be accessed through the Epic Games Launcher. Moreover, a significant number of plugins can be discovered on GitHub and various third-party websites. In some instances, plugins may also come bundled with third-party programs. All these plugins should be compatible with Unreal Editor for Aximmetry, starting from version 2024.1.0 and later, assuming that the plugin works correctly in the original Unreal Engine.
Epic Marketplace
To acquire a plugin from the Epic Marketplace, install the Epic Games Launcher and Unreal Engine by following the instructions here.
It's crucial to match the Unreal Engine version with your Unreal Editor for Aximmetry's version. To determine the necessary version, open the Unreal Editor for Aximmetry and select Help > About Unreal Editor. Focus on the first two segments of the version number (e.g., 5.3).
NOTE: To conserve disk space, when installing the Unreal Engine (Step 3), click Options and disable all install options including target platforms.
Open the Epic Games Launcher and install the desired plugins from the Marketplace to the original Unreal Engine:
The installed plugin will be located in the C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_x.x\Engine\Plugins\Marketplace folder. From there, copy the folder of the installed plugin to Aximmetry's Marketplace folder at ...Aximmetry...\UnrealEngine\Engine\Plugins\Marketplace.
Installing Plugins
Begin by downloading the desired plugin.
Copy the plugin into the Marketplace directory of your Unreal Editor for Aximmetry installation, following this path: ...Aximmetry...\UnrealEngine\Engine\Plugins\Marketplace\
NOTE: If the plugin documentation specifies some other directory, copy the plugin there instead of the Marketplace directory.
Launch the Unreal Editor for Aximmetry. To enable the newly added plugins, navigate to Edit > Plugins. If required, restart the editor to apply changes.
NOTE: Certain plugins require some additional steps. See the instructions on the rest of the page below.
Project Plugins
Some plugins are designed to be placed in the project's Plugins folder rather than in the Unreal Engine's Marketplace or Plugins folder. If they're situated in the latter, an error resembling the following is likely to appear during the cooking process:
Missing precompiled manifest for '...'. This module was most likely not flagged for being included in a precompiled build - set 'PrecompileForTargets = PrecompileTargetsType.Any;' in ... to override. If part of a plugin, also check if its 'Type' is correct.
To fix this issue, create a folder named Plugins within the Unreal project's folder, where the Config folder, Content folder, and the *.uproject file are located. Then, transfer the plugins from their original location (e.g., the Marketplace folder or wherever they were downloaded) to the newly created Plugins folder.
Examples of plugins that require this include Houdini Niagara and SPCRJointDynamics.
Additional Instructions for Certain Plugins
Most plugins can be installed by following the simple steps previously mentioned. However, certain plugins require additional steps. For most of these plugins, these same steps would also be necessary if you were to use the plugin with the standard Unreal Engine for virtual production.
NVIDIA DLSS
To enable the plugin, please read the official installation instructions. These instructions can be found within the DLSS Unreal Engine plugin's ZIP file, in the file named "UE5 DLSS3 Plugin Installation Guide.pdf".
Additionally, the ZIP file contains the official documentation for DLSS in the "Documentation" folder. We recommend reading through the relevant parts before utilizing the plugin.
Using DLSS can significantly diminish the quality of Virtual billboards (billboards rendered by Unreal). We advise opting for non-Virtual billboards (billboards rendered by Aximmetry) if DLSS is enabled.
NOTE: DLSS processes focus (depth of field) differently compared to the standard Unreal Engine. Switching to DLSS may make the scene appear out of focus if the focus is not adjusted accordingly.
V-Ray For Unreal
- In the Current Installation Parameters step click Customize.
- Change Unreal Engine plugins location to ...Aximmetry...\Engine\Plugins\Marketplace.
- Make sure the Install Chaos Cloud Client option is checked.
- Finish the rest of the installation as usual.
Character Creator & iClone 8 Auto Setup
- Download the plugin using the Reallusion HUB.
- Go to the plugin's location (by default for iClone 8: C:\Program Files\Reallusion\Shared Plugins\iClone 8 Live Link for Unreal\iClone Live Link Plug-in for Unreal x.x\Plugins\).
From there, copy the plugin's folder to the Unreal Editor for Aximmetry's marketplace folder: ...Aximmetry...\Engine\Plugins\Marketplace. - Launch Unreal Editor for Aximmetry and enable the plugins at Edit > Plugins.
MVN Live Link
Before cooking the project, go to Edit / Project Settings - Maps & Modes / Game Instance and set the Game Instance Class to LiveLinkGameInstance.
Close the Unreal Editor for Aximmetry before loading the cooked project in Aximmetry because the MVN Live Link can only handle a single active connection.
Rokoko Studio Live
Streaming animations into the Unreal Editor (in Live Sync mode) should work without problems after installing the plugin. Using the plugin in Cooked mode, however, requires an additional step:
Open the Level blueprint in the Unreal Editor then add a Create Virtual Production Source node and connect it to the BeginPlay event. (If the node doesn't show up in the search results, try disabling the Context Sensitive option above the search box.)
After cooking the project, you should be able to stream animations into Aximmetry.
Make sure the Unreal Editor is not connected to Rokoko Studio when the project is loaded in Aximmetry (Rokoko Studio can't connect to multiple clients simultaneously). The safest option is to close the Unreal Editor after cooking the project.
MetaHuman
There is an issue with cooking the Unreal 5.3 MetaHuman plugin, which can be resolved if, within the plugin file, the Type attribute in the MetaHumanIdentity module is changed from Runtime to Editor.
To make this adjustment, navigate to the MetaHuman's folder at ...Aximmetry...\Engine\Plugins\Marketplace\MetaHuman and open the MetaHuman.uplugin file using a text editor. At line 87, change "Runtime" to "Editor" as shown below:
{ "Name": "MetaHumanIdentity", "Type": "Editor", "LoadingPhase": "Default", "PlatformAllowList": [ "Win64" ] },
VRM4U
The VRM4U plugin requires the following two built-in Unreal plugins to be enabled:
- OSC (Open Sound Control)
- Live Link
These can be enabled by navigating to Edit > Plugins within the Unreal Editor.
Cesium for Unreal
Install the plugin from the Marketplace and enable it in Unreal Editor for Aximmetry.
If you encounter the following error:
LoadErrors: Error: Collision Profile settings do not include an entry for the Water Body Collision profile, which is required for water collision to function. Add entry to DefaultEngine.ini?
Click on the "Add entry to DefaultEngine.ini? text" in the Window / Message Log window to fix the error:
Substance
This plugin is known to cause crashes in the Unreal Editor in certain cases. This is a bug in the plugin so it happens with the vanilla Unreal Editor as well. The crash happens when certain meshes are sent to the Substance Painter. It seems to be caused by a material name collision. This can be worked around by moving the mesh asset to a different directory before clicking Send to Substance Painter.
Datasmith Twinmotion Content
To successfully cook the Datasmith Twinmotion Content plugin, an additional plugin from the marketplace's Code Plugins category must be present in the Unreal Editor for Aximmetry's marketplace folder. For example, the Substance plugin mentioned previously would suffice. Therefore, when you install the Datasmith Twinmotion Content plugin, ensure you also download and copy another suitable plugin into the marketplace folder.
This additional plugin does not need to be enabled within the project.
