Learn Character Animation with UE5 & Maya in Gnomon Workshop

Gnomon Workshop has presented a 5-hour course covering an introduction to technical animation for games using Unreal Engine, walking the artists through character animation techniques using Maya and Unreal Engine.

The course is a comprehensive introduction to building gameplay-ready character animation systems in UE5, led by Senior Technical Animator Taylor Whitsett, currently working at Respawn Entertainment. In the course, the artist breaks down the technical animator's role in the pipeline for integrating animation with gameplay.

Gnomon's learning path is intended for beginner to intermediate artists, animators, and technical artists. Please note that a foundational level of navigating Unreal Engine 5 and knowledge of basic core 3D principles is recommended.

The course, structured in 14 lessons, covers the following topics:

• Runtime animation assets, including skeletal meshes and rigs, character configuration, and animation blueprint logic
• Animation systems, featuring blend spaces, aim offsets, animation montages, root motion, combo systems using animation notifies, and animation retargeting with Unreal’s IK Rig and IK Retargeter systems
• Player gameplay systems, covering Unreal's Enhanced Input System, character movement logic, and camera setup
• Animation and gameplay logic, including best practices for scalable, data-driven animation systems
• Workflow and troubleshooting aspects, such as common pitfalls and debugging systems

Project files are also available, including 3D models and geometry (.fbx) with detailed assets to help you follow along, as well as high-quality textures (.tga, .png) with professional texture maps for the 3D models.