Set up a Reallusion (CC) character

Export a Reallusion CC5 avatar, import it into Unreal Engine, configure Convai components, and add the Reallusion animation Blueprint for lip sync.

This guide covers the full flow for connecting a Reallusion Character Creator 5 (CC5) avatar to the Convai Unreal Engine plugin.

Set up a Reallusion character walkthrough

Prerequisites

• Reallusion Character Creator 5 is installed.
• The Convai plugin is installed and your API key is configured — see Install the Convai plugin and Configure your API key.
• You have a Convai character ID from the dashboard.

Prepare the animation in Character Creator 5

1

Load your character

Open Character Creator 5. Navigate to Project > Templates > CC Project and select the character you want to use. Alternatively, load an existing CC project.

2

Add an idle animation

Click Animation and locate an idle animation. A subtle idle (such as idle03) works well. Drag it onto the avatar to apply it. Verify that the animation plays on the avatar.

3

Add the animation to the Perform List

Right-click on the animation in the animation panel and select Find File. This opens the animation's directory in your file system. Right-click the animation file and copy its path.

Go to Motion > Perform > Perform List Editor. Click Add, paste the path, select the animation, and click Open.

4

Add a talking animation (optional)

Optionally, add a standing-and-talking animation that does not include lip sync — the plugin handles lip sync separately. Repeat the Find File and Perform List steps for the talking animation. Choose animations where the first and last frames are identical so looping plays without a visible cut.

Export the avatar from Character Creator 5

1

Start the FBX export

In Character Creator 5, go to File > Export > FBX > Clothed Character (Closed Character).

2

Configure export settings

In the export dialog:

• Set Target Tool Preset to Unreal (UE5).
• Set FBX Option to Mesh and Motion.
• Increase the Max Texture Size if you need higher-resolution textures.
• Ensure Custom is checked, then click the icon to Load Perform and select your animations.
• Check Delete Hidden Faces.

3

Export the file

Click Export. Enter a filename, choose a destination folder, and click Save. The export takes a few minutes.

Install the Reallusion CC Auto Setup for Unreal Engine

CC Auto Setup is a third-party tool provided by Reallusion — it is not part of the Convai plugin. It sets up the correct materials, shaders, and skeleton for Reallusion characters imported into Unreal Engine.

1

Download and install CC Auto Setup

Download CC Auto Setup from the Reallusion CC Auto Setup for Unreal Engine page. Double-click the installer, accept the license, and click Next. Note the destination folder path — you will need it in the next step.

2

Copy the content and plugins folders

After installation, open the destination folder. Navigate to the subfolder matching your Unreal Engine version. Copy the Content and Plugins folders from that subfolder.

3

Paste into your Unreal project

Open your Unreal project's root directory. Paste the copied Content and Plugins folders into the project root, merging with any existing folders.

4

Launch the project

Open the project in Unreal Engine. The Auto Setup content and plugin are now available.

Import the Reallusion avatar into Unreal Engine

1

Create a folder and import the FBX

In the Content Browser, create a new folder for the character. Drag the exported FBX file from your file system into this folder.

2

Configure import settings

In the FBX Import Options dialog:

• Enable Import Animations.
• Set the Custom Sample Rate to 30 fps (some animations import at a very high rate, which can cause playback issues).
• Expand the Advanced section and check Import Morph Targets.
• Click Import All.

Dismiss any warning popups that appear during import.

3

Verify the import

Open the imported skeletal mesh in the editor. Confirm that the mesh has no deformations and that morph targets appear in the morph target list. Double-click an animation asset and confirm it plays smoothly with matching first and last frames.

Set up Convai in Unreal Engine

1

Create a character Blueprint

In the character's Content Browser folder, right-click and select Blueprint Class > Actor. Name the Blueprint (for example, BP_MyReallusionCharacter).

2

Add a Skeletal Mesh component

Open the Blueprint. In the Components panel, click Add and add a Skeletal Mesh component. In the Details panel, set the Skeletal Mesh to your imported Reallusion avatar.

3

Add the Convai Chatbot component

Click Add in the Components panel. Search for BP Convai ChatBot Component and select it. In the Details panel, paste your Character ID from the Convai dashboard into the Character ID field.

4

Place the character in the level

Drag the character Blueprint from the Content Browser into the level viewport and position it.

Add the Convai Player component to the player pawn

If you have not already done this, open your player pawn Blueprint and add UConvaiPlayerComponent. For detailed steps, see Add your first Convai character.

To find the player pawn from Play mode: press Shift+F1 to release the mouse, click Detach in the toolbar, then click on the player character in the viewport and click Edit Blueprint.

Test the conversation

Enter Play mode and speak to the character using push-to-talk (default: T) or the chat widget. At this stage, expect voice and text responses with audio playback only — body animation and lip sync require the animation Blueprint and Face Sync steps below.

Add the Reallusion animation Blueprint

The Reallusion character needs the Convai Reallusion animation Blueprint (Convai_Reallusion_AnimBP) to drive idle, talk, focus, and walk states during conversation.

1

Download the animation Blueprint

Download the Reallusion animation Blueprint from the Convai Google Drive folder:

Convai Reallusion animation Blueprint (Google Drive)

This Google Drive folder is the official distribution channel for the Reallusion animation Blueprint. If the link is unavailable, post a request in the Convai Developer Forum and the team will provide the asset directly.

Download the zip, extract it, and locate the animation Blueprint asset file.

2

Copy the asset into your project

Copy the animation Blueprint asset into the Content folder inside your Unreal project's directory on disk — copy it directly to the file system, not through the editor. Then restart the Unreal Editor so it detects the new asset.

3

Configure the animation Blueprint

After restart, find Convai_Reallusion_AnimBP in the Content Browser and double-click it. When prompted, select your Reallusion avatar's skeleton.

Open the Animation Graph inside Convai_Reallusion_AnimBP. In the Content Drawer, navigate to the character's motion folder and locate the animation assets you exported from Character Creator 5. Drag and drop each animation into the graph and connect it to the matching state:

State	Animation role
BaseAnimation	Idle animation — the default resting pose
Talk Animation	Body animation while the character is speaking
Focus Animation	Animation while the character is listening or attentive
Walk Animation	Locomotion animation when the character moves

• If drag and drop does not connect, right-click in the graph, type Play, and manually select the animation by name.
• Set transition blends between states to use the idle animation where appropriate.
• Ensure all looped animations are set to Loop.

Click Compile and Save.

4

Assign the animation Blueprint to the character

Open the character Blueprint. Select the Skeletal Mesh component. In the Details panel, under Animation, set Anim Class to Convai_Reallusion_AnimBP.

Compile and save the Blueprint.

Add facial animation with Convai Face Sync

1

Add the Convai Face Sync component

Open the character Blueprint. In the Components panel, click Add and search for Convai Face Sync. Add UConvaiFaceSyncComponent.

2

Set the lip sync mode

Select the Convai Face Sync component. In the Details panel, set Lip Sync Mode:

• MetaHuman Blendshapes — for CC5 characters (which use a MetaHuman-compatible rig).
• CC4 Extended Blendshapes — for CC4 characters.

3

Compile, save, and test

Click Compile and Save. Enter Play mode and speak to the character.

When the setup is complete, the Reallusion character's lips and facial expressions animate in sync with its spoken responses.

Troubleshooting

No facial animation

Symptom: The character's mouth does not move during speech even though audio plays correctly.

Cause: UConvaiFaceSyncComponent is missing, Lip Sync Mode is set to the wrong blendshape target, or the FBX was imported without Import Morph Targets enabled.

Fix:

• Confirm that the Convai Face Sync component is present on the character Blueprint.
• Confirm that Lip Sync Mode is set to MetaHuman Blendshapes for CC5 characters, or CC4 Extended Blendshapes for CC4 characters.
• If the issue persists, re-import the FBX with Import Morph Targets checked under the Advanced section of the FBX Import Options dialog.

Verify: Enter Play mode and speak to the character. The lips should animate in sync with the spoken response. If they do not, open Window > Output Log, filter on ConvaiFaceSync, and check for errors during speech.

Body animation does not play

Symptom: The character stands frozen — no idle or talking animations play during the conversation.

Cause: Anim Class on the Skeletal Mesh is not set to the Reallusion animation Blueprint, animations are not set to loop, or the first and last frames do not match, causing the animation to snap.

Fix:

• Confirm that Anim Class on the Skeletal Mesh component is set to Convai_Reallusion_AnimBP.
• Open Convai_Reallusion_AnimBP and confirm each state (BaseAnimation, Talk Animation, Focus Animation, Walk Animation) has the correct animation assigned.
• Confirm every looped animation asset is set to Loop.
• Confirm that the first and last frames of each animation are identical.

Verify: Enter Play mode and confirm the character plays an idle animation and transitions to a talking animation when responding. Check Window > Output Log for animation or Convai errors if states do not change.

Character does not respond to voice or text

Symptom: The Reallusion character is in the level but does not react to input.

Cause: The Character ID is missing or incorrect, the API key is not configured, or UConvaiPlayerComponent is absent from the player pawn.

Fix: Verify the Character ID on the Convai Chatbot component and confirm your API key is set (see Configure your API key). Confirm the player pawn has UConvaiPlayerComponent added.

Verify: Open Window > Output Log, filter on ConvaiChatbotComponentLog or ConvaiConnectionManagerLog, and look for authentication or connection errors when you enter Play mode.

Next steps

Configure the microphoneConfigure conversation inputValidate your setup