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ZenBlink Documentation

ZenBlink Documentation / ZenBlink Quickstart

Quick Start Guide

Upgrading an existing project from ZenBlink 2? Read Upgrading from ZenBlink 2 to ZenBlink 3 before replacing the plugin. The integration must be rebuilt manually.

  1. Open the Unreal Engine project.
  2. Select Edit > Plugins.
  3. Search for ZenBlink.
  4. Enable the ZenBlink plugin.
  5. Restart Unreal Engine if prompted.
  1. Place a MetaHuman in the level.
  2. Select the MetaHuman actor in the World Outliner.
  3. Click the ZenBlink toolbar icon.
ZenBlink toolbar icon
  1. Choose how the component should be attached:
  1. Save the MetaHuman Blueprint or level when prompted.

ZenBlink checks the selected actor before attaching the component and prevents duplicate ZenBlink components. If the selection is not recognized as a MetaHuman, the editor displays:

Please select a Metahuman Actor In the Outliner.

  1. Open the MetaHuman Blueprint.
  2. In the Components panel, select Add.
  3. Search for ZenBlink.
  4. Add the bundled ZenBlink Actor Component.
  5. Compile and save the Blueprint.

Adding the component to the Blueprint makes the setup available to every actor created from that Blueprint.

4. Select a Movement Mode

None

ZenBlink does not generate or follow a movement target. Facial idle, emotions, breathing, blinking, and other independently enabled features can continue to run.

Random

  1. Set Movement Mode to Random.
  2. Enable Use Head Movement in the Head category when procedural head and neck movement is required.
  3. Adjust Movement Random Speed, Movement Random Smoothing, and Movement Random Strength.
  4. Change Movement Random Seed to produce a different deterministic movement sequence.

Changing Movement Mode to Random also sets Eye Mode to Random. Eye Mode can be changed independently afterward.

Larger direction changes travel more slowly, and each completed move holds briefly before the next target is chosen. Random movement therefore remains non-accumulating and avoids instant jumps between gaze directions.

Follow Target

  1. Set Movement Mode to Follow Target.
  2. Assign the actor to Target To Follow.
  3. Set Follow Range to the maximum tracking distance.
  4. Enable Use Head Movement when the head and neck should follow the target.
  5. Set Eye Mode to Follow Target when the eyes should also follow it.

Changing Movement Mode to Follow Target initially synchronizes Eye Mode to Follow Target. Eye Mode remains independently editable afterward.

When the assigned actor moves beyond Follow Range, ZenBlink temporarily uses random movement. Tracking resumes automatically when the actor returns. Set the range to 0 for unlimited tracking.

Follow Tag

  1. Add a ZenBlink Target component to the target actor.
  2. Set Movement Mode to Follow Tag.
  3. Ensure Target Tag matches the target component. The default is ZenBlink_Target.
  4. Set Follow Tag Range to the maximum tracking distance.

When the target moves beyond Follow Tag Range, ZenBlink temporarily uses random movement. Tracking resumes automatically when the target returns. Set the range to 0 for unlimited tracking.

See ZenBlink Target Component for target-source setup, variable descriptions, Blueprint functions, and multi-character behavior.

Rear Target Exclusion

Rear-target controls are available under Mode > Advanced while Follow Target or Follow Tag is selected. Enable Rear Exclusion prevents excessive head rotation. Rear Exclusion Angle sets the blocked area, while Rear Exclusion Hysteresis prevents rapid switching near its boundary.

Return Forward During Rear Exclusion is enabled by default and gently returns the head and eyes toward forward while the target is behind the character. Rear Reacquisition Time and Rear Reacquisition Max Speed control how smoothly tracking resumes.

5. Main Controls

The main controls for an initial setup are:

Use the Alpha, Blend, Strength, Smoothing, and regional weight properties in each category to adjust the result.

6. Use Presets and Emotions

  1. Select the ZenBlink component.
  2. Open the Preset category.
  3. Assign a ZenBlink Preset asset to Preset.
  4. Click Load to apply it through the bundled component setup.
  5. Use Save to write the current configured values to the selected preset.

Preset assets include Camera Focus, Mode, Head, Face, Emotion, Idle, Breathing, Eyes, Blinking, and Global settings. Camera Focus Target and Target To Follow are live level-actor references and are intentionally not saved. Assign those actors after loading a preset when they are required.

Assign an included or custom MetaHuman Control Rig Pose asset directly to Emotion Pose.

  1. Add the MetaHuman actor to a Level Sequence.
  2. Add the required animation tracks for the body and face.
  3. Add or expose ZenBlink component properties that need to change during the shot.
  4. Add keys to properties marked as interpolatable, including strengths, blends, alphas, smoothing values, and enable controls where required.
  5. Play the sequence to evaluate the incoming animation and ZenBlink together.

ZenBlink provides a Sequencer baking command that creates synchronized face and body animation sequences.

  1. Open the Level Sequence containing the MetaHuman animation.
  2. Right-click the MetaHuman Face or Body track in sequencer.
  3. Select Bake ZenBlink Animations.
  4. Choose the output location and name when prompted.

The bake creates two animation assets:

The command appears for actors with a ZenBlink component. Direct Control Rig baking is technically possible but experimental and unsupported at this time. Use Bake ZenBlink Animations first, then bake the resulting sequences to Epic’s stock MetaHuman Control Rigs if required.

9. Initial Checks

Reference Documents

See ZenBlink Component Reference, ZenBlink Target Component, and Zen Emotion.