# Marvelous Designer to MetaHuman — Considerations Period clothing built in Marvelous Designer (MD) or CLO and delivered as a resizable **Outfit Asset** that MetaHuman Creator fits to the character. ## Version compatibility | Marvelous Designer | Unreal Engine | |---|---| | 2025.0 | UE 5.4 only | | **2025.2 or later** (current: **2026.1**, 24 Aug 2026; 2025.2 added the MetaHuman DNA importer) | **UE 5.6 and later** | | — | UE 5.5 not compatible with the Chaos Cloth data | ## USD garment workflow (MD / CLO → MetaHuman) 1. In Unreal: open the MetaHuman and **export it as a Combined Skeletal Mesh**; bring that body into MD as the avatar. 2. In MD: pattern, sew and simulate the garment on the avatar; set fabric physical properties; export **USD**. 3. In Unreal: import the USD; right-click the static mesh → **Physics → Cloth Asset**. 4. In the **Dataflow Editor** keep only: USD Import, Transfer Skin Weights, Remesh, Cloth Asset Terminal. 5. Add a Static Mesh Import node into **Transfer Skin Weights**, set to the Combined Skeletal Mesh with *Closest Point on Surface*. 6. Create an **Outfit Asset** from the **Resizable Outfit Template**; add the Cloth Asset as a source. 7. In MetaHuman Creator, apply it on the **Hair and Clothing** tab; it adapts to body changes. Add an LOD2 variant for Optimized builds. A **LiveSync** route between MD and UE 5.6+ also exists for faster iteration (see [[Marvelous Designer — Tutorials]]). ## Considerations for period costume - **Pattern from evidence.** Draft from period patterns and museum garments (NHA textile collection); the costume historian signs off. - **Layers.** Chemise, corset or stays, petticoats, bodice, skirt, shawl, cap. Simulate the outer layers; fake the inner ones with shape. - **Fabric weight.** Wool, linen and silk behave differently; set MD properties from real fabric, not presets. - **Quaker plain dress** is not a single costume: plainness, color and cut changed across decades and between meetings. - **Skirts and robes** need Chaos Cloth tuning to avoid clipping at kiosk distance; standalone headsets may need baked or simplified cloth. - **Body mesh stays under the clothes.** The character's body was sculpted nude or in tight clothing ([[ZBrush — Sculpting for MetaHuman]]); the costume shapes the silhouette. - **Performance budget.** Keep polygon counts and simulated panels low for the Optimized assembly. - **License.** **Personal licences are not allowed for company use** (MD can revoke them). Studio options are **Enterprise** ($199/month or $2,000/yr) or the **Indie** licence announced January 2026 (at least 2 employees, under $500K revenue, registered company; Enterprise benefits, price on application). Ask for an Indie quote before buying. - **Runtime.** Outfit resizing is done in the editor and cooked; it does not happen at runtime. Standalone headsets and phones start with skinned-only garments ([[Tutorial — Period Layers, Hoops and Skirts]]). **Owners:** costume designer, cloth artist. Tutorials: [[Marvelous Designer — Tutorials]] · start here: [[Tutorial — Getting Started with Marvelous Designer]] · step by step: [[Tutorial — Marvelous Designer Garment to MetaHuman Outfit]] Sources: [[Sources — 2026-09-19]]