How to Assign a Custom Character Model in Unreal Engine 5 (UE5 Manny)

Assign a custom UE5 Manny character to the Tactical FPS Animations skeleton in Unreal Engine 5, then test it in the demo maps.

Table of Contents

• Introduction

• Before You Start

• Download a Character Asset from Fab (Optional)

• Verify the Import

• Locate the Character Mesh

• Duplicate the Mesh (Recommended)

• Assign the Tactical FPS Skeleton

• Locate and Assign SKEL_TFA_Mannequin

• Test the Character Mesh in the Weapon Data Asset

• Play the Demo Map

---

Introduction

---

This guide will walk you through the process of replacing the default character model included in the pack with a custom UE5 compatible character model.

I will be using the Modular Soldier Pack Vol. 1 by Zhukov's as an example (go check out their work, it's awesome).

Feel free to use any Manny-compatible character, the process is the same.

You don’t need to use this character pack specifically, any character mesh rigged to the UE5 mannequin skeleton will work.

Before You Start

• Your character mesh must be rigged to UE5 Manny. The bone hierarchy must match.

• If you’re using Fab, enable the Fab plugin first (Edit → Plugins → Fab).

1

---

Download a Character Asset from Fab (Optional)

---

Open the Fab plugin in the editor and find the character you want. If you already have a skeletal mesh (or you imported an FBX), skip ahead to Assign the Tactical FPS Skeleton.

Click Add to Project. Wait for the download to finish. Once it’s done, the content shows up like any other asset.

2

---

Verify the Import

---

You should now see the AAAModularSoldier folder in your project.

3

---

Locate the Character Mesh

---

Find the UE5-compatible mesh, for this pack it's located here:

AAAModularSoldier > Modules > ModularSoldierVol_1 > Meshes_UE5.

4

---

Duplicate the Mesh (Recommended)

---

Duplicate the skeletal mesh before you touch anything. This keeps the original asset clean, and makes rollbacks painless later in case something breaks.

5

---

Assign the Tactical FPS Skeleton

---

Right-click the skeletal mesh that you want to use.

Then select Skeleton > Assign Skeleton.

This is the step that hooks your custom mesh into the Tactical FPS animation skeleton.

6

---

Locate and Assign SKEL_TFA_Mannequin

---

When prompted, pick the Tactical FPS Pack skeleton.

The fastest way is searching for SKEL_TFA_Mannequin.

Select it in the list. Double-check that all bones match, then click Accept.

If bones are missing or mismatched, the mesh isn’t Manny-compatible. Fix the rig, or match the hierarchy. Then try again.

7

---

Test the Character Mesh in the Weapon Data Asset

---

Do a quick sanity check next by assigning the mesh to the demo logic included with the Tactical FPS animations pack.

Open the config data asset for your specific weapon, it's located here:

Content/InfimaGames/TacticalFPSAnimations/Weapons/<WeaponName>/Demo/Data

Expand Meshes > Character, replace both the TP and FP mesh references with your custom character model.

If the mesh doesn’t show up in the picker, assignment likely failed. Repeat the steps. Verify bone matching before you accept.

8

---

Play the Demo Map

---

Finally, test it in a demo map so you can see it in motion right away. In this example, I’m using L_TFA_AR_Showcase (the exact map name will vary depending on your specific weapon).

That’s it! Your custom character is ready to use.

It will now work with the skeleton included in the Tactical FPS animation packs.

---