VMCLiveLink
Bring the VMC (Virtual Motion Capture) protocol into Unreal Engine in real time
Overview
VMCLiveLink brings the VMC (Virtual Motion Capture) protocol directly into Unreal Engine. It's designed for creators who want to animate digital characters live — from VTubers to XR performers to virtual production teams. VMCLiveLink turns motion into presence, streaming body and facial capture data straight into Unreal in real time, and bridges external mocap apps such as Virtual Motion Capture and VSeeFace with Unreal's Live Link system. Whether you're crafting an XR dance performance, streaming a VTuber show, or building a virtual stage for a live audience, VMCLiveLink gives you the bridge between raw performance and expressive digital presence.
Features
VMC Protocol over OSC
Receives the VMC protocol over OSC and streams it into Unreal's Live Link system for real-time, low-friction performance capture.
Body & Facial Capture
Streams both body and facial capture data so avatars respond to a performer's full range of movement and expression.
Connects Popular Mocap Apps
Works with external mocap tools like Virtual Motion Capture and VSeeFace, connecting them to Unreal's Live Link workflow.
Bone & Curve Remapping
A reusable VMC LiveLink Mapping Asset remaps incoming bone and curve names onto your own skeleton, with presets for ARKit (MetaHuman-friendly), VMC/VRM, VRoid, Rokoko, or a custom JSON mapping.
Retargeting Included
Ships VRM-to-UE5 IK Rigs, a retargeter, and a VMC Retarget Actor, so incoming performance can drive characters that aren't built on the VRM skeleton.
Pairs with VRMInterchange
Our separate VRMInterchange plugin imports VRM avatars that arrive Live Link-ready — but neither plugin needs the other, so use VMCLiveLink with whatever character you already have.
Built for Live Performance
Designed for interactive avatars, live shows, and virtual puppetry — lowering technical barriers so performers can focus on the moment.
Installation
VMCLiveLink will be available on the Fab Marketplace soon. In the meantime you can build it from source: clone the repository (which requires Git LFS) with `git clone https://github.com/lifelike-and-believable/VMCLiveLink.git`, then run `git lfs pull`. Copy the `Plugins/VMCLiveLink` folder into your project's `Plugins` directory, then enable the plugin from Edit → Plugins in the Unreal Editor. The plugin targets Unreal Engine 5.6 and ships Win64 binaries only.
Usage
Open the Live Link window (Window → Virtual Production → Live Link) and add a new source: + Source → VMC Live Link Source. Set the listen Port (39539 by default, the standard VMC port) and a Subject Name, leave the Unity→UE coordinate and meters→cm conversions on unless your sender already matches Unreal's conventions, then click Create. Point your VMC-compatible mocap app (such as Virtual Motion Capture or VSeeFace) at Unreal's IP and that port, confirm the subject appears in Live Link, then bind it to your character to drive it live.
Documentation
Getting Started
Building from source requires Git LFS. The plugin targets Unreal Engine 5.6.
- •Clone the repository and run `git lfs pull` to fetch large assets.
- •Copy the `Plugins/VMCLiveLink` folder into your project's Plugins directory.
- •Right-click the .uproject and generate project files, then open the project and let Unreal build the modules.
- •Enable the plugin from Edit → Plugins if it isn't already active.
Driving a Character with VMC
- •Place your Live Link character actor in your level.
- •Open Window → Live Link and add a VMC Live Link Source.
- •Point your VMC application (Virtual Motion Capture, VSeeFace, etc.) at Unreal's IP and port.
- •The character animates in real time as motion data arrives.
Source Settings
- •Port — the UDP port to listen on for VMC over OSC. Defaults to 39539.
- •Subject Name — the Live Link subject the incoming data is published as. Defaults to `VMC_Subject`.
- •Unity→UE coords — converts the sender's Unity-style basis to Unreal's. On by default.
- •Meters→cm — scales incoming positions from metres to centimetres. On by default.
Remapping & Retargeting
Incoming VMC bone and curve names rarely match your character's skeleton exactly. A VMC LiveLink Mapping Asset holds a reusable bone name map and curve name map, so one mapping can be maintained once and reused across projects. It can also record skeleton signatures from example meshes and auto-detect the right mapping when a reference skeleton is set.
Presets
- •None / Manual — map everything yourself.
- •ARKit (MetaHuman-friendly) — ARKit curve names, for driving MetaHuman-style faces.
- •VMC / VRM — VMC protocol-style naming.
- •VMC / VRoid — VRoid-style naming.
- •Rokoko — ARKit names as sent by Rokoko.
- •Custom (JSON) — supply your own mapping.
Curve Normalizer
An optional MetaHuman curve normalizer shapes incoming facial values, with Joy-to-Smile and Blink-Mirror strengths you can dial from 0 to 1. Project-wide defaults for the remapper class and reference skeleton live in Edit → Project Settings → VMC Live Link.
Retargeting
The plugin ships VRM-to-UE5 IK Rigs and a retargeter along with a VMC Retarget Actor, so a VMC performance can drive characters that aren't built on the VRM skeleton.
Using VRM Avatars
VMCLiveLink drives any character wired up to Live Link, so it doesn't require a particular avatar format. If you're working with VRM avatars, our separate VRMInterchange plugin imports them with spring bone physics, IK rigs, and a Live Link actor and Animation Blueprint scaffold already generated — ready to be driven by the incoming performance. The two plugins ship from the same repository but are independent: either can be used without the other.
Platform Support
VMCLiveLink is Windows only today. Both its runtime and editor modules ship Win64 binaries only, so plan around that before building a Mac or Linux pipeline on it. Nothing in VMC or OSC requires Windows — this is a current build-target choice rather than a technical limit.
Requirements
- •Unreal Engine 5.6 or later.
- •Unreal's built-in Live Link and OSC plugins (both are enabled automatically as plugin dependencies).
- •Windows (Win64). See Platform Support above.
- •Git LFS when cloning the repository from source.
Known Issues
- Not yet listed on the Fab Marketplace — build from source for now.
- Windows (Win64) only — both the runtime and editor modules ship Win64 binaries.
- Cloning the repository requires Git LFS; run `git lfs pull` after cloning to fetch large assets.
Changelog
- •VMC protocol receiver over OSC, streamed into Unreal's Live Link system.
- •Body and facial capture streaming for live performance.
- •Configurable listen port, subject name, and Unity→UE / metres→centimetres conversions.
- •VMC LiveLink Mapping Asset for reusable bone and curve remapping, with skeleton auto-detection.
- •Remap presets for ARKit (MetaHuman-friendly), VMC/VRM, VRoid, Rokoko, and custom JSON.
- •Optional MetaHuman curve normalizer with Joy-to-Smile and Blink-Mirror shaping.
- •VRM-to-UE5 IK Rigs, retargeter, and a VMC Retarget Actor.
- •Targets Unreal Engine 5.6, Win64.
Support
For bug reports, questions, or feature requests, open an issue on the GitHub repository (github.com/lifelike-and-believable/VMCLiveLink) or use the contact form on this site and include "VMCLiveLink" in the subject line. Please include your Unreal Engine version, the mocap app you're streaming from, and a description of the issue.
Contact Support