[Tutorial] Change Player Mesh via Kismet

Hello everyone…In this tutorial you will learn to change Player Mesh by pressing any button in-game. We achieve this by using a custom Kismet Node.

Click on the pictures to see large image.

First create the mesh. I used the default IronGuard mesh downloaded from here (3dsmax file):

UT3 Default Male with "Big Head"

Then Export it (FBX (2012)):

FBX Export. You can also export in *.PSK format if you are using 3dsmax 2011 or earlier

Then copy/paste this UnrealScript code and compile.

/**NOTE: I am NOT the creator of this script. I got this when i was searching google for a solution to change player mesh via kismet since “Set Mesh” was not working.**/

class SeqAct_ChangePlayerMesh extends SequenceAction;

var() SkeletalMesh newMesh;
var MaterialInterface defaultMaterial0;
var() AnimTree newAnimTree;
var() array<AnimSet> newAnimSet;
var() PhysicsAsset newPhysicsAsset;

event Activated()
{
    local int i;
    local UTPlayerController PC;
    PC = UTPlayerController(GetWorldInfo().GetALocalPlayerController());

    PC.Pawn.Mesh.SetSkeletalMesh(newMesh);
    PC.Pawn.Mesh.SetPhysicsAsset(newPhysicsAsset);
    PC.Pawn.Mesh.AnimSets=newAnimSet;
    PC.Pawn.Mesh.SetAnimTreeTemplate(newAnimTree);

    for (i = 0; i < PC.Pawn.Mesh.SkeletalMesh.Materials.length; i++)
    {
        PC.Pawn.Mesh.SetMaterial( i, defaultMaterial0 );
    }
}

defaultproperties
{
    ObjName="ChangePlayerMesh"
    ObjCategory="Change Player Mesh"
    VariableLinks.empty;
}

Screenshot:

Then import the FBX Skeletal Mesh into UDK:

Make sure you set "Origin --> Z = -51.00"

Now open Kismet and add the “Key/Button Pressed” Node:

New Event --> Input --> Key/Button Pressed

Then change the settings:

Make sure you set "Allowed Player Index" to 0. I set the Input key to "B"

Add a new “Switch” Node:

Make sure "Looping" is turned on and set the Link Count to 2.

Add two of our custom made Kismet Node “Change Player Mesh”:

New Action --> Change Player Mesh --> ChangePlayerMesh

Then set the Mesh , Animtree and Animsets like in the below picture:

"Bighead" is the new Mesh and "Normal Head" is the old default Mesh.

Now jump into game and TADA!!!

Press B:

Press B again: