How do you export blend shapes from Blender to Unity?

1 Step 1: Create and name your blend shapes

The first step is to create and name your blend shapes in Blender. To do this, you need to select your mesh object and go to the Object Data Properties panel. There, you will find a tab called Shape Keys, where you can add, remove, and edit your blend shapes. To add a new blend shape, click on the plus icon and give it a meaningful name. Then, you can use the edit mode or the sculpt mode to modify the mesh as you wish. You can also adjust the value slider to control the influence of each blend shape.

2 Step 2: Export your mesh as an FBX file

The next step is to export your mesh as an FBX file, which is a common format for 3D models and animations. To do this, you need to go to the File menu and choose Export > FBX (.fbx). In the export settings, you need to make sure that you select the following options: under Main, check Selected Objects; under Geometry, check Apply Modifiers and Shape Keys; under Armature, check Only Deform Bones if you have a rigged mesh; and under Animation, check Baked Animation and All Actions. Then, choose a destination folder and click Export FBX.

3 Step 3: Import your FBX file into Unity

The third step is to import your FBX file into Unity. To do this, you need to open your Unity project and drag and drop your FBX file into the Assets folder. Unity will automatically create a folder with the same name as your FBX file, containing the mesh, the materials, and the animations. You can then select your mesh in the Project window and inspect its properties in the Inspector window. There, you will find a tab called Skinned Mesh Renderer, where you can see your blend shapes under the BlendShapes section.

4 Step 4: Animate your blend shapes in Unity

The final step is to animate your blend shapes in Unity. To do this, you need to create an animation clip for your mesh. You can do this by selecting your mesh in the Hierarchy window and clicking on the Add Component button in the Inspector window. Then, choose Animation > Animator and click on the Create button next to the Controller field. This will open the Animator window, where you can create a new animation clip by clicking on the Create button in the Animation tab. Then, you can use the Animation window to keyframe your blend shapes by selecting them in the Skinned Mesh Renderer tab and adjusting their values over time. You can also preview your animation by using the Play button in the Game window.

5 Here’s what else to consider

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