> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://animotive.gitbook.io/animotive-kimodo/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://animotive.gitbook.io/animotive-kimodo/setup/plugin-install.md).

# Plugin Install

This page is the deep version of the install walkthrough in the [Quick Start](/animotive-kimodo/getting-started/quick-start.md). It covers prerequisites, the Fab install flow, a manual fallback, the post-install verification checklist, updating, and uninstalling. Backend configuration lives on its own pages; this page only links to them.

## Prerequisites

Animotive Kimodo is an editor-only plugin pinned to one engine version.

1. **Unreal Engine 5.7.** The plugin's `.uplugin` declares `EngineVersion: 5.7.0`, and modules are built against the 5.7 ABI. Earlier or later engine versions will refuse to load the plugin or fail to compile. Confirm the launcher reports **5.7** before installing.
2. **Docker Desktop** is required *only* if you intend to use the **Docker (Local)** backend. See [Docker (Local) Backend](/animotive-kimodo/setup/docker-local.md) for the supported Docker Desktop version and the `kimodo_gen` compose configuration. The **Self-Hosted (HTTP)** backend and the future **Animotive Kimodo hosted service** do not need Docker on the editor machine.
3. A project you can experiment in, whose `.uproject` is writable so plugins can be enabled.

No other dependencies need to be installed by hand. Animotive Kimodo declares **Control Rig**, **IK Rig**, and **Animation Modifier Library** as plugin dependencies in `KimodoExporter.uplugin`, so enabling Animotive Kimodo enables them automatically. If your project does not already use MetaHuman characters, MetaHuman itself is not required by the plugin — non-MetaHuman skeletal meshes are supported through the [First-Time Character Setup](/animotive-kimodo/setup/first-character.md) wizard.

## Install from Fab

Fab is the primary install channel.

1. Sign in to Fab. Either open the **Fab** tab inside the Epic Games Launcher, or visit [fab.com](https://www.fab.com) in a browser and sign in with the same Epic Games account.
2. Search the marketplace for **Animotive Kimodo** and open the listing.
3. Choose **Add to project**. Fab prompts for the target Unreal project. Pick the UE 5.7 project you want to install into and confirm.
4. Fab downloads the plugin into `<Project>/Plugins/`. The folder ends with `<Project>/Plugins/ProjectKimodoUnrealEnginePlugin/KimodoExporter.uplugin`.
5. Launch the project in Unreal Engine 5.7. The Fab build ships precompiled binaries for UE 5.7, so the editor opens normally — there is no compile step. (Installing from *source* instead does prompt to compile on first launch; see [Manual / development install](#manual--development-install) below.)
6. Once the editor is open, go to **Edit → Plugins**, type `Kimodo Exporter` into the search field, tick the **Enabled** checkbox on the entry, and click **Restart Now** when the editor prompts to restart.

The plugin currently ships with `IsBetaVersion: true` in its `.uplugin`, so the **Plugins** browser shows a beta badge next to the entry. This is expected during the beta period and does not need to be changed.

After the restart, the [First-Run Setup popup](/animotive-kimodo/setup/first-run-setup.md) auto-opens once to collect the backend choice and the matching required fields. Closing the popup with **Don't show again** ticked stops it from auto-opening on subsequent sessions; it remains reachable from **Tools → Animotive Kimodo → First-Run Setup**.

## Manual / development install

The manual route is supported for source builds and for testing pre-release packages that have not yet been published to Fab.

1. Close any running instance of Unreal Editor.
2. Copy the plugin folder into `<Project>/Plugins/`. The final on-disk layout must be:

   ```
   <Project>/
     Plugins/
       ProjectKimodoUnrealEnginePlugin/
         KimodoExporter.uplugin
         Source/
         Resources/
         ...
   ```

   The descriptor file at the plugin root is `KimodoExporter.uplugin` — Unreal locates the plugin by scanning for `.uplugin` files under `Plugins/`. The containing folder can be named anything; the example name above matches the source repository layout.
3. Re-open the project in Unreal Engine 5.7. If the plugin has unbuilt modules, accept the compile prompt.
4. Open **Edit → Plugins**, search for `Kimodo Exporter`, tick **Enabled**, and restart the editor.

Plugins dropped into a project's `Plugins/` folder take precedence over plugins of the same name installed at engine level. If you previously installed via Fab and are now testing a manual build, remove the Fab-installed copy before adding the manual one to avoid two copies of the plugin loading.

## Verify install

After the post-enable editor restart, run through these four checks. Each one exercises a different surface of the plugin; if any fail, the install is incomplete.

1. **Plugins browser entry.** Open **Edit → Plugins** and search for `Kimodo Exporter` (the plugin is listed under the **Animation** category in the left rail). The entry should be present, enabled, and tagged as beta.
2. **Sequencer toolbar button.** Open any Level Sequence. The Sequencer toolbar should include an **Generate with Kimodo** button. Hovering it shows the tooltip *Export current sequence Control Rig keyframes as Kimodo constraints JSON*.
3. **Animotive Kimodo Monitor panel.** Open **Tools → Animotive Kimodo → Monitor**. An empty **Animotive Kimodo Monitor** panel should dock. This is where every generation appears once submitted.
4. **Animotive Kimodo track entry on a body binding.** In a Level Sequence that contains a character, expand the actor binding so the body skeletal-mesh sub-binding (typically named `Body`) is visible in the Sequencer outliner. Right-click that sub-binding. The context menu should list **Add Animotive Kimodo Track**. The entry only appears on bindings whose skeleton has a `pelvis` or `root` bone, which is why face-only sub-bindings do not show it.

If any of these four checks fails, head to [Troubleshooting](/animotive-kimodo/going-further/troubleshooting.md). The two most common causes are the plugin not being enabled after the last restart, and the binding under test not being a body rig.

## Updating

Fab tracks installed plugins per project and notifies you when a new version is available.

1. Close the Unreal project before updating, so the plugin's DLLs are not locked.
2. In the Fab tab of the Epic Games Launcher, open the **Animotive Kimodo** listing and choose **Update** on the affected project.
3. Re-open the project. If the new version changed module sources, accept the compile prompt on first launch.
4. Restart the editor once after updating, even if no compile prompt appears. Plugin module reloads are not always picked up cleanly without a full editor restart.

A manual install is updated by overwriting the existing `<Project>/Plugins/ProjectKimodoUnrealEnginePlugin/` folder with the new contents. The same close-editor / re-open / restart sequence applies.

## Uninstalling

1. With the project open, go to **Edit → Plugins**, find **Animotive Kimodo**, and clear the **Enabled** checkbox. Restart the editor when prompted.
2. Optional: close the editor and delete the plugin folder from `<Project>/Plugins/`. Leaving the folder in place with the plugin disabled is also fine — Unreal will skip loading it.

Removing the plugin does not delete assets it generated. The Retarget Wizard writes into `/Game/Kimodo/Generated/<MeshName>/`, and imported animation sequences live alongside their source BVH files. These persist as plain Unreal assets after uninstall and can be moved, kept, or deleted independently.

## Next step

With the plugin installed and verified, configure a generation backend before authoring anything in Sequencer. Pick the backend that matches your hardware and team setup:

* [Docker (Local) Backend](/animotive-kimodo/setup/docker-local.md) — run Kimodo on your own machine via Docker Desktop.
* [Self-Hosted (HTTP) Backend](/animotive-kimodo/setup/remote-backend.md) — talk to a Kimodo FastAPI server hosted by your team.

Once a backend is configured, continue with [First-Time Character Setup](/animotive-kimodo/setup/first-character.md) to prepare a character for the Animotive Kimodo workflow. MetaHuman users can skip the character setup step entirely and go straight to [Getting Started with MetaHumans](/animotive-kimodo/getting-started/getting-started-metahumans.md).