Quick Start: First Working Overlay

Goal

This walkthrough proves the complete minimal path with one reusable upper-body State. Do not add Contexts, Animation Overrides, Aim Offset, or IK until this path works.

Compatible Skeleton + Preview Mesh + Control Rig
-> Pose Overlay Set
-> Rifle State
-> Synchronize
-> Pose Overlay Stack
-> persistent FPoseOverlayRuntimeRequest
-> Set Pose Overlay State Active
-> PIE

1. Choose Compatible Assets

• The target Skeleton must be the Skeleton used by the runtime Animation Blueprint.
• The preview Skeletal Mesh must be compatible with that Skeleton.
• The authoring Control Rig must expose the controls needed for the pose.
• Prepare at least one idle and one moving source animation for verification.

2. Create The Set

1. Create Add > Animation > Pose Overlay Set.
2. Select the target Skeleton, preview mesh, and authoring Control Rig.
3. Open the Set and keep the default Skeleton Reference Neutral for this first proof.

3. Create A Reusable State

1. Add a State and name it Rifle.
2. Assign a valid unique Gameplay Tag such as PoseOverlay.State.Rifle.
3. Enter Author mode.
4. Choose a representative idle source.
5. Pose the controls needed for the weapon-holding silhouette.
6. Press S or use Key Selected. Use Auto Key only when you intentionally want manipulations to write authored data.

The State should own only the authored change. Do not copy the complete idle pose into it.

4. Check Reuse Before Runtime

1. Switch to Audition.
2. Preview the State over idle, walk, and a turn or run animation.
3. Set preview State weight to zero and confirm the original source returns.
4. Return to full weight and confirm the intended pose remains recognizable.

If an arm is too loose during locomotion, continue the first proof with the current result and later refine Bone Influence And Composition. If only one source animation is wrong, that is a later Animation Override problem, not a reason to duplicate the State.

5. Synchronize

1. Open Validation and resolve every Error.
2. Choose Synchronize.
3. Confirm the Set is no longer stale.
4. Save the asset.

6. Add The Minimal AnimGraph

Your existing source pose
-> Pose Overlay Stack
-> Output Pose

1. Create a persistent FPoseOverlayRuntimeRequest variable, for example PoseOverlayRequest.
2. Connect the existing source pose to Pose Overlay Stack.
3. Connect the request variable to the Stack Request pin.
4. Leave Stack Weight at 1, Source Channel at Default, and LOD Threshold disabled for the first proof.

7. Activate From Gameplay

1. Call Set Pose Overlay State Active.
2. Pass the same persistent request connected to the Stack.
3. Pass the loaded Set and PoseOverlay.State.Rifle.
4. Set Active true and State Weight to 1.
5. Call the same function with Active false when the gameplay condition ends.

8. Verify In PIE

• Inactive: the original animation graph is unchanged.
• Active: the authored State enters through its transition.
• Locomotion: the State remains recognizable while permitted source motion continues.
• Deactivate: the State exits cleanly without a residual pose.
• Repeat the cycle to confirm request ownership is persistent and idempotent.

Where To Go Next

Use Standing And Crouching Contexts for gameplay-condition adaptation, Rifle Pose With A Mantle Correction for a source-specific correction, and Aim Offset when the base State is already stable.