Description

This is a regression since 5.5 with skeletal meshes where morph target normal/tangent deformation only works when a mesh is imported as a LOD of an existing skeletal mesh, but not when imported as LOD0.

  • Importing a mesh with morphs as LOD0: morph positions work, but normal/tangent deformation does not affect shading.
  • Importing the exact same mesh as LOD1/LOD2 of the same asset - morph normals/tangents work correctly.
  • Import the same mesh as a separate skeletal mesh - morph target normals also do not work.
Steps to Reproduce

In UE 5.5

  • Import the attached FBX as a Skeletal Mesh with default settings.
  • Set the morph target value to 1.
  • Result: the cube shape is smoothed and the normals follow the morph as expected (shading changes correctly).

In UE 5.6/5.7/5.8

  • Import the same FBX as a Skeletal Mesh with the same default settings (no changes from 5.5).
  • Set the morph target value to 1.
  • Result: the cube shape is smoothed, but the normals stay unchanged (shading does not react to the morph).
  • Open the imported mesh, go to LOD Settings and set the number of LODs to 2.
  • Reimport the same FBX as LOD1.
  • Result: on LOD1, the morph affects the normals correctly (shading changes), while on LOD0 it still does not.

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Unresolved
ComponentUE - Editor - Content Pipeline
Affects Versions5.65.75.8
CreatedNov 27, 2025
UpdatedDec 1, 2025
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