Keep Shape Keys After Modifier was Apply

Question

I wanted to duplicate a body mesh and remove some parts of it to make it look like a shirt, and that's almost done. Now the mesh look like a shirt but I needed to add a Wireframe modifier so it turns into a fishnet, now just like that, everything must be done.

This model has to be exported as a FBX and be used in Unity, Unity didn't show the shape keys Blendshapes and that's because of the modifier. All I need to do is apply the modifier, but the modifier didn't want to be applied because of the shape keys, it throws an error saying "modifier cannot be applied to a mesh with shape keys".

I found an add-on that let's you apply a modifier with shape keys, this one: https://github.com/przemir/ApplyModifierForObjectWithShapeKeys but honestly the result of the modifier being applied is not what I really wanted. I prefer the result of the modifier without the application, and I found a way to do so: the convert > mesh function, but it doesn't keep my shape keys.

I saw this forum Converting a curve into a mesh does not copy over shape keys and it kinda did what I wanted, but remember how the end results of the applied modifier isn't really appealing, well it's being transformed into the Join as Shapes...

I just need the results of the modifier without applying it, and keeping the shape keys. Is there a way to do so?

Answer 1

I'm not experienced with Unity, but if FBX protects Shapekeys and Unity can use it ... it should be working in this order ...

• Duplicate object with the Wire modifier and the Shapekey

• Set Shapekey to 1

• Convert to Mesh
  (This applies modifier and shapekey.)

• Select original object with Basis key shape and also Convert to Mesh
  (so the modifier became apply and shapekeys deleted in one action)

• Select both objects with Base shape Active and search for Join as Shape

If this doesnt result with expected result for you ... you would have to share screens or blend file with your specific issue.