Archive for December, 2008

Another Blender script - Mouse Scrub

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008

Download Script

Menu: Script Window->Misc->Mouse Scrub

Scrub through animation by moving the mouse (Hotkey E)

Useful for tablet users who cannot use alt+Mousewheel for scrubbing instead.

Usage:
Execute the scipt and enable the spacehandler (View->Space Handler Scripts). Now you can call the menu by pressing the E-key. Feel free to adjust this script to another hotkey if you like. You can now save your Blender-default settings (Ctrl+U) to make it persistent.

New script

Monday, December 8th, 2008

Here is another one i just wrote:

Copy/Paste vertex weight

Menu: Script Window -> Copy/Paste vertex weight

With this script you can pick a vertex to copy it’s weight and paste it to multiple other vertices. If you selected more than one vert in the first step and click on paste, the applied weights will be averaged. This is useful to match or repair weights between different mesh parts. In my example i am attaching a belt buckle to the belly of my character.


There is another Button called ‘Average Vertex Weights’. It will smooth the selected vertex weights with a fallof within the selection.

Download script

Blender scripts

Sunday, December 7th, 2008

I am using blender for my personal projects now. Here are some helper scripts that i wrote to help my self while creating my new character rig:

Symmetry Map

symmetrize a mesh and bone weights over the x axis

This script is useful if you want to make modifications to a symmetrical mesh after you have applied a mirror modifier.

Download Script

Blend Vertices

Copy selected vertex positions from one object to another

This script copies vertex positions between two objects. Both objects need to have the
same topology (i.e. created as a copy of the other).

This script is useful for modelling shapes (if you do them as seperate obejcts) to
revert changes to the original mesh.

Download Script

Drawtypes

Set Object Display options (Hotkey O)

I wrote this for convenience to be able to quickly toggle
draw wireframe over solid and x-ray etc.

Download Script

Merge weights to parent

Merge the selected bone’s weight to its parent

This script is supposed to be used in conjunction with the bone heating
appoach. Because the bone heating does sometimes not reach all areas i want,
(for example in the head) i usually add additional child bones and apply
bone heating again. This script can then be used to merge the weights to
the parent bone, to get rid of the extra vertex groups and remove the clutter.

Download Script

Remove from all Vertex Groups

Clears selected vertices from all vertex groups for a fresh start

Download Script

Toggle Armature Layers

Toggle between the first two armature layers of the selected armature with a hotkey. Very convenient when animating, so you can hide / unhide your controls quickly.

Download Script

SoftIK

Soft IK for non stretchy chains.

Download zipped Blend-file

To use the scripts put them into your Blender-Script folder. For detailed instructions see each individual file. Have fun!