ShapeKeyGen V3.29 Blender Addon

This is The New Version With More Features You Can Get The Free Version Here

ShapeKeyGen Free Version

Watch Tutorial On How To Use The V3.26

Introducing ShapeKeyGen V3+!

ShapeKeyGen is Blender addon designed to generate all 52 ARKit Blendshapes, along with additional special facial expressions(For AutoRig), for your rigged character. It works seamlessly with popular rigs in Blender such as AutoRig Pro , Rigify (MetaRig) and Custom Rigged Character. You can now Import CSV animation data into your character (there is alredy csv file inside the addon you can use for testing.

For custom rigs Click Me To Watch YouTube Video On How To Set Up, the addon requires minimal manual adjustments, after which it automates the rest of the process, saving you time and effort. Whether you're working with stylized, cartoon, or semi-realistic characters, ShapeKeyGen V3+ is the perfect tool to streamline your animation workflow!

Quick Demonstration

Here, we’ll use an AutoRig Pro rigged character as an example. The process is identical for Rigify rigs.

:Locate the Addon in Blender:

• The addon will now appear in the Animation tab in the Sidebar of the 3D Viewport, Animation tab

1. Rename the Rig:
   • Select your character's rig and click the Rename button.
   • This will change the rig's name to R_ShapeKeys and automatically set it as the target rig.
2. Register Face Parts:
   • Select your character's face parts (e.g., eyes [joined or separate], teeth [upper and lower], tongue, eyebrows, and any other facial objects).
   • Add them to the Register Face Collection to include them in the process.

1. Select the Rig Type:
   • From the Source Rig dropdown menu, choose your rig type (e.g., AutoRig Pro).
2. Transfer Animation:
   • Click the Transfer Animation button to transfer the animation to your character.
3. Adjust Expressions (if needed):
   • If the expressions appear slightly off, use the multipliers to refine them:
     • For AutoRig Pro, adjust the Location Multiplier only.
     • For Rigify (MetaRig), adjust both Location and Rotation Multipliers.
   • Set values:
     • Greater than 1 to increase expression strength.
     • Less than 1 to decrease it.
4. Apply Changes:
   • Click Apply to finalize the adjustments.

How to Use the Reference Panel( This is for V3.26+)

The Reference Panel provides a visual guide to show how each pose is supposed to look, making it easier to use as a reference during animation.

Steps to Use:

1. Go to a Frame with a Marker:
   Ensure you are on a frame where a marker is placed, or navigate to frame 10 for a starting point.
2. Switch to the Image Editor:
   Change one of your editors (e.g., Outliner) to Image Editor or create a new panel and set it to Image Editor.
3. Load the Reference Image:
   Click the Show Reference button in the Reference Panel. This will display the reference image for the current pose.
   • The displayed image updates automatically as you move to the next frame or marker.
4. Clear the Reference Images:
   When you're done, click the Clear Reference button. This will remove all images added by Blender to keep your workspace clean.

How to Use the Show Selected ShapeKey Button

The Show Selected ShapeKey button shows a reference image for the currently selected shape key, helping you see how it should look.

Steps to Use:

1. Select an Object:
   Make sure the object you select is a mesh.
2. Select a Shape Key:
   In the Shape Key panel, choose the shape key you want to see.
3. Open an Image Editor Panel:
   Ensure you have an Image Editor open to display the reference image.
4. Click the Show Selected ShapeKey Button:
   • It will load and display the reference image for the selected shape key.

Use this to quickly check how each shape key should look for more accurate adjustments , you can use it then refined the that shapekey in sculp mode or edit mode.

Using this feature ensures that you have a clear visual reference for your poses, enhancing the accuracy and quality of your animations.

You can also switch to Pose Mode to make manual adjustments to specific poses. Navigate to the keyframe with a marker for the expression name (e.g., eyeBlinkLeft or eyeBlinkRight). Typically, only minor adjustments are needed for expressions like eye blinks to refine their appearance.

1. Generate ShapeKeys:
   • Once you've finished refining the poses, click the Generate ShapeKeys button.
   • This will create blendshapes for all the objects registered in the collection.
2. Rename to ARKit:
   • Click the Make ARKit button to rename all the blendshapes to match ARKit naming conventions.
3. Clean the Rig:
   • Select your rig and click the Clean Rig button.
   • This will delete all keyframes and markers from the timeline.
4. Test the ShapeKeys:
   • After completing these steps, you can test the generated shape keys to ensure they work as expected.

How to Use the Test With CSV Feature

The Test With CSV feature lets you load animations from a CSV file onto your mesh or character objects that have ARKit-compatible shape keys.

Steps to Use:

1. Add Face Objects:
   • Use the + and - icons next to the "Add Face Objects" collection to add or remove objects.
   • Only objects with ARKit-compatible shape keys can be added to this collection.
2. Open a CSV File:
   • Click the Load From CSV button to open a file browser window.
   • Select a CSV file from your computer and click Open.
   • There's CSV file in the addon folder where you can load to test how it works check the gift video below or you can load your own
3. Load the Animation:
   • Once the CSV file is loaded, the animations will be applied to the objects in the Add Face Objects collection.

This feature allows you to quickly apply pre-recorded facial animations from a CSV file to your character or mesh.

You can delete the animations by selecting the meshes then delete those keyframes from the timeline

After it has remove use the addon called Drivers Control To Reset The Shapekeys Values to 0 with click it's free on my gumroad

Completed in Under a Minute!

This process was completed in under a minute without any adjustments. However, ensure your character's size is within a 170 cm human scale for best results.

If your character is significantly larger, use the Scale Expressions Panel to increase the strength of the expressions as needed. Thank you!

After completing all the steps, you can export your character with the generated shape keys to any software or game engine, such as Unity or Unreal Engine, for seamless integration and use in your projects.