Mesh2Rig
![Interface [2.0.0]](/media/thumbnails/33/330c4d114c4f7089020b9baa5a0a1a1ca8d64a774d961f9997ca7320bd2bd3e6_1920x1080.webp)
![A very simple demonstration of the addon's work. [v1.9.0]](/media/thumbnails/1e/1e835d398001dd9c756d81c6587b1629c2181619878198b7e73cbc358695b22a_1920x1080.webp)
Mesh2Rig – Save Any Animation as a Rig 🦴
Mesh2Rig is a game-ready tool designed to bake Cell Fracture/Rigid Bodies, Cloth, Softbody, Shape Keys, and any complex mesh deformations into a standard skeletal rig with just a few clicks.
🔥 New in Update 2.5
- 🚀 Automatic Batch Processing: Process multiple objects simultaneously.
- 🔗 Smart Merge: Combine everything into one model + one rig (perfect for destruction scenes!).
- ⚡ Optimized "Simple Mode": Faster processing for rigid objects.
I’d really appreciate your feedback in the reviews! It helps me improve the tool and boosts visibility. Thanks!
📺 Video Tutorials
- Official Tutorial: https://youtu.be/k9EHTYyUhok
- 2.5 Update Overview: https://youtu.be/kuwmC5m1SF8
✨ Key Features
- Automated Bone Generation: Uses KDTree proximity to intelligently place bones inside the mesh volume, or a Simple Mode (1-bone per object) for rigid debris.
- Surface Deform Workflow: Automatically sets up Surface Deform modifiers for high-quality deformation without the need for manual weight painting.
- One-Click Baking: Convert complex mesh animation into standard skeletal animation (Actions) instantly.
- Batch Processing: Process entire collections (e.g., Cell Fracture results) in one click. Automatically rigs, binds, and bakes hundreds of objects sequence-by-sequence.
- Smart Merging: Merges multiple generated rigs and meshes into a single Master Rig and Mesh, preserving all animations.
Perfect for: Game development optimization, baking cloth/soft body simulations to bones, and managing complex destruction scenes.
📦 Batch Processing Setup (Cell Fracture / Debris)
Ideal for processing hundreds of fractured pieces at once.
- Prepare Collection: Move all your simulation objects (shards/debris) into a specific Collection in Blender.
- Select Collection: In the Mesh2Rig panel, select that collection in the "Batch Target" field.
- Choose Mode:
- Check Simple Mode if the objects are rigid (don't deform internally).
- Uncheck it for soft bodies (cloth/jelly).
- Process: Click Batch Process Collection.
- Merge (Optional): Once processed, click Merge Generated Rigs to combine them all into one optimized asset.
⚙️ Manual Processing / Single Object Workflow
Prepare an object with mesh animation (e.g., cloth simulation).
Step 1: Automatic Rig Generation
- Bone Count: Set the maximum number of bones to generate.
- Proximity: Set the minimum distance multiplier between bones.
- Bone Length: Set the bone scale controller (adjust if model surfaces are very close).
Step 1.5: Merge Bones (Optional)
Allows you to merge selected bones in Edit mode if needed.
- Factor: Distance multiplier for searching nearby bones.
- Min Count: Lower limit for merging bones.
Step 2: Bind Mesh to Rig
Parents the mesh to the generated rig with automatic weights.
Step 3: Automatic Setup (Constraints)
Sets up the logic for the rig to follow the mesh.
- Note: Use the "Add rotation constraints" checkbox for custom rigs or for low bone counts on high-poly models. It is recommended to leave this OFF for automated rigs with high bone counts to avoid rotation artifacts.
Step 4: Animation Baking
- Set Start Frame and End Frame.
- Click Bake Rig Action to transfer the movement to the bones.
Step 5: Finalize
Removes temporary modifiers (Surface Deform) and applies the final Armature modifier.
⚠️ Note: Don't forget to remove your initial animation sources (cloth simulation, cache modifiers, shape keys) after finalizing to clean up the scene.
What's New
2.5.0 February 1st, 2026
This is a major update focusing on Batch Processing, Destruction Workflows, and Reliability.
🚀 New Features
- Batch Processing System:
- Added a new panel to process entire collections of objects (e.g., Cell Fracture shards) automatically.
- Sequentially creates rigs, binds meshes, and bakes animation for hundreds of objects in one click.
- Smart Merging (New Algorithm):
- Added "Merge Generated Rigs" operator.
- Completely rewritten using a "Constraint & Bake" approach. It guarantees 100% accurate preservation of animation (location, rotation, scale) when combining multiple rigs into a single Master Rig.
- Automatically merges corresponding meshes into a single Master Mesh.
- Fixed issues with bone rotation offsets and lost animation curves found in previous versions.
- Simple Mode:
- Added a "Simple Mode" toggle for Batch Processing.
- Generates a single bone at the object's center. Optimized for rigid bodies (debris, stones) that do not require internal deformation.
- Smart Cleanup Tools:
- Added "Clear Cleanup" operator.
- Removes not just keyframes, but also Rigid Body settings, Shape Keys, and Simulation Modifiers (Cloth, Soft Body, Particle Systems) to prepare assets for game engines.
- Auto Clear Anim: Added a checkbox to automatically clean source meshes after batch processing.
The fragments generated by Cell Fracture all have independent motion trajectories. It would be extremely tedious to manually configure each model using the add-on one by one. Will you consider updating a feature to batch-generate rig animations for multiple objects that have simultaneous motion in future updates?