Autoweight - Automatic skinning tool for 3ds Max

20 votes
Version: 
1.0
Date Updated: 
11/12/2013
Author Name: 
Mirko Haenssgen

Autoweight is a script designed for 3D Studio Max helping you speeding up the skinning process of characters and machines.
You define special polygon regions and the script finds the appropriate bones, calculates the appropriate skin-vertices and sets up smooth transitions between those regions.

There are also Youtube video tutorials explaining the script step-by-step.

The new version 1.0 comes with an installer so you don't need to hassle around with the mzp-stuff anymore.
After starting 3DS Max you'll find "Kogen Tools" -> "Autoweight" in your "Customize user interface" category when everything went right.

Version 1.0 features:

* Working with Max 2009 - 2015
* Completely rewritten core
* Region Painting
* Customizable bone-falloff-transitions
* View modes
* Import + Export of regions to AWB-files
* Using custom hierachies for bone objects (you're not longer forced to use bones or biped, you can use any object of a provided hierachy).
* Some additional tweaks

Kind regards

ko'gen

Version Requirement: 
3DS Max 2009 or greater
Video URL: 
AttachmentSize
awui.jpg143.03 KB
3dsmax2009-2011-addendum.zip493 bytes
autoweightinstaller_3ds2009-12.zip1.57 MB
autoweightinstaller_3ds2013-15.zip1.57 MB

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kogen's picture

Autoweight on 3DS Max 2015

Autoweight is now available for 3DS Max 2015.

"Arrogance kills."

kogen's picture

Hei Dividus, this seems like

Hei Dividus,

this seems like two questions. By "old version" you mean all versions prior to version 1 I guess. You can turn off the region-mode there by right clicking on your object (Object properties) and turn off vertex-display mode.

Concerning BP it might be possible that Autoweight only works with BP after you've selected a "Root-Object" (Select Hierarchy) since the BP bones may not be treated like normal Max-bones. So my question is: Does AW find the BP bones automatically or does it not. Since that might be a first hint that this could be the problem.

Best regards

kogen

"Arrogance kills."

Dividus's picture

How to turn off the display

How to turn off the display regions in old version? I have a problem when I use the bones pro.. Autoweight create this regions and then I can not see the range falloff. Atoweight creates its regions! Problem with visualze in BP.

GMax's picture

Thank you, it was really

Thank you, it was really helpful

kogen's picture

Yes you are right, I never

Yes you are right, I never explain that anywhere... but I guess there is just a little hint in the docu.
The trick is to paint the regions first, collapse the modifier, select all points and click on "set regions". I released a tutorial just five minutes ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiWFKACPkZY&feature=player_embedded

Best regards

Mirko

"Arrogance kills."

GMax's picture

Vertex Paint

I just cant figure out how to use Vertex painting with Autoweight. I mean, I paint the vertices, then the skin modifier it generates ignores all the painting done. Could you help me? Thanks in advance.

kogen's picture

Aw and Max 2009

Hi,

just wanted to inform you, that Autoweight is now working again with Max 2009.

Best regards

Mirko

"Arrogance kills."

kogen's picture

Hei Kimba, well the

Hei Kimba,

well the differences between 1.0 and 0.061 are obvious. I've redesigned the UI, made the workflow more prone to errors, implemented a "real" working Vertex-Paint-to-Regions feature, rewrote the AWB importer / exporter, redesigned the "transition problematic", included new view modes (the old ones were quite wonky to handle in the previous versions) and besides other fixes and improvement the biggest improvement is: Speed.
That's where I come to the differences between lite and "normal". Speed is only gained when using external methods, when you use the lite version it's pure MaxScript, when using full it's C# + Maxscript. According to this most of the automatic functions only work with C# (normal Autoweight), in the Lite version you can still define regions and bones manually and let the stuff been calculated.
It's up to you to decide, which version you want to use. :)

Best regards

Mirko

"Arrogance kills."

kimba23's picture

what are the differences

what are the differences between lite and full version? and lite and 0.61? I use 0.61 and it works great for me, i just dont want to loose features. Thanks kogen!

kogen's picture

Installation video online

Released a new video for all who are having trouble with the installer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=OUFI8xgEB5g

"Arrogance kills."

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