Meta-Rig for Manuel Bastioni Lab [Addon for an Addon]

This add-on adds a nearly ready-to-use Rigify Meta-Rig for Characters made with the Manuel Bastioni Lab add-on.

(this version is for Manuel-Bastioni-Lab and Blender 2.79 only!
See below for version for MB-Lab and 2.80)


After the installation you can find the add-on in the ManuelBastioniLAB tab.

usage:

  • create and finalize a character with Manuel Bastioni Lab
  • select the Armature (usually “MBlab_sk<long number>”) in Object Mode (the menu doesn’t show in Pose Mode!)
  • click the button “Rigify Meta-Rig for MLAB” in the ManuelbastioniLAB tab
    optional:
    • set legs straight and adjust knee offset in y direction (I couldn’t get the rig to work properly without this. The knees always bend inwards.)
  • also optional:
    • remove face rig, if not needed
  • Generate Rig (Properties > Data)

to use the weight paint from Manuel Bastioni Lab:

  • select the character mesh
  • exchange the armature object (Properties > Modifiers)
  • click the button “MLAB to Rigify” in the ManuelbastioniLAB tab

Rigify must not be in Legacy Mode! see this post


PS: This is my first add-on. I hope you find it useful.


This add-on for MB-Lab for Blender 2.80:

3 Likes

Great for first add-on, thanks for sharing.(needs to be developed)

Hello and thanks a lot, this seems to be very interesting, especially for anime characters who don’t have IK. I’m still not sure about the process, being new to rigify as well. Once you have your meta rig, that you could have created with rigify directly (but I guess your addon provides adjustment as well), then what? I generate the rig, alright, but my MB character remains parented to the MB rig. I’m unclear on your “from here on” part. Could you spare 5 minutes to explain what to do next in more details?

Well, if you have generated the rig with a click on “Generate Rig”, you are already in the “from here on” part. :slight_smile:

Here is a quick rundown, what to do after the generation of the metarig with my addon:

  • go to the data tab of the (with my addon generated) new metarig (it’s called “metarig” or “metarig.001” …)
  • click “Generate Rig” under “Rigify Buttons”
  • you now have the rig (should be called “rig”)
    (- you can delete “metarig” or move “metarig” to an other layer as backup)
    from here on you have two options:
    1st: weight paint self
  • select the character mesh
  • clear the parenting from the MBrig
  • remove the Armature Modifier
  • remove all vertex groups from the char
  • parent the char to the new rig (select first the char then the rig)
  • you have two options here:
  • “With Empty Groups” to paint the weight manually
  • “With Automatic Weights” this needs some manual fixes in some areas

2nd: keep the weight paint from MBlab

  • select the character mesh
  • remove the Armature Modifier
  • click “MLAB to Rigify” under “Rename Vertex Groups” (in my addon)
  • parent the char to the new rig with “Armature Deform”

DanPro (https://www.youtube.com/user/Dantreige) made a really good series on using Rigify with everything! It starts here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIZ-kCFASKE

Thanks for this script… I’ll test it out. Which version(s) of the Manuel Lab does it work with? I know Manuel did some major changes to his rig with the most recent version.

I tested it for 1.6.1 and it’s still working. The bone names and structure has not been changed by Manuel as far as I can tell.

Oh so basically, solution 1 is considering the MB model as a basic mesh. Solution 2 provides a bit more services, like using vertex groups for weight painting which is why you went through the trouble of renaming them, am I correct?

Played with it for a couple hours or so. Parenting ultimately works in both cases but the bones seem strangely disconnected so all it does is stretch this or that part but it’s not yet usable. IK does nothing at all. I’ll try to use rigify outside of this addon and see if I get better results. Once again I’m just starting with it.
Also, when you clear vertex groups, the work you did on the shape of the body disappears. But this is fixed by removing the mbastlab_corrective_modifier since it looks for the head group. After that, expressions keyshapes can still be used, which is pretty good.

Works fine out of the box with auto weights in A pose. Some handles I don’t know how to use but mostly usable as far as I can tell. Great for anime while waiting for the 1.7.

Yes, that’s correct.

Rigify has some options in “Rig Main Properties” like “IK_FK”-switch and “IK_Stretch”. Is this what you mean?

I totally overlooked the mbastlab_corrective_modifier that smooths everything except the head. Thanks for the hint! I’ll fix that with the next version for 1.6.2 or 1.7.

Just wanted to say thanks for this add-on - it’s very useful…

Thanks for good work and sharing

update:

  • mixed up weights for shins fixed
    (to fix this manually rename “DEF-thigh.L” to “DEF-thigh.L.001” and “DEF-thigh.L.001” to “DEF-thigh.L”. repeat with right side)

Been trying this. Doesn’t work with the manuel bastion lab. I am not sure if changes have been made. Using the latest manuel version. Not sure what I am doing wrong.

What exactly did not work?
I’ve updated the description in the fist post. Maybe this will help.

I don’t know, if mocap works with Rigify rigs. (I saw your post in the other thread.)

This add-on still works with MBLAB 1.6.1

Hi,
I get this error, when I click on Rigify Meta Rig for Lab.

The meta rig was bigger than the model so I fitted the rig to the model in edit model, then generated rig. Followed the instruction in first post.

The mesh doesn’t deform when I moved the curves. So I tried the second way, envelope weights worked but the ik curves don’t work.

Is this supposed to be used with only finalized MB model without inverse kinematics?

EDIT: Mate, my apologies. This works perfectly. To anyone having this issue, Go to the User Preferences, Addons, select the rigify addon and disable Legacy mode (untick the tab)
Legacy mode uses the older meta rig.
I was surprised to notice there are rigs for animals too. Thanks for making this addon :- )
My apologies if this led to any inconvenience.

I didn’t know Rigify has a legacy mode. I would never found this error.

I updated the description in case someone else stumbles over this.

Thanks for your meta rig. I used it with MLAB:

4 Likes

Hi.
Overall the addon is amazing, it really push even further Manuel’s work. So thank u so much for doing this.
I just found one thing that really annoys me and IDK how to fix.
The IK on the wrists for the arms seems to not follow the same deformation as the original rig.
It looks like the location of the bone is just a bit off:

https://imgur.com/gyRh5no

If there’s a way of fixing it, that would be perfect.
Thanks

Thanks!

That’s a strange bug. The addon is copying the exact positions (except the knees) of the MBLab rig.
Could you write down the steps you did, so I can reproduce this.
Did you by accident move or rotate the “forearm_tweak.R.001” bone?