Way to "apply" shape key deformations to mesh?

Support Animation and Rigging
1

I have a mesh that has shape key deformations. How do I “apply” my shape keys (not sure if this is the right term) similarly to the way I would “apply” rotation or “apply” a modifier to a mesh?

Seems like a very simple thing, but I haven’t been able to find any threads that explain it.

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2

Perhaps I should explain why this is important…

Let’s say I’ve made a character and rigged the facial expression I want using shape keys.
Now let’s say I want to get that character 3D-printed into a physical object. That means I have to permanently modify the geometry of the mesh.
I would be shocked if there’s no way to do this in Blender.

3

You could use the ‘Corrective shape keys’ addon to create a duplicate of your mesh will all the shape keys applied
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.5/Py/Scripts/Animation/Corrective_Shape_Key

4

I think if you set the shapekey in question to 100% and delete all the other shapekeyes (including the basis) the shapekey will be permanent. (I think)

5

Thanks, and good observation. But since I have several shape keys that will only prove useful if there is a way to combine all of my shape keys into one.

6

Hmmm, I couldn’t get that script to work for the following reasons:

  1. I don’t know how to verify if it installed correctly.
  2. I don’t know where in the Blender menu this new option is supposed to show up.
7

OK, I found a way to do it. Not perfect, but it works.
(Thanks to this thread: http://blenderartists.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-107171.html)

The only problems are that the process is time-consuming and also it won’t work for verts that share shape keys. So you can’t “bake” or “apply” the combined influence of two shape keys on a single vertex.
So I’m still searching for other techniques.

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8

If you can tick the tickbox to the right of the addon name it is installed correctly.
Did you not look at the page I linked to, there is a screenshot showing that the option is added to the small black triangle dropdown to the right of the list of shapekeys.
Tested with blender 2.60a and works correctly.

9

You could try to click on the black triangle at the right side of the shape keys and select New Shape from Mix; this will create a new shape key from the settings of the shape keys you have. Then set this key to 1 and the others to 0 and remove all the shape keys.


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10

That’s PERFECT! Exactly what I was looking for! Thank you!
And it even works when the shape keys are controlled by drivers.

11

I still can’t delete that final shape key I made, can I?

12

9 years later and we just encountered this now.

9 years and Blender hasn’t made it any easier, apparently. :frowning:

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13

The easiest method is to export the mesh (as obj) and import it back. Or use the mentioned add-on. There a re other workarounds and probably other addons to solve this issue.

Also delete all shape keys should apply the active shapekeys and delete the shapekeys afterwards.

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14

Didn’t even know that applying shape was such a complex feature.
Had to export to OBJ and back to deal with it…

15

I found the same problem.

I found a solution.

  1. Remove all modifiers
  2. Press Ctrl + A then choose Visual geometry from mesh ( second bottom line )
  3. Then in shape key panel --> press black triangle and choose delete shape keys .

I don’t know why , it actually work.

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