cat-blender-plugin-master

# Cats Blender Plugin (0.19.0) A tool designed to shorten steps needed to import and optimize models into VRChat. Compatible models are: MMD, XNALara, Mixamo, Source Engine, Unreal Engine, DAZ/Poser, Blender Rigify, Sims 2, Motion Builder, 3DS Max and potentially more With Cats it takes only a few minutes to upload your model into VRChat. All the hours long processes of fixing your models are compressed into a few functions! So if you enjoy how this plugin saves you countless hours of work consider supporting us through Patreon. There are a lot of perks like having your name inside the plugin! [](https://www.patreon.com/catsblenderplugin) #### Download here: [Cats Blender Plugin](https://github.com/michaeldegroot/cats-blender-plugin/archive/master.zip) ## Features - Optimizing model with one click! - Creating lip syncing - Creating eye tracking - Automatic decimation (while keeping shapekeys) - Creating custom models easily - Creating texture atlas - Creating root bones for Dynamic Bones - Optimizing materials - Translating shape keys, bones, materials and meshes - Merging bone groups to reduce overall bone count - Auto updater *More to come!* ## Discord Join our Discord to report errors, suggestions and make comments! **Discord: https://discord.gg/f8yZGnv** ## Requirements - Blender **2.79** or **2.80** or above (run as administrator is recommended) - mmd_tools is **not required**! Cats comes pre-installed with it! - If you have custom Python installed which Blender might use, you need to have Numpy installed ## Installation - Download the plugin: **[Cats Blender Plugin](https://github.com/michaeldegroot/cats-blender-plugin/archive/master.zip)** - **Important: Do NOT extract the downloaded zip! You will need the zip file during installation!** - Install the addon in blender like so: - *This shows Blender 2.79. In Blender 2.80+ go to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons. Also you don't need to save the user settings there.*  - Check your 3d view and there should be a new menu item called **CATS** ....w00t - Since Blender 2.80 the CATS tab is on the right in the menu that opens when pressing 'N'  - If you need help figuring out how to use the tool (very outdated): [](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gu0kEj2xwA) Skip the step where he installs "mmd_tools" in the video below, it's not needed anymore! (also very outdated) [](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P0ljQ6hU0A) ## Code contributors: - Hotox - Shotariya - Neitri - Kiraver - Jordo - Ruubick - feilen ## Model  This tries to completely fix your model with one click. ##### Import/Export Model - Imports a model of the selected type with the optimal settings - Exports a model as an .fbx with the optimal settings ##### Fix Model - Fixes your model automatically by: - Reparenting bones - Removing unnecessary bones - Renaming and translating objects and bones - Mixing weight paints - Rotating the hips - Joining meshes - Removing rigidbodies, joints and bone groups - Removing bone constraints - Deleting unused vertex groups - Using the correct shading - Making it compatible with Full Body Tracking - Combining similar materials ##### Start Pose Mode - Lets you test how bones will move. ##### Pose to Shape Key - Saves your current pose as a new shape key. ##### Apply as Rest Pose - Applies the current pose position as the new rest position. This saves the shape keys and repairs ones that were broken due to scaling ## Model Options  ##### Translation - Translate certain entities from any japanese to english. This uses an internal dictionary and Google Translate. ##### Separate by material / loose parts / shapes - Separates a mesh by materials or loose parts or by whether or not the mesh is effected by a shape key ##### Join meshes - Joins all/selected meshes together ##### Merge Weights - Deletes the selected bones and adds their weight to their respective parents ##### Delete Zero Weight Bones - Cleans up the bones hierarchy, deleting all bones that don't directly affect any vertices ##### Delete Constraints - Removes constrains between bones causing specific bone movement as these are not used by VRChat ##### Recalculate Normals - Makes normals point inside of the selected mesh - Don't use this on good looking meshes as this can screw them up ##### Flip Normals - Flips the direction of the faces' normals of the selected mesh. ##### Apply Transformations - Applies the position, rotation and scale to the armature and its meshes. ##### Remove Doubles - Merges duplicated faces and vertices of the selected meshes. ## Custom Model Creation   **This makes creating custom avatars a breeze!** ##### Merge Armatures - Merges the selected armature into the selected base armature. - **How to use:** - Use "Fix Model" on both armatures - Select the armature you want to fix in the list above the Fix Model button - Ignore the "Bones are missing" warning if one of the armatures is incomplete (e.g hair only) - If you don't want to use "Fix Model" make sure that the armature follows the CATS bone structure (https://i.imgur.com/F5KEt0M.png) - DO NOT delete any main bones by yourself! CATS will merge them and delete all unused bones afterwards - Now you have two options: - Only move the mesh: - Uncheck the checkbox "Apply Transforms" - Move the mesh (and only the mesh!) of the merge armature to the desired position - You can use Move, Scale and Rotate - CATS will position the bones according to the mesh automatically - OR move the armature (and with it the mesh): - Check the checkbox "Apply Transforms" - Move the armature to the desired position - You can use Move, Scale and Rotate - Make sure that both meshes and armatures are at their correct positions as they will stay exactly like this - If you want to merge multiple objects from the same model it is often better to duplicate the armature for each of them and merge them individually - Select the base armature and the armature you want to merge into the base armature in the panel - If CATS can't detect the bone structure automatically: select a bone you want to attach the new armature to - E.g.: For a hair armature select "Head" as the bone - Press the "Merge Armatures" button -> Done! ##### Attach Mesh to Armature - Attaches the selected mesh to the selected armature. - **How to use:** - Move the mesh to the desired position - You can use Move, Scale and Rotate - INFO: The mesh will only be assigned to the selected bone - E.g.: A jacket won't work, because it requires multiple bones. - E.g.: A ring on a finger works perfectly, because the ring only needs one bone to move with (the finger bone) - Select the base armature and the mesh you want to attach to the base armature in the panel - Select the bone you want to attach the mesh to in the panel - Press the "Attach Mesh" button -> Done! ##### Support us: - We worked hard on this feature. If you like it consider supporting us, it helps a lot! [](https://www.patreon.com/catsblenderplugin) ## Decimation  **Decimate your model automatically.** ##### Smart Decimation - This will decimate all meshes while keeping every shapekey. ##### Save Decimation - This will only decimate meshes with no shape keys. ##### Half Decimation - This will only decimate meshes with less than 4 shape keys as those are often not