New Version – Zoo Tools Pro 2.8.5

Zoo Tools 2.8.5 has been released! Our latest version includes features such as motion-capture transfer support, snap third-party skeletons to Hive, a Match And Bake Animation tool, and we’ve added volume squash/stretch on Hive’s bendy limbs.

Also included in this release is a new tool to custom rig parts to the Hive Autorigger.

Zoo Chat GPT is working with the latest Open AI API again and other features, bug fixes and more!

We have also introduced an extensive training program for the Hive Auto-Rigger. For more information, check out our new Hive Fundamentals page.

Hive Autorigger Enhancements
We’ve added volume squash/stretch support for bendy limbs. You can control the volume on every twist joint.

All bendy limbs now come with volume stretch. FBX Game Engine export supported.

Squash/Stretchy is also supported on Hive Quad Leg component. FBX Game Engine export supported.

Adjust volume settings in the Hive Artist UI

Per joint volume settings in the Attribute Editor or Channel Box.

You can now constrain Mixamo/Rokoko/UE5/Accurig Skeletons (via Match And Bake Anim).

Using the Match And Bake tool, you can constrain a Mixamo/Accurig/HIK/UE5 Skeleton to Hive.

We’ve also added motion capture transfer support in the Match And Bake Anim tool.

See our training videos on the Hive Fundamentals Page.

– Motion Capture – Preparation (Mixamo)
– Motion Capture – Transfer To Hive
– Motion Capture – Lock Feet And Hands

Drive a Hive rig from a Mixamo/Rokoko/UE5/Accurig mocap skeleton.

After constraining the rig to the skeleton, drag motion capture clips to transfer animation.

We’ve added a handy tool that easily adds groups connected to any Hive skeleton called Add Custom Rig Group. You can parent objects or custom rig parts to this group and changes will remain on rig rebuilds.

See our training video on the Parent Custom Rigs To Hive.

Easily parent objects or third-party custom rigs to Hive.

We’ve also added rig speed improvements now that more Hive constraints have been switched to matrix connections.

Hive Autorigger Bug Fixes
– Components can now be parented to the toe/ball guides again.
– Many non-uniform scale fixes on various components.
– UE’s IK Joints are no longer deleted unnecessarily.
– IK lock now takes rig scale into account.
– Stretchy now takes rig scale into account.
– Some space switch rig Attributes would be incorrectly inserted incorrectly
– Newly created guides would sometimes have their control shapes at world zero.
– Twist settings were sometimes not maintained between builds.

Hive: New Training
We’ve started rolling out the Hive Fundamentals Training Page:

– Components And Templates Introduction
– Build And Save Templates
– Parent Custom Rigs To Hive
– Reverse Engineer Hive Demo Scenes
– Orient Workflow Explained
– Orient Fingers Workflow
– Rigging Hair Orientation
– Corrective Belndshapes with Hive
– Hive Jaw And Mouth Shapes
– Parent Custom Rigs To Hive
– Motion Capture – Preparation (Mixamo)
– Motion Capture – Transfer To Hive
– Motion Capture – Lock Feet And Hands

New Hive tutorials have been added to our Fundamentals Page.

New Tool: Match And Bake Animation
The new Match Bake and Anim tool is designed to transfer motion between multiple objects, including motion capture and everyday animation tasks.

The tool is also helpful in rigging by quickly creating multiple constraints between various objects. For example, you can use it to constrain FBX skeletons such as Mixamo or Accurig to the Hive auto-rigger.

– Constrain multiple objects to multiple other objects.
– Transfer motion capture data between different animation rigs.
– Quickly transfer animation between multiple objects.

Match And Bake Animation batch constrains and bakes animation on multiple objects.

For more information, please see the Match And Bake Anim help page.

Also, see how Match Bake Anim can transfer motion capture on the Hive Fundamentals page.

New Tool: Add Custom Rig (Hive)
A new tool has been added that helps parent third-party/user rig parts to Hive. See the Parent Custom Rigs To Hive video on our fundamentals page.

Bug Fixes: Zoo Chat GPT
Open AI has changed their API which stops older versions of Zoo Chat GPT from working. In this version, we’ve fixed those problems and Zoo Chat GPT is working properly again.

Zoo Chat GPT is working with Open AIs upgraded API.

Bug Fixes: Tween Machine
Tween Machine snap buttons are displayed correctly again.

Bug Fixes: Spline Rig
Spine Rig is working again in the newest version of Maya 2024.2 to account for Autodesk changes.

Bug Fixes: Source Editor
Fixed new tabs that did not have language syntax highlighting.

Source Code Editor supports syntax highlighting in all tabs.

Image Browsers
We’ve fixed an issue displaying images with uppercase extensions on OSX. I.e. image.JPG.