We're thrilled to announce that the Hive Autorigger has officially exited its Beta phase by adding our latest component - the Quad Leg! This new rig part allows you to create a broader range of creatures, including horses, cats, dogs, insects, dinosaurs, mech/robots, bipedal werewolves, and more. We've included a... read more →
Sep
19
Aug
31
I had the privilege of being a guest on Harvey Newman's incredible Games Animation podcast. We covered many subjects, notably Zoo Tools Pro, starting at the 52-minute mark. Don't miss the other episodes; Harvey is a skilled interviewer who poses insightful questions. We've been a fan of the series and... read more →
Aug
23
Our recent patch update includes an update to the Tween Machine and the Hive Autorigger. The Tween Machine has a new hotkey, popup window behaviour, and supports curve selection. The Hive Autorigger supports Unreal Engine's IK joints for hands, feet and guns. Hive is now more stable than ever, with... read more →
Aug
11
The latest version of Zoo Tools Pro, version 2.8.1, has been released! It includes three new tools: the Constraint Toolbox, Joints to Hive Guides, and Multi Import/Reference. The Hive FBX Export tool has received a major update, which now allows for batch exporting and supports the export of multiple animation... read more →
Jul
12
We’ve gone and supercharged Justin S Barrett’s timeless open-source tool Tween Machine for all the animators out there! Our upgraded tool adds super-fast performance to the original. The tool remains highly interactive even with 1600 curves on our most complex rig Natalie. Thanks to Wade Schnieder, who’s taken up the mantle of maintaining the... read more →
Jun
22
Zoo Tools 2.8.0 is out! The Joint Tool has a new Plane Orient feature perfect for fixing joint alignment issues! Hive Auto-Rigger has a new controls mode, Fix Viewport now supports zooming the focal length, and Light Presets supports inches. Our latest version also features a significant backend update. Hive... read more →
May
03
Zoo 2.7.7 has been released, introducing four new Modeling Toolboxes, an updated Hive Auto-Rigger UI, and a brand new floating shelf! The latest modelling toolboxes consolidate most of Maya's modelling functions into one easily accessible location! These UIs will be featured in our upcoming modelling tutorials and are organised into Objects,... read more →
Apr
21
Improve your posing with the Hive Auto-Rigger's new bendy limbs! Add subtle curvature to limbs, or push your toon characters into contorted and exaggerated styles. Our bendable limbs have been designed for speed/performance and usability. ... read more →
Apr
21
Ant Bot is gearing up to take center stage in an upcoming, comprehensive, and beginner-friendly tutorial. In this video he's animated and lit. With a focus on ease and clarity, this tutorial will guide you through the entire process of modeling, rigging, animating, and lighting using Zoo Tools Pro in... read more →
Apr
21
Ant Bot is gearing up to take center stage in an upcoming, comprehensive, and beginner-friendly tutorial. In this video he's fully rigged and ready to animate. With a focus on ease and clarity, this tutorial will guide you through the entire process of modeling, rigging, animating, and lighting using Zoo... read more →
Apr
14
Ant Bot is gearing up to take center stage in an upcoming, comprehensive, and beginner-friendly tutorial. With a focus on ease and clarity, this tutorial will guide you through the entire process of modeling, rigging, animating, and lighting using Zoo Tools Pro in Maya. Whether you're a newcomer or looking... read more →
Apr
12
The Zoo Chat GPT tool can create a simple two button tool with a right-click menu, and no code knowledge is needed! Se our official Chat GPT page for more information. ChatGPT allows you to access support, and seamlessly write Maya code using natural language, right within Maya 2022 and above! To... read more →
Apr
07
The Zoo Chat GPT tool in this demo assigns random shaders and colors to this robot model. Se our official Chat GPT page for more information. ChatGPT allows you to access support, and seamlessly write Maya code using natural language, right within Maya 2022 and above! To get started, you’ll need to Signup... read more →
Apr
07
The Zoo Chat GPT tool allows you to access Maya support, and seamlessly write Maya code using natural language, right within Maya 2022 and above! Se our official Chat GPT page for more information. To get started, you’ll need to Signup (free) and generate your OpenAI API Key . ChatGPT is an advanced language model created by OpenAI . It’s... read more →
Apr
05
Introducing Zoo Tools Pro 2.7.6, now compatible with Maya 2024 and boasting a new Chat GPT Window! The innovative Zoo Chat GPT window allows you to access Maya support and seamlessly write code using natural language, right within Maya 2022 and subsequent versions! To get started, you'll need a complimentary... read more →
Mar
30
Improve your posing with the Hive Auto-Rigger's new bendy limbs! Add subtle curvature to limbs, or push your toon characters into contorted and exaggerated styles. Our bendable limbs have been designed for speed/performance and usability. ... read more →
Mar
28
The Hive Auto-Rigger is now equipped with bendy limbs! Add subtle curvature to limbs, or push your toon characters into contorted and exaggerated styles. Our bendable limbs have been designed for speed/performance and usability. [caption... read more →
Mar
03
Zoo Tools Pro 2.7.5f has landed with one of our largest updates yet! Explore the playful side of rigging with the Hive Autorigger's new bendy limbs. We've added a fast and interactive animation tweener tool, and our... read more →
Jan
25
We're excited to announce the release of Zoo Tools 2.7.4, which includes new features such as Lights, Shaders, and Selection Set marking menus and tools for managing multiple attributes and color adjustments across many selected objects. Plus, many more enhancements. We are continuously working on adding support for VRay and native Maya lights,... read more →
Dec
16
Renowned animator Harvey Newman conducted a review of the Zoo Tools software and put the Natalie rig to the test. "In today's video, we are having a look at An Incredible Set of MAYA Tools for Every Occasion - Zoo Tools...now I don't know about you, but I didn't really... read more →
Dec
16
In the latest release of Zoo Tools, version 2.7.3, we have added four new templates to the Hive Auto-Rigger, and have made several other enhancements. One of the new features is the automatic snapping of new objects to vertices, edges, or faces upon creation. The focus of this version is... read more →
Dec
13
The Zoo Focus Puller tool instantly creates a depth of field rig for controlling focus and bokeh in Maya. This automates an annoying time consuming Maya setup. Focus Puller supports Arnold, Redshift, Renderman. Support for VRay is planned. Each render has different settings for controling the amount of depth of... read more →
Dec
13
This tutorial that shows how to present your models both in the viewport and render in a raytrace renderer like Arnold. Add your own assets such as the free community rigs here into the Zoo Tools Pro library for Maya. You can also see how to convert lambert shaders to... read more →
Dec
08
This tutorial shows how to use constraints on referenced rigs, for intermediate animators.
Dec
08
Here's an overview of all our animation tools in Zoo Tools Pro for Maya. This one is aimed at professionals/experienced animators.
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