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PAGE CONTENTS
Rig Builder
Skinning Deformation
Rig Features
Presets
Animation Tools
Latest Updates
Report Bugs
Training
Compatibility
Road Map
Hive API
The Team
HIVE AUTO-RIGGER – OVERVIEW
The Hive Auto-Rigger is the premiere rigging system for Maya that comes with all of Zoo Tools Pro.
Hive creates professional, lightweight rigs that are packed with features ready for animation.
Hive now supports spline joint-based facial components that are game-engine ready! Create smooth, deformable facial rigs optimized for real-time performance in Unreal, Unity, and more.
Go to Video Training.
Compatibility: Maya Commercial, Indie, and Edu. 2022-2027.
PURCHASE HIVE
Hive comes with Zoo Tools Pro, you can purchase it here.
RIG BUILDER
– Artist-friendly, modular rig building system
– Built for full Game Engine and FBX compatibility compatibility
– Convert biped skeletons to Hive rigs with ease
– Quick rebuilds and rig upgrades
– Update pivots on skinned characters without hassle
– Supports Maya joints to FK components and multi-branching FK chains
– Fully customizable control curve shapes, and colors
– Joint color customization
– Supports model and skeleton referencing
– Mod Hive and add your own custom rig parts without code
– User-friendly build scripting support
– Flexible naming convention UI
– Control over axis alignment/orientation
– Add custom space-switching setups
– Hive API access for advanced workflows
– Supports corrective blendshapes
– Compatible with Studio Library, Dream Picker, Anim Bot
– Tested in production and education environments
– Studio-ready and scalable
SKINNING/DEFORMATION
– Auto-skin bipeds using a fast proxy workflow
– Includes a dedicated Skinning Toolbox
– Transfer skin weights from third-party skeletons
– Compatible with popular skinning tools like NG Skin Tools, Skin Wrangler, Braverabbit Smooth Weights
RIG FEATURES
– No plugins required—rigs work without Zoo Tools installed
– Fully compatible with Game Engine exports
– Supports bendy limbs, stretch/squash, and volume preservation
– Body components include arms, reverse foot legs, quad legs, FK and spline spine, neck, head, aim, and more
– Facial components include modular jaw, pline joint-based eyes, brows, and mouth!
– Space switching and IK/FK switching for current frame or full timeline
– Mirror and symmetrize poses on the current frame or across the timeline
– Gimbal control switching supported on the timeline
PRESETS & TEMPLATES
– Includes ready-to-use templates: Biped, UE Biped, Light Biped, Human Face, Canine, Horse, Spider, Dino Carnivore, Werewolf, Toon Tortoise, and Ball with Bendy Arms
– Create, save, and load your own custom rig templates
– Control curve edits are saved with each template
ASSOCIATED ANIMATION TOOLS
– Retargeting Tools included
– Batch Constraint tool
– Hive FBX Exporter
– Tween Machine
– Selection Sets Workflows
– Numeric Re-Timer
– Scale Keys
– Randomize Keyframes
– Cycle Tools
– Speedometer
– Animation Path Tools
– Animation Toolbox
– Graph Editor Toolbox
– Bake Animation
– Studio Library (free third party) is supported.
– Recommended animation pickers Dream Picker (free) or MG Picker (paid).
LATEST UPDATES
– Hive is upgraded monthly with Zoo Tools Pro, see our latest updates here.
REPORT BUGS
We fix bugs weekly, please report via email info@create3dcharacters.com or report on our Discord server on the #hive channel.
TRAINING
– Comprehensive Training included.
– Email support: info@create3dcharacters.com
– Discord Server Support. See Our Hive Help Channel
Latest Updates: Hive is continually growing. See the latest improvements on our Hive Updates Page. You can also see our Road Map below.
TRAINING PAGES
HIVE COMPATIBILITY
Hive is compatible with Maya 2022-2027 and is compatible with Linux, OSX, and Windows.
Older downloadable versions of Zoo Tools 2.14 and below support Python 2.7 and are compatible with Maya 2020 and the python 2 version of Maya 2022.
Maya Commercial, Indie, and Edu Maya licenses only.
ROAD MAP
See our completed and upcoming features below. The Zoo Tools Updates page has the latest details of each monthly release.
Alpha – COMPLETE
– (complete) FK (handles multi-branching fk)
– (complete) FK Spine (with space switching)
– (complete) Simple Neck/Head (twists and stretch added in Beta)
– (complete) IK/FK Arms with FK fingers, stretch and twists (bendy is part of Beta)
– (complete) IK/FK Legs rev foot, stretch and twists (bendy is part of Beta)
– (complete) Space Switching frame/key/bake
– (complete) Gimbal switching frame/key/bake
– (complete) IK/FK Switching frame/key/bake
– (complete) Game Engine FBX Export (Hive Export FBX Tool)
– (complete) Support for model/skeleton referencing.
– (complete) Fast intuitive builds
– (complete) Custom Joint Orients (stage one)
– (complete) Easy control curve modification, and controls save with templates
– (complete) Rebuilds while maintaining skin weights
– (complete) Build and match symmetry in guides mode.
– (complete) Duplicate components.
– (complete) Save templates saves modified proportions and controls.
– (complete) Dynamic Naming for engines/studios (Hive Naming Convention)
Beta – COMPLETE
– (complete) FBX Export Tool (Hive Export FBX Tool)
– (complete) Animation Mirror Tool
– (complete) Joints To Hive Guides
– (complete) Multi-branch FK chains
– (complete) Spline Spine
– (complete) Limb Lower/Upper Stretchy Update
– (complete) Bendy for arms and legs, soft ik
– (complete) Limb guides build improvements
– (complete) Quad Leg component
Official Release – COMPLETE
– (complete) Easier Arms/Legs guide placement
– (complete) Mirror/Flip Pose & Animation
– (complete) Volume squash stretch bendy arms/legs
– (complete) Mocap/support with other systems
– (complete) Auto Skin for bipeds proxy workflow
– (complete) Retargeting Tools
– (complete) Build Hive Rig From Skeleton
– (complete) Twists & Stretchy Neck
– (complete) Mixamo and Accurig/Character Creator Support
– (complete) Jaw Joint component for blendshapes
– (complete) Eye Spline Component
– (complete) Brow Spline Component
– (complete) Mouth Spline Component
– (complete) Custom Colored Joints
– (complete) Rebuild Tools (Default Attrs and Selection Sets)
Official Release – OUTSTANDING
– (in alpha) Hive Characterizer
– (up next) Helper Deformation/Slider Joints
– (up next) Soft Ik for Arms/Legs
– (up next) Dedicated Spline components tail/ropes
– (outstanding) FK/IK Switchable Spine (Currently one or the other)
– (outstanding) Rebuild Tools (connections, custom visibility)
– (outstanding) One click Meta Human Support (Semi automated is supported)
– (outstanding) Further Animation tooling
PRODUCTION USE & API
Hive is designed to be highly customizable and adaptable for production use. It features its own Hive API, built on top of Maya’s API 2, to facilitate extension and modification.
If you are a technical director and are interested in extending Hive’s capabilities, please contact us at info@create3dcharacters.com.
Hive is built on Python using both Open Maya 2 and cmds.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT
Thank you for your interest in our project. We hope you find it enjoyable.
TEAM
David Sparrow:
– Lead Developer and code design
– Rig design
Andrew Silke:
– UI Design
– Supporting Code & Tooling
– Workflows
– Rig & Animator direction
Special thanks to Keen Foong for his work on the Hive UI.
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