v2.3.2 Maximum Influences and Batch Exports

Interface Update

v2.3.2 comes with a general cleanup to the main interface to make it a bit more compact. The buttons have been colored in groups to better identify them at a glance.

New Features

It also comes with some new useful features:

• There's a new display mode to visually see any vertexes that have influences over a certain count. An additional button has been added to prune any extra influences to reach a specific count. This is particularly useful for games where you want to ensure your skin doesn't exceed the engine's maximum influence limit.
  
  Above: Colors any vertexes with influences that are over 4, then uses prune to force selected vertexes back to 4 influences

• There are now 2 new buttons to batch export and batch import skin weights. This makes it useful if you need to quickly makes changes to the rig that would normally effect skinning. Quickly export everything out, make your changes, then re-import them all back in.
  

  • For batch export, pick a folder where you want to dump all skinClusters to. There's an option in settings to auto-delete the skinCluster after the export finishes.
  • For batch import, pick a folder that contains skin files that were previously exported. It will import any skin files that it finds and use the file's name to search for the mesh in the scene.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed curves from crashing when trying to export their skin weights. Yes, you can use this tool to skin your curves too :)
• The last path that you used for export & import skin weights is now stored so it uses it the next time you use it.

v2.3.0 Huge code refactor and weights import/export

This release had a massive code refactor with many internal changes, so please report an issue if you run into any bugs!

One reason for the refactor was to start introducing unit tests (better late than never!).
These tests automatically run when there's a new commit using Github Actions.
This is ongoing and tests will slowly be added in.

Aside from various bug fixes, here's what's included with this release:

• Added buttons to export/import skin weights to an offline file. Normally importing weights require that topologies match, but there's also a button to import by world positions so that vert order doesn't matter. It's also includes a powerful feature to import on selected vertices only, so you can maintain weights outside of the selection.
• To workaround a bug with Teradici, L was added as another default hotkey to toggle locks on selected influences. These are also now exposed in the hotkey editor, where you can re-assign them to something more to your liking.
• Toggle lock options are now included in the view's header right-click menu.
• A previous bug with flood weights have been fixed.
• Added a button to toggle the tool's hotkeys, so If you find that they interfere with Maya's native hotkeys then they can quickly be disabled.

Interface using the table view

import_weights.mp4

Exporting weights then importing them onto a different object via world positions

import_weights_on_selection.mp4

Importing weights onto selected vertices

v2.2.0 New features added

This release includes a few new features:

• Added icons in interface to polish it up (shiny!)
• Added toggle to force long names to hide
• Added new right-click menu on influence list to give more accessibility to some functions
• Filter for influence list now has auto-complete
• Fixed bug with headers not having their colors set upon the tool opening with Softimage theme enabled
• Fixed bug with vertical header on list view not resizing during a new selection

Customizable Preset Buttons

Preset buttons are now fully customizable so that their values can be edited to be exactly to what you think works best for you.

v2.1.1 Support for edge and face selections

Prior to this release, the tool would only work with vertex selections. Now when an edge or face is selected it will automatically convert it to vertexes, making every selection method supported. You can even set the selection mode to multi and set skin weights to a selection that contains a mix of vertexes, edges, and faces at the same time.

v2.1.0 UX improvements and bug fixes

• Softimage colors are no longer solid, and now are shaded by their weight values
• Tool now checks GitHub for updates when it opens
• Lowered add preset buttons to 0.01
• Fixed preset spin boxes min, max, and step values
• Fixed error when picking new object to edit that has a duplicate name (during component mode)
• Fixed errors with undo/redo while using Softimage colors
• Added joint icons to influence list

v2.0.1 Shortcut bug fix

Patched a bug when registering shortcuts.

v2.0.0 New features and Python 3 support

• Now supports Python 3
• No longer supports earlier Maya versions with PySide (Qt4)
• Added simplified list view to show average weights
• Added editable hotkeys that work even if the tool has no focus
• Added quick toggle to show/hide sections
• Added mirroring settings
• Added a way to copy and paste a vertex's weights
• Added a multiplier for both smooths
• Added button to flood full weights to every vert's closest influence for blocking
• Added protection if too many vertexes are selected so tool doesn't hang
• Various UX improvements

v1.0.0 First Release

First release of the tool tested in production on Maya 2016.5 and 2018.