CarRig Add-on Documentation

Streamline your vehicle animation workflow with our automated rigging system. Follow these four simple steps to go from a static model to a fully animatable rig.

Step 1: Select Your Vehicle Model

-Begin by importing your 3D car model into the Blender viewport.
-Ensure your model has separate objects for the Body, Wheels, and Brakes for the best results.
-Clear any existing parent-child relationships or constraints before starting.
-Apply the scale on all objects.

Step 2: Define Wheels and Body

-Identify Wheels: Select each wheel and use the corresponding buttons to assign them (e.g., Wheel.Ft.L, Wheel.Bk.R).
-Identify Body: Select the main chassis of the car and assign it as the body.
-The add-on will automatically handle the naming conventions required for the rig to function.

Step 3: Assign Brake Components

- [For realistic mechanical animation, the brakes must be identified separately from the wheels so they can remain stationary or rotate correctly during steering.
-Naming: Use the quick-rename buttons (e.g., Brake Front Left, Brake Back Right) to instantly tag the selected meshes.

Step 4: Generate the Rig

-Once all components are labeled, you are ready to build the armature.
-Click the Generate Rig button.
-The add-on will automatically create the bone structure, constraints, and control shapes (spheres/widgets) for the body and wheels.
-Automatic Placement: The system calculates the center of each wheel mesh to place the rotation pivots perfectly. If you do not like the position you can change from bone menu.

Done! Ready for Animation

Your car is now fully rigged! You can now use the control widgets to:
Animate the car along a path.
Simulate realistic suspension and body roll.
Achieve automatic wheel rotation based on movement.