PBS Parent_Bake_StepSnap_Tools — Product Documentation

Short summary:
PBS Parent_Bake_StepSnap_Tools is a compact Blender addon that speeds up the technical parts of animation: fast parenting (Child-Of / LocRot), precise snapping, step-based timing controls, and a smarter baking workflow. It’s built to save time and reduce manual cleanup so you can focus on animating.

Key features (at-a-glance)

• Smart Parenting modes: Child-Of and LocRot for bones & objects.

• Influence control: animate, enable/disable, insert/delete influence keyframes.

• Add Controller: generate auxiliary controllers for clean, non-destructive parenting.

• Smart Bake: bake constraints to keyframes with options (Location/Rotation/Scale/CustomProps), frame range, auto-clean, and optional removal of original constraints.

• StepSnap & Fake Constraint: save/paste/mirror global transforms, custom axis, and step animation forward/backward.

• One-click helpers: Invert, Clear Inverse, Apply Constraint, Clear Keys, Delete Parent.

Installation

1. After purchase, download the addon .zip.

2. In Blender: Edit → Preferences → Add-ons → Install.

3. Select the downloaded .zip and install.

4. Enable the addon and open the PBS panel in the 3D Viewport → Sidebar (N-Panel).

Quick Start (common tasks)

A. Fast parenting (hand → object)

1. Select the child (object or bone), then select the parent (last selected is parent in Pose Mode; in Object Mode the first selected object is considered parent depending on mode).

2. In the PBS panel choose Child-Of (or LocRot if you want strict loc+rot copy). The addon will create the necessary constraints and snap the child into place.

3. Use the Influence controls to enable/disable or keyframe influence values for smooth parent transitions.

B. Animate parent influence (grab → release)

1. With the constraint active, set Influence to 1.000 where the child is following the parent. Insert an Influence key.

2. At the release frame, set Influence to 0.000 and insert another Influence key.

3. Optionally use Invert or Clear Inverse if the object/bone offset changes unexpectedly.

C. Smart Bake (make motion permanent)

1. Set Start Frame and End Frame in the Smart Bake panel.

2. Choose what to bake (Location / Rotation / Scale / Custom Properties).

3. Click Smart Bake. Optionally enable Delete Constraint After Bake and Auto Clean Keyframe to tidy the F-curve results.

D. StepSnap & Fake Constraint (pose staging)

1. Use Save to store a global transform snapshot.

2. Jump to other frames and use Paste to apply saved transform to the selected bone/object.

3. Use Mirror when you need symmetric application.

4. Use StepSnap (Forward / Backward) to step through frame ranges and create pose-to-pose timing quickly.

Button / UI reference (concise)

• Child-Of — add Child-Of constraint and snap child into place.

• LocRot — add Copy Location + Copy Rotation constraints for tight following.

• Add Controller — create a helper controller for parenting & easier manipulation.

• Influence slider — set constraint influence (0.0 → 1.0).

• Insert Key / Delete Key — keyframe or remove Influence at current frame.

• Enable / Disable — quick toggle Influence on/off.

• Invert — flip influence behaviour or offset handling to keep world transforms consistent.

• Clear Inverse — fix offset issues from newly created Child-Of constraints.

• Apply Constraint — bake/apply constraint permanently to transform.

• Clear Keys — remove influence keyframes (current selection or full range depending on option).

• Delete Parent — remove parenting relationship & constraints.

• Smart Bake settings — Start/End frame, which channels to bake, delete constraints after bake, auto clean keyframes.

• Save / Paste / Mirror (Fake Constraint) — save global transform, paste to selected, mirror across axis.

• StepSnap Forward / Backward — apply saved step transforms in frame increments.

Note: exact button labels in your UI may vary slightly; use the above as the functional map.

Recommended workflow examples

Example 1 — Pick up an object (clean, non-destructive)

1. Add a Controller for the object (Add Controller).

2. Parent the object to the character hand using Child-Of (snap into place).

3. Animate Influence from 0 → 1 at pick frame (Insert Key).

4. Animate Influence back to 0 at release frame and bake that range with Smart Bake (delete constraints after bake if you want final baked motion).

5. Use Clear Inverse if the object jumps when switching parents.

Example 2 — Bake and hand off between multiple parents

1. Parent object to Parent A; animate.

2. Insert Influence keys to transition to Parent B (using either Child-Of or LocRot).

3. Use Smart Bake to bake final motion across the whole action, select Delete Constraint After Bake if you want a pure keyframe result.

4. Use Auto Clean Keyframe to reduce redundant keyframes.

Example 3 — Pose staging with StepSnap

1. Save a pose/transform with Save.

2. Move forward/back in timeline using StepSnap Forward/Backward to place keys at each step.

3. Use Mirror to quickly create opposite-side poses.

Troubleshooting & tips

• Object/bone jumps after parenting: use Clear Inverse or the Invert helper to correct offsets.

• Baked keys look offset: ensure you included the correct channels (Location/Rotation/Scale) and that you applied object scale (Ctrl-A → Apply Scale) if needed.

• Smart Bake didn’t delete constraints: confirm Delete Constraint After Bake was checked; otherwise remove constraints manually or use Delete Parent helper.

• StepSnap not applying: verify you saved a transform first with Save, and that the target bone/object is selected before Paste.

• Addon not visible: check Edit → Preferences → Add-ons and enable the PBS addon; confirm Blender version compatibility.

Licensing & Terms (short)

• Personal License (1–2 seats): Single buyer use for up to 2 devices/seats. Commercial use allowed.

• Studio License (1–30 seats): Valid for up to 30 seats in a company/organization. Commercial use allowed.

• Restrictions: Redistribution, resale, or modification of the addon code / packaged files is strictly prohibited. License is tied to the purchaser and is non-transferable unless explicitly authorized.

Suggested EULA snippet (use in product page):

This addon is licensed for use under the purchased seat(s). You may use PBS Parent_Bake_StepSnap_Tools in commercial and non-commercial projects. Redistribution, resale, modification, or sharing of the addon files or source code is strictly prohibited. One license per buyer; studio license covers up to 30 s