BLENDER WORKFLOW TOOLKIT

Zanden's Tools

User Guide for Blender

Version 1.1.6   |   Blender 3.0+   |   No dependencies

Practical tools for character work, rigging, weight painting, morphs, vertex groups, constraints, and everyday Blender workflows.

CREATED BY ZANDEN

Practical tools that I found useful while blending.

•   Installation

•   Opening Zanden's Tools

•   Selection convention

•   General Tools

◦   Quick Mode Switch

◦   Reload Linked Assets

◦   Link Nodes

◦   Morph Transfer

◦   Group Transfer

•   Custom Shape Settings

•   Lock and Unlock Transforms

•   Rotation Constraints

•   Weight Tools

•   Troubleshooting

•   Known limitations

•   Version history

•   Support

1.  Download zandens_tools.zip.

2.  Open Blender.

3.  Go to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons.

4.  Click Install and choose zandens_tools.zip.

5.  Enable Zanden's Tools in the add-ons list.

6.  Close Preferences.

When updating from an earlier release, install the new ZIP and restart Blender if the interface still shows the previous version.

7.  Open the 3D Viewport.

8.  Press N to open the sidebar.

9.  Select the Zanden's Tools tab.

The tab contains these panels:

•   General Tools

•   Custom Shape Settings

•   Lock/Unlock Transforms

•   Rotation Constraints

•   Weight Tools

Some panels and buttons only become available when the correct object type or mode is active.

Transfer tools use this selection order:

10.   Select the item or items that will receive the data.

11.   Shift-select the source object last.

12.   Confirm that the source has the brighter active-object outline.

13.   Run the transfer.

In short:

Morph Transfer and Group Transfer both support multiple selected mesh targets in one operation.

Quick Mode Switch

Quick Mode Switch displays mode buttons appropriate for the active object.

For mesh objects:

•   Object

•   Edit

•   Sculpt

•   Vertex Paint

•   Weight Paint

•   Texture Paint

For armatures:

•   Object

•   Edit

•   Pose

For curves:

•   Object

•   Edit

Select an object and click the required mode. A mode that is unavailable for the selected object will not be entered.

Reload Linked Assets

Reloads linked data from its source files.

Use this after an externally linked Blender asset has changed and the current scene needs to refresh its linked data.

Link Nodes

Runs Blender's selected-node linking operation.

Use this when the relevant nodes are selected and a valid node-editing context is available. Existing links and socket compatibility are still governed by Blender.

Morph Transfer

Morph Transfer copies all relative shape keys from a character mesh to selected mesh clothing, hair, or accessories. The source and targets do not need matching topology.

Workflow

14.   Enter Object Mode.

15.   Select the clothing, hair, or accessory meshes.

16.   Shift-select the character mesh last so it becomes active.

17.   Open General Tools.

18.   Click Morph Transfer.

What it transfers

•   Every non-Basis relative shape key

•   Shape-key names

•   Slider minimum and maximum values

•   Interpolation settings

•   Mute state

•   Relative-key relationships

•   Vertex-group restriction when the target contains a group with the same name

Result

•   Missing shape keys are created on each target.

•   Existing target shape keys with matching names are updated.

•   Every transferred target shape-key value is set to 0.0.

•   The morph data is available without leaving the clothing or hair deformed.

Best results

•   Keep clothing and hair reasonably close to the character surface.

•   Use meshes that already fit the character's Basis shape.

•   Apply intentional object transforms consistently before transferring when source and target transforms are unusually different.

•   Inspect difficult areas such as fingers, lips, layered clothing, and loose hair after transfer.

Requirements

•   The source must be an editable mesh.

•   The source must contain a Basis and at least one relative shape key.

•   Targets must be editable meshes.

•   Source and targets must be selected in Object Mode.

Limitations

•   Absolute shape keys are not supported.

•   Linked, read-only target data cannot be edited.

•   Nearest-surface projection can require manual cleanup when a target is far from the body or equally close to multiple body surfaces.

Group Transfer

Group Transfer copies all vertex groups from the active character source to selected mesh clothing, hair, or accessories.

It uses Blender's Nearest Face Interpolated mapping method. This interpolates weights from the closest source face and works across different topology.

Workflow

19.   Enter Object Mode.

20.   Select the clothing, hair, or accessory meshes.

21.   Shift-select the character mesh last so it becomes active.

22.   Open General Tools.

23.   Click Group Transfer.

Result

•   Every missing source-named vertex group is created on each target.

•   Matching target groups receive replacement weights from the source.

•   Groups that exist only on the target are retained.

•   Multiple selected targets are processed in one operation.

•   The transfer is baked into the target vertex groups.

•   No temporary Data Transfer modifier is left behind.

•   The source character is restored as the active object.

Requirements

•   The source must be an editable mesh with at least one vertex group.

•   Targets must be editable meshes.

•   Source and targets must be selected in Object Mode.

Best results

•   Use clothing or hair positioned close to the source character.

•   Check areas where opposite body surfaces are close together.

•   Normalize or manually refine transferred deformation groups when necessary.

•   Test the result by posing the armature before considering the weights final.

The Custom Shape Settings panel applies one custom-shape configuration to multiple selected pose bones.

Apply settings to selected bones

24.   Select an armature.

25.   Enter Pose Mode.

26.   Select the bones to edit.

27.   Choose a Custom Object.

28.   Optionally choose an Override Transform bone.

29.   Set Scale to Bone Length, scale, translation, and rotation.

30.   Click Apply Settings.

Copy settings from a bone

31.   Make the reference pose bone active.

32.   Click Copy From Active Bone.

33.   Select the destination bones.

34.   Click Apply Settings.

The copied values populate the panel; they are not applied to other bones until Apply Settings is clicked.

This panel manages pose-bone location, rotation, and scale locks.

Edit the active bone

35.   Select an armature and enter Pose Mode.

36.   Make a bone active.

37.   Toggle the X, Y, and Z lock buttons for Location, Rotation, or Scale.

Copy locks to selected bones

38.   Configure the active bone's locks.

39.   Keep that bone active and select the destination bones.

40.   Click Apply to Selected Bones.

Reset selected bones

Select the bones and click Reset Locks for Selected Bones. All location, rotation, and scale locks on the selected bones are disabled.

Despite the panel name, this section manages Copy Rotation, Copy Location, and Copy Scale constraints.

Selection direction

For constraint creation:

41.   Enter Pose Mode.

42.   Select the bones that will receive constraints.

43.   Select the target bone last so it becomes active.

At least two pose bones must be selected.

Copy Rotation

Available settings:

•   X, Y, and Z axes

•   Per-axis inversion

•   Mix mode

•   Target space

•   Owner space

•   Influence

Actions:

•   Create adds a Copy Rotation constraint to every selected bone except the active target bone.

•   Apply updates existing Copy Rotation constraints on selected bones using the panel settings.

•   Clear removes Copy Rotation constraints from selected bones.

Copy Location

Available settings:

•   X, Y, and Z axes

•   Per-axis inversion

•   Target space

•   Owner space

•   Influence

The Create, Apply, and Clear buttons behave like their Copy Rotation equivalents.

Copy Scale

Available settings:

•   X, Y, and Z axes

•   Target space

•   Owner space

•   Influence

The Create, Apply, and Clear buttons behave like their Copy Rotation equivalents.

Clear All Constraints

Clear All Constraints removes every constraint type from every selected pose bone. This is broader than the individual Clear buttons.

Limit Transforms

The Limit Transforms section is reserved for a future update and does not currently create limit constraints.

The Weight Tools panel appears when a mesh object is active.

Auto Weight Selected Bones

This workflow prepares vertex groups for selected pose bones and normalizes the mesh's existing vertex-group weights.

44.   Ensure the mesh is associated with an armature.

45.   Select the required bones on the armature.

46.   Select the mesh and enter Weight Paint Mode.

47.   Click Apply Auto Weights.

For each selected pose bone, a matching vertex group is created if needed. Existing group weights are then normalized.

Transfer Weights

This is the panel-based source-picker workflow for transferring vertex-group weights.

48.   Select the target mesh or meshes.

49.   In Weight Tools, choose the Source Mesh.

50.   Click Apply Transfer Weights.

The source itself is excluded from the target list. Each selected mesh target receives a baked Data Transfer result.

For a faster selection-driven workflow with explicit Nearest Face Interpolated mapping and automatic group creation, use Group Transfer in General Tools.

A transfer button is disabled

Check that:

•   You are in Object Mode.

•   The active object is the source mesh.

•   At least one other mesh target is selected.

•   Morph Transfer's source has relative shape keys.

•   Group Transfer's source has vertex groups.

The wrong object acted as the source

The source must be selected last and must have the active-object outline. Repeat the selection using targets first, source last.

Morphs were transferred but the target did not change

This is expected immediately after transfer. Target morph values are intentionally set to zero. Open the target's Shape Keys panel and raise a transferred value to test it.

Morphs distort the wrong area

Nearest-surface mapping may have chosen a nearby surface on another part of the body. This is more likely with loose geometry or areas where body surfaces are close together. Move the target closer to its intended source surface or manually correct the transferred shape key.

Group weights need cleanup

Nearest Face Interpolated provides a strong starting point, but layered clothing, loose garments, fingers, shoulders, and inner-leg areas may require manual weight painting. Test with several poses.

A linked target was skipped

Linked library data is read-only. Make the target local or create a suitable library override before running a transfer.

A constraint targets the wrong bone

The active pose bone is the target. Select the receiving bones first and the target bone last.

A tool reports that the wrong mode is active

Use Quick Mode Switch or Blender's mode menu to enter the mode required by that tool. Transfer tools require Object Mode; bone tools generally require Pose Mode.

•   Morph Transfer supports relative shape keys only.

•   Morph Transfer and Group Transfer currently support mesh targets.

•   Transfer quality depends on the source and target being positioned sensibly near one another.

•   Limit Transform constraint creation is not yet implemented.

•   Production assets should always be reviewed after automated morph or weight transfer.

1.1.6

•   Added Group Transfer.

•   Added Nearest Face Interpolated vertex-group mapping.

•   Added automatic destination-group creation.

•   Added multiple-target support and automatic modifier cleanup.

1.1.5

•   Added Morph Transfer.

•   Added different-topology nearest-surface morph projection.

•   Added multiple-target support.

•   Added zero-value initialization for transferred morphs.

•   Added selection-order hover instructions.

1.1.4

•   General workflow, rigging, custom-shape, constraint, and weight tools.

For bug reports, feature requests, or workflow questions, contact Zanden and include:

•   Blender version

•   Zanden's Tools version

•   The tool being used

•   Selection order

•   Object mode

•   Any error message Blender displayed

•   A small example file or screenshots when possible

Created by Zanden

Practical tools that I found useful while blending.