A Clean Alternative for Maya Animators

Animator Ehsan Bayat has released Pickify, a free tool for Autodesk Maya that handles selection sets without generating clutter in the Outliner. Instead of relying on traditional Maya sets, Pickify lets artists assign hotkeys to groups of controls such as fingers, brows, or legs. For animators working with complex rigs, this reduces repetitive clicking and improves focus on motion rather than rig navigation.

Minimal Interface, Persistent Access

The tool provides a compact and modern UI. Unlike many script-based utilities that disappear once a command is run, Pickify’s interface can remain visible while animating. Artists can treat it as a standard selection manager while retaining flexibility through hotkey assignments.

Geometry Visibility at Hand

Pickify does more than control selections. It can also hide or show geometry segments directly from the UI. This is useful when animating dense rigs with overlapping meshes, where isolating a hand, face, or mouth speeds up playback and simplifies keyframing. The approach avoids detours into display layers or viewport filters.

Portable and Reusable

Another key function is portability. Selection sets created in Pickify can be exported and then imported into other Maya scenes. Sets can also be shared between animators, provided that the character rigs follow the same naming hierarchy. This makes Pickify suitable for collaborative workflows, where consistency of rig naming is already a pipeline requirement.

Keeps Outliner Untouched

Unlike Maya’s built-in sets, Pickify does not create actual set nodes. As a result, the Outliner remains uncluttered and the scene hierarchy untouched. This reduces the risk of confusion during later stages of production, especially when files move between animation, rigging, and lighting departments.

Pricing and Availability

Pickify is available now via Gumroad as a free download. The developer offers an optional “pay what you want” pricing model. The file size is 9.81 MB. At the time of writing, the tool is distributed as a single download and requires Autodesk Maya to function.

The post Pickify: Selection Sets Without Outliner Mess first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Animation artists using Unreal Engine’s Metahuman framework can now take advantage of a free tool designed to simplify facial and body animations. Developed by UE5 Filmmaker Anthony Koithra, the Metahuman Animation Tool (MAT) enhances the usability of the Face Control Rig and Body Control Rig, allowing precise character animation directly within Unreal Engine. Even better, the tool isn’t limited to Metahuman rigs—it also works with the UE5 Mannequin skeleton and the CC4 skeleton via Reallusion’s custom Metahuman Control Rig.

Face and Body Control Integration

The tool focuses on real-time fine-tuning of facial expressions and body movements. With Unreal Engine’s Metahuman Creator, the Face Control Rig allows animators to adjust intricate facial details, from eyebrow movements to subtle lip animations. The Body Control Rig enables fluid and natural body animations, streamlining the creation of lifelike character motion. Its added compatibility with the UE5 Mannequin skeleton and Reallusion’s CC4 skeleton ensures greater flexibility for artists working across varied character setups.

Who Is It For?

The tool is a boon for VFX professionals, animators, and game designers aiming to achieve precision in character animations while maintaining compatibility across different character skeletons. By supporting both Metahuman rigs and widely-used skeletons like UE5 Mannequin and CC4, it enhances workflows in Unreal Engine’s ecosystem.

Where to Get It

Curious to try it? Download the tool for free from Fab. Whether it’s the game-changer your workflow needs or just another experiment, its success depends on how well it integrates into your current setup.

While the Metahuman Animation Tool shows great potential, its readiness for full production use is something only time—and rigorous testing—will reveal. For now, enjoy the expanded compatibility and see if it suits your animation needs.

The post Free Metahuman Animation Tool: Rig It Right first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.