RBF Manager v2.0: the star of the release

The most visible feature in mGear 5.1.0 is the upgrade of RBF Manager to version 2.0. RBF Manager is used to set up radial basis function-driven pose correctives. Maya Artists define a driver node (or multiple), assign attributes, and connect driven nodes such as animation controls. From there, poses can be created, mirrored, and stored.

The new solver in v2.0 addresses long-standing issues with duplicate driver poses and stability. According to the documentation, duplicate driver positions are now correctly handled, though duplicates should still be removed for clean rigs. The updated interface also improves usability: mirroring and deletion of poses are more predictable, and editing workflows are clearer.

The change integrates closely with the weightDriver fork (see below). Compatibility with Shapes, Brave Rabbit’s blendshape editor, is explicitly improved.

Notably, the GitHub log lists bug fix #514: “RBF Manager was not working correctly with the new weightDriver kernel.” This is now resolved.

WeightDriver change: SHAPES removed, mGear fork takes over

One structural shift in 5.1 is the replacement of the original weightDriver from SHAPES with a new mGearWeightDriver fork. The SHAPES version is no longer bundled with mGear.

Studios still dependent on SHAPES’ native weightDriver can install it manually, but mGear is now officially built on its own maintained fork. This reflects a standard move toward reducing external dependencies and ensuring long-term maintainability.

Shifter: incremental but important repairs

Shifter, mGear’s modular auto-rigging system, sees multiple updates:

• New functionality
  A backwards_ref_jnt setting has been added to the EPIC_control_01 guide (#523). IK/FK matching for arms and legs is now more flexible. It supports arbitrary FK section lengths and correctly matches them against IK solvers (#501). This matters in pipelines where limb setups deviate from defaults.
• Bug fixes
  • Axis rotation: EPIC_spine_02’s IK solver had a rotation bug (#510).
  • Color settings: Reset issues for control colours are resolved (#511).
  • Pickwalk: Navigation failed if controls were missing; now patched (#524).
  • Lock Orient Chest: The slider and spin box were out of sync; fixed (#516).
  • Guide Manager: Errors in handling module data were fixed (#528).

Together, these changes make Shifter less error-prone in day-to-day rig building.

Two notable fixes in the Core modules: DAG menu: Right-click context menus on DAG nodes sometimes failed to populate. This has been fixed (#526). Skin I/O: A rounding error occurred when meshes had more than ten skin influences. The fix (#538) ensures more reliable skin weight import/export across complex character rigs. These are subtle, but critical for riggers working with dense or production-scale assets.

Anim Utils: more flexible ParentSpaceTransfer

Anim Utils gains a small but useful enhancement. The ParentSpaceTransfer tool, used for transferring animation between different parent spaces, can now be executed outside of the Anim Picker (#552). This makes it easier to integrate into custom workflows without depending on the Picker UI.

Deprecation: Maya 2020 and older dropped

The release makes a decisive cut: support for Maya 2020 and all older versions has been dropped. This is clearly labelled in the release notes as “IMPORTANT”. Dropping legacy support is common in open-source pipelines. It reduces maintenance overhead and allows developers to focus on newer APIs and performance gains. Still, users with Maya 2020-era projects must either upgrade their environment or remain on an older mGear version. Studios should test pipeline compatibility thoroughly before adopting 5.1.0, especially where rigs need to straddle old and new Maya versions.

ueGear 1.0.4

Alongside mGear 5.1.0, ueGear 1.0.4 was also released. ueGear is the Unreal Engine bridge, enabling rig data and animation workflows to flow between Maya and UE. While the release notes list it, no detailed changelog for ueGear 1.0.4 was available at press time.

The advice remains the same: test before rolling into production. For studios already working with Maya 2022+ and RBF-driven facial rigs, this release looks like a solid and safe adoption.

The post mGear 5.1 sharpens RBF Manager and patches Shifter first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

mGear 5.0: New Nodes, New Faces, Old Friend

The modular rigging framework mGear hits version 5.0 and keeps its habit of not charging a cent. Built for Autodesk Maya, mGear is open-source, built on Shifter, and widely used in animation pipelines. The update brings 20 new components and nodes to the already hefty toolbox. New additions include shifter_component_ik_2s, a two-segment IK (inverse kinematics) component, and shifter_component_spring, which simulates basic spring behavior in rigs. The shifter_component_ik_spline_advanced module expands the previous IK spline component, useful for spines, tails or anything long, bendy, and badly behaved.

Also new: the shifter_component_face_guide, which lets artists build facial guides using blendshapes or joint-based systems. mGear 5.0 now supports referencing meshes via USD (Universal Scene Description) files using Maya’s native implementation. One warning: USD support is experimental, so production artists may want to treat it like a suspicious lunchbox.

Performance-wise, mGear 5.0 includes new post-evaluation callbacks. These callbacks trigger after Maya’s internal evaluation, allowing tasks such as automatic control snapping. The synoptic tabs system now supports Python 3 and PySide6, and can be extended with custom Python scripts.

The simple spring and simple collision solvers for mGear’s RBF solver now allow for better deformation and secondary animation. A new T-Pose Tool automates the task of setting a character into a T-pose for export – or judgment.

Documentation has moved to a new home on GitHub Pages, and the GitHub repo for mGear itself is here: mGear GitHub.

mGear 5.0 supports Maya 2022–2025. Price remains unchanged: zero.

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UEGear 1.0: Now with Actual Version Number

mGear’s Unreal Engine integration plugin UEGear reaches version 1.0 and officially exits beta. It now includes a node graph editor to create Blueprint-based control rigs directly inside Unreal Engine 5.4 and up. The editor enables the creation of procedural control rigs – without round-tripping to Maya. It’s designed for Unreal’s Control Rig system and aimed at real-time animation workflows, including game development and virtual production.

UEGear also allows control rig creation using Python 3.10. Pythonistas will appreciate that Control Rig blueprints can now be generated via code using Python scripting in Unreal Engine. There’s also a new C++ API, allowing developers to use UEGear’s graph system within custom plugins or engine builds.

Mesh import tools now support USD, which means meshes and rigs can be brought in from Maya with USD skeletons – again, handle with caution. A new retargeting tool lets artists copy skeleton hierarchy and joint transforms from an imported mesh to an Unreal control rig, which can be useful when dealing with multiple asset versions or outsourced animations.

The auto-rig template tool now supports Unreal’s Mannequin skeleton, the MetaHuman base skeleton, and the biped template from mGear’s Shifter module. There’s also support for the control rigs generated by MetaHuman Animator, including support for its new facial FACS curves.

As with mGear, UEGear 1.0 is open-source and available for free on GitHub: UEGear GitHub.

Also, as a first, the head of the company takes you behind the scene, introduces the team and gives you a personal deep dive into the what, how and why of the new versions:

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Production Caution: Try Before You Trust

While both tools add powerful options to rigging and animation pipelines, especially for artists working across Maya and Unreal Engine, the experimental nature of the USD workflows and the early days of UEGear 1.0 should be approached with typical production paranoia. Testing in controlled environments is recommended before introducing them into full production pipelines.

Both mGear and UEGear remain free, open-source, and available from their respective official site and GitHub repositories.

The post Rig It Like It’s Free: mGear 5.0 and UEGear 1.0 first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

The open-source rigging framework mGear has released version 5.0 Beta 6, which now supports Autodesk Maya 2026. If you’re in the business of building rigs instead of building excuses, the new release offers a handful of updates aimed at character riggers and TDs navigating Maya’s ongoing evolution.

Maya 2026 support is live

The main headline feature is compatibility with Maya 2026—which may not sound glamorous, but let’s be honest: rigging tools that lag behind software updates tend to cause more drama than your characters. With Beta 6, mGear stays current, reducing future pipeline headaches and ensuring your rigs don’t explode—at least not due to version mismatches.

Shifter gets minor updates

The Shifter system—mGear’s modular rigging system—receives component updates, though the exact changes are not detailed in the release notes. Artists should expect refinements, but as always, test before plugging into production. Stability is still the rigging department’s love language.

Guide templates: more templates, more reuse

Version 5.0 Beta 6 introduces new guide templates and an updated naming convention. Guide templates (used for building rig hierarchies) now come with tweaks that help with standardisation and reuse. If you’ve ever inherited a rig named ctrl_final_finalFIXED2.mb, this is your redemption arc.

New logic in the picker for selecting control icons

mGear’s picker tool—used for selecting rig controls via GUI—now includes new selection logic. Though the update doesn’t go into detail, it likely enhances how users interact with control icons inside the picker UI. Expect improved usability, or at the very least, fewer clicks and curses.

Still in beta: test before flying

As the name clearly warns, mGear 5.0 Beta 6 is still in beta. That means: tread carefully. These features, while promising, are not guaranteed to behave in production environments. Artists and TDs should conduct thorough tests before integrating the new version into live projects. It’s rigging, not roulette.

Price & availability

As always, mGear remains free and open-source, available via GitHub. Compatibility with Maya 2026 gives it a timely advantage, especially for studios planning a software switch-over.

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In summary: mGear 5.0 Beta 6 brings compatibility with Maya 2026, improves guide template usability, refines Shifter components, and tweaks the picker’s logic. All changes are incremental and aimed at making the rigging workflow more efficient—assuming you’re brave enough to beta test in the first place.

The post Gear 5.0 Beta 6: Rigging Tool Gets 2026-Ready first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.