# absolute-quantum/cats-blender-plugin

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4,034 stars · 480 forks · Python · MIT

## Links

- GitHub: https://github.com/absolute-quantum/cats-blender-plugin
- awesome-repositories: https://awesome-repositories.com/repository/absolute-quantum-cats-blender-plugin.md

## Topics

`3dsmax` `blender` `mixamo` `mmd` `motionbuilder` `vrchat` `xnalara`

## Description

This project is a suite of optimization plugins for Blender designed to process meshes, rigs, and textures for real-time rendering and avatar platforms. It functions as a mesh and rig optimizer that simplifies 3D models and provides specialized tools for importing and cleaning assets from formats such as MMD, Mixamo, and DAZ.

The toolkit features a dedicated pipeline for preparing characters for VRChat and other social VR environments. It includes a texture atlas generator to merge multiple images into a single sheet to reduce draw calls, as well as dictionary-based translation services to convert entity names from Japanese to English.

The plugin covers a broad range of technical capabilities, including polygon decimation that preserves shape keys, skeletal simplification through bone merging and hierarchy cleanup, and facial animation setup for lip sync and eye tracking. It also provides geometry manipulation tools for adjusting face normals and baking object transformations directly into mesh data.

The project is implemented as a Python-based Blender add-on.

## Tags

### Part of an Awesome List

- [Blender Scripting](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/awesome-lists/devtools/blender-scripting.md) — Implemented as a suite of Python-based Blender add-ons to automate mesh and armature operations.

### Graphics & Multimedia

- [Avatar Optimizations](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/graphics-engines-rendering/3d-math-and-geometry-toolkits/mesh-modeling-tools/mesh-optimization/navmesh-polygon-optimization/avatar-optimizations.md) — Provides a specialized pipeline for optimizing character polygon counts and textures for VRChat avatars.
- [Armature Merging](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/armature-merging.md) — Combines multiple armatures into a single base structure and aligns meshes via transformations. ([source](https://github.com/absolute-quantum/cats-blender-plugin#readme))
- [Avatar Format Import and Export](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/avatar-format-import-and-export.md) — Loads and saves models from various formats using optimized settings for compatibility with target environments. ([source](https://github.com/absolute-quantum/cats-blender-plugin#readme))
- [Blender Add-ons](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/blender-add-ons.md) — Implemented as a suite of optimization plugins that integrate directly into the Blender environment.
- [Shape-Key Preserving Decimation](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/graphics-engines-rendering/3d-math-and-geometry-toolkits/mesh-modeling-tools/mesh-deformations/blend-shapes/shape-key-preserving-decimation.md) — Reduces polygon counts while calculating and projecting the new geometry onto existing blend shape targets.
- [Mesh Optimization](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/graphics-engines-rendering/3d-math-and-geometry-toolkits/mesh-modeling-tools/mesh-optimization.md) — Offers mesh optimization tools to reduce polygon complexity while managing shape keys for high-detail models.
- [Texture Atlases](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/graphics-engines-rendering/rendering/systems/3d-graphics-pipelines/texture-mapping-pipelines/texture-atlases.md) — Includes a texture atlas generator that combines multiple images into a single sheet to reduce draw calls.
- [Rig Cleanup](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/mesh-processing-apis/skeletal-animation/rig-cleanup.md) — Removes unused bones and deletes zero-weight bones to simplify the character rig. ([source](https://github.com/absolute-quantum/cats-blender-plugin#readme))
- [Skeletal Rigging](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/mesh-processing-apis/skeletal-animation/skeletal-rigging.md) — Provides tools for cleaning skeletal structures and merging bones to simplify character rigs for real-time platforms.
- [Skeletal Simplification](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/skeletal-simplification.md) — Simplifies skeletal structures by merging groups of bones based on a percentage to improve rendering performance. ([source](https://github.com/absolute-quantum/cats-blender-plugin/blob/master/README.md))
- [Transformation Baking](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/transformation-baking.md) — Bakes position, rotation, and scale of armatures and meshes directly into the base mesh data. ([source](https://github.com/absolute-quantum/cats-blender-plugin#readme))
- [Automated Lip Sync Generators](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/automated-lip-sync-generators.md) — Ships tools that automatically generate mouth shape keys for realistic lip-sync animations. ([source](https://github.com/absolute-quantum/cats-blender-plugin#readme))
- [Avatar Eye Tracking](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/avatar-eye-tracking.md) — Implements artificial eye tracking capabilities that allow 3D characters to look at nearby users. ([source](https://github.com/absolute-quantum/cats-blender-plugin#readme))
- [Bone Hierarchy Organization](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/bone-hierarchy-organization.md) — Groups related bones under a single root bone to facilitate the use of dynamic bone physics. ([source](https://github.com/absolute-quantum/cats-blender-plugin#readme))
- [Pose Capturing](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/graphics-engines-rendering/3d-math-and-geometry-toolkits/mesh-modeling-tools/mesh-deformations/blend-shapes/pose-capturing.md) — Captures relative vertex offsets from a character pose and stores them as additive shape key deformations. ([source](https://github.com/absolute-quantum/cats-blender-plugin/blob/master/README.md))
- [Rig Restructuring](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/rig-restructuring.md) — Reorganizes armature parent-child relationships to meet specific technical constraints for game engine imports.
- [Vertex Weight Reassignment](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/vertex-weight-reassignment.md) — Redistributes weights from deleted bones to parent bones to maintain mesh deformation after skeletal simplification.
- [Weight Redistribution](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/graphics-multimedia/weight-redistribution.md) — Merges weights from deleted bones into parent bones to maintain mesh deformation after simplification. ([source](https://github.com/absolute-quantum/cats-blender-plugin/blob/master/README.md))

### Artificial Intelligence & ML

- [Skeletal Structure Optimization](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/artificial-intelligence-ml/machine-learning/infrastructure/model-optimization-and-inference/training-algorithms/deep-learning-optimization/skeletal-structure-optimization.md) — Optimizes model structure by reparenting bones, removing unnecessary joints, and combining materials. ([source](https://github.com/absolute-quantum/cats-blender-plugin#readme))
- [Facial Animation](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/artificial-intelligence-ml/facial-animation.md) — Implements facial animation setup including lip sync visemes and eye tracking for realistic character expressions.
- [LOD Variant Generation](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/artificial-intelligence-ml/machine-learning/infrastructure/model-optimization-and-inference/training-algorithms/machine-learning-optimization/ml-performance-profilers/hardware-specific-model-optimizations/lod-variant-generation.md) — Creates simplified versions of models to maintain performance on lower-specification hardware. ([source](https://github.com/absolute-quantum/cats-blender-plugin#readme))

### Development Tools & Productivity

- [Avatar Import Pipelines](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/development-tools-productivity/project-imports/external-file-importers/3d-model-importers/avatar-import-pipelines.md) — Brings models from formats like MMD and Mixamo into Blender with corrected normals and naming.
- [3D Model Importers](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/development-tools-productivity/project-imports/external-file-importers/3d-model-importers.md) — Includes utilities for importing and cleaning 3D models from formats like MMD, Mixamo, and DAZ.

### Game Development

- [Avatar Pipeline Automation](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/game-development/tooling-asset-pipeline/texture-optimization-tools/avatar-pipeline-automation.md) — Automates the process of preparing 3D models for VRChat by coordinating polygon, bone, and texture optimizations.
- [Mesh Geometry Processing](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/game-development/polygon-based-navigation-meshes/mesh-processing-operations/mesh-geometry-processing.md) — Provides geometry manipulation tools for separating meshes by material, joining parts, and removing duplicate vertices. ([source](https://github.com/absolute-quantum/cats-blender-plugin/blob/master/README.md))

### Scientific & Mathematical Computing

- [Polygon Simplification](https://awesome-repositories.com/f/scientific-mathematical-computing/polygon-simplification.md) — Implements polygon decimation that reduces vertex counts while preserving essential shape keys. ([source](https://github.com/absolute-quantum/cats-blender-plugin#readme))