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Bonekit - Edge To Bone + Bone Splitter

by Studiocats·Workflow

Images © Studiocats. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

BoneKit folds two rigging tasks into one lightweight add-on: building bone chains from mesh edges and splitting bones with automatic weight redistribution. It is listed as free here and released under the GPL license.

What is Bonekit - Edge To Bone + Bone Splitter?

BoneKit combines two rigging tools in one Blender add-on. Edge to Bone creates bone chains from selected mesh edges, and Quick Bone Split subdivides bones while redistributing their weights. The toolkit is lightweight and aims to replace placing bones by hand and splitting weights manually.

Edge to Bone detects connected edge chains automatically and handles multiple chains at once. Direction control points the bone head toward Head or Hips with an Auto Detect option, surface offset places bones above the mesh along vertex normals, and X-axis mirror produces mirrored chains with smart L/R naming. Queue mode builds bones across multiple selections at once, Auto-parent picks a root parent by eyedropper from the viewport, and Flip head/tail reverses direction. Quick Bone Split offers even and non-uniform splits with adjustable first/last bone ratios, snap to mesh for curved geometry like hair, mirror modifier awareness, multi-bone support, and Adjust Last Operation (F9) for tweaking parameters after execution.

BoneKit supports Blender 4.0 and later, tested on Blender 5.1, and ships with a multilingual interface in English, Japanese, and Korean. It is released under the GPL license.

Who is Bonekit - Edge To Bone + Bone Splitter best for?

Bonekit - Edge To Bone + Bone Splitter is best for vRChat avatar creators setting up PhysBone chains for hair, skirts, tails, and accessories; character artists rigging cloth, hair strips, and dangling elements; and riggers prototyping bone chains that follow mesh topology.

How much does Bonekit - Edge To Bone + Bone Splitter cost?

Bonekit - Edge To Bone + Bone Splitter is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Edge to Bone builds aligned bone chains from selected mesh edges, automatically detecting connected edge chains and handling multiple chains at once
  • Quick Bone Split subdivides selected bones in one click, with weights smoothly redistributed across the new bones
  • Direction control points the bone head toward Head or Hips with Auto Detect, flip head/tail reverses direction, and surface offset places bones above the mesh along vertex normals
  • X-axis mirror creates mirrored chains with smart L/R naming, and mirror modifier awareness detects mirror modifiers on affected meshes
  • Even and non-uniform split adjusts the first/last bone ratio for tapered distributions, with snap to mesh for curved geometry like hair
  • Queue mode defines bones across multiple selections then builds them at once, Auto-parent eyedropper-picks a root parent from the viewport, and Adjust Last Operation (F9) tweaks parameters after execution

Tags

#rigging#bones#bone split#weight redistribution#mirror#hair#PhysBone#Blender add-on

Frequently asked questions

Does BoneKit work with Blender 5.1?

BoneKit works with Blender 4.0 and later, and has been tested on Blender 5.1. That range covers current Blender releases, so the Edge to Bone and Quick Bone Split tools are available across those versions. If you run a build outside that range, check the developer's page for the latest compatibility details before installing, since supported versions can shift as Blender itself updates over time.

How does Quick Bone Split handle weights when splitting bones?

BoneKit's Quick Bone Split subdivides selected bones by segment count, and weights are smoothly redistributed across the new bones automatically, so you don't split weights by hand. You can choose an even split or a non-uniform one that adjusts the first and last bone ratio for tapered distributions, and snap split points to the mesh surface for curved geometry like hair. It also detects mirror modifiers on affected meshes and can split multiple bones at once.

Is BoneKit free to use?

BoneKit is listed as free here, and it is released under the GPL license. Licensing terms and any pricing can change over time, so for current details it's best to check the developer's page directly. The GPL license governs how you can use and redistribute the add-on. Studiocats is the developer, and a demo video is also available if you want to see more about the tools before installing it into your Blender setup.

What languages does BoneKit's interface support?

BoneKit ships with a multilingual interface offering English, Japanese, and Korean. If you work in any of those languages, the add-on's panels and options are available in your language rather than English only. This can suit riggers and character artists who prefer a localized UI while building bone chains from mesh edges or splitting bones with weight redistribution. For more on the interface in each language, the developer's page has additional information.

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