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Center Of Mass

by Denis Chera·Workflow

Images © Denis Chera. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Center Of Mass earns its place in the superhive library for a focused job: turning a rigged character into a visual balance check by projecting its center of mass and comparing it against the points of contact.

What is Center Of Mass?

Center Of Mass is a Blender add-on from Denis Chera that calculates the center of mass for any rigged character or object and projects that point onto the floor plane. It is aimed at animators and game developers who want their characters to stay balanced and grounded.

Working in pose mode, you select the bones you want to weight and assign mass values, either from a predefined human body mass distribution or by tweaking each bone dynamically. Additional objects, such as an axe, can be handled by creating an extra bone at the object's center of mass and giving it a mass value. A single scene can hold multiple centers of mass for different characters or objects.

For balance, you switch to edit mode, select the vertices that mark points of contact such as the feet, and visualize the area between them. Playing the animation shows the center of mass projection against that contact area, and the masses and visualization parameters, including color, remain adjustable to fit your setup.

Who is Center Of Mass best for?

Center Of Mass is best for animators and game developers who want their characters to stay balanced and grounded.

How much does Center Of Mass cost?

Center Of Mass is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Automatic center of mass calculation for any rigged character or object, projected onto the floor plane
  • Dynamic mass distribution, assigning and adjusting masses to bones or objects based on realistic human body mass distributions
  • Multiple centers of mass created and managed within a single scene
  • Balance visualization of the area between points of contact, such as feet, to see if a character is balanced or likely to fall
  • Customizable masses and visualization parameters, including color
  • Mass assignment in pose mode via an "Add masses to selected objects/bones" action

Tags

#Blender#animation#rigging#center of mass#balance#character animation#game development

Frequently asked questions

Which Blender versions does Center Of Mass support?

Center Of Mass is listed as compatible with Blender versions 4.1, 4.0, 3.6, 3.5, 3.4, 3.3, 3.2, 3.1, 3.0 and 2.93. That span reaches from Blender 2.93 through the 4.1 series, so it covers older long-term builds as well as more recent releases. If you are running one of these versions, the add-on should load without version conflicts. For any release newer than 4.1, check the developer's page to confirm current compatibility before installing.

How do I install Center Of Mass in Blender?

Center Of Mass installs the same way as other Blender add-ons. Open Edit > Preferences, go to the Add-ons section, click Install, and select the downloaded center_of_mass.zip archive. Once it appears in the list, tick the checkbox to activate it. After that the add-on is ready inside Blender. From there you work in pose mode to assign masses to your character's bones, then switch to edit mode to set up the points of contact used for balance visualization.

How do I assign mass to a bone in Center Of Mass?

Center Of Mass assigns mass in pose mode. Select the bones you want to weight, then click "Add masses to selected objects/bones" to give them mass values. You can apply a predefined human body mass distribution or tweak the masses dynamically for each bone. For additional objects such as an axe, create an extra bone at that object's center of mass and assign it a mass value, so the calculation accounts for both the character and props being carried.

How does Center Of Mass show whether a character is balanced?

Center Of Mass visualizes balance through the points of contact you define. In edit mode, select the vertices that represent contact points, such as the feet, and click the plus button to visualize the area between them. When you play the animation, watch the center of mass projection: as long as it stays within that contact area, the character stays balanced, and if it drifts outside, the character is likely to fall. You can adjust the color and settings to your preference.

Is Center Of Mass free to use?

Center Of Mass is listed as free in this catalog, and it is distributed under the GPL license. For the most current licensing terms and any pricing details, check the developer's page directly, since terms can change over time. A demo video is also available if you want to see the workflow before installing. Once installed, you assign masses in pose mode and set up points of contact in edit mode to visualize whether a character stays balanced.

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