Skip to content
BLBlender

Changed Bones

by Denis Chera·Workflow

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

Why we like it

A focused pose-keying helper that stands out in the Superhive library for keying only the transforms an animator actually changed.

What is Changed Bones?

Changed Bones is a Blender add-on built for animators who dislike a mess of keys in the action editor. It provides visual information about every bone that has been changed and aims to speed up work on animations. When you select a bone and change its position, rotation or scale, the bone turns pink, and you can adjust as many bones as you like before committing anything.

Once tweaking is done, you insert keys for all changed bones with one click by hitting I and choosing Whole Character (Changed Bones only). There is no need to select the changed bones first, and only the transforms that were actually changed are keyed. The "Changed Bone" state, indicated by pink, resets after keys are set and also after moving to another frame of animation.

The pink highlight color is customisable. The add-on notes some limitations: it may not behave correctly with different animation hotkey mapping, clearing position, rotation and scale for multiple bones at once can take a little longer, and copying and pasting poses via UI buttons will not update the "Changed Bone" state.

Who is Changed Bones best for?

Changed Bones is best for blender animators who want to track which bones they've altered and key only changed transforms.

How much does Changed Bones cost?

Changed Bones is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Bones whose position, rotation or scale has changed are highlighted in pink
  • Customisable highlight color for changed bones
  • One-click keying of all changed bones via Whole Character (Changed Bones only)
  • Only transforms that were actually changed are keyed
  • Changed state resets after keys are set and after moving to another frame
  • No need to select the changed bones before inserting keys

Tags

#rig#animation#bone#keyframe#armature#blender#workflow

Frequently asked questions

How do I install Changed Bones in Blender?

Changed Bones installs like any other Blender add-on. Download the changed_bones.py file, then open File > User Preferences > Add-ons > Install Add-on from File, select changed_bones.py, and activate it. Once enabled, selecting a bone and changing its position, rotation or scale turns it pink, and you can key all changed bones together. The add-on is built around Blender 2.79, so keep that in mind when setting it up in your project.

Does Changed Bones work with custom animation hotkeys?

Changed Bones may not work as intended with different animation hotkey mapping, so it is safest to use the standard keys. Clearing position, rotation and scale for multiple bones at once (alt+g, alt+r, alt+s) can take a little more time. For copying and pasting poses, use ctrl+c and ctrl+v or ctrl+shift+v, as the UI buttons will not update the "Changed Bone" state of the affected bones.

How does Changed Bones decide which transforms to key?

Changed Bones keys only the transforms that were actually changed. Select a bone and adjust its position, rotation or scale, and it becomes pink. When you hit I and choose Whole Character (Changed Bones only), keys are placed for every changed bone without selecting them first, and only the altered transforms among position, rotation and scale are added. The pink state resets after keys are set and after moving to another animation frame.

Is Changed Bones free to use?

Changed Bones is listed as free in this catalog. It is published under a Creative Commons license and is a Dev Fund contributor add-on. For current licensing terms and any details on distribution or usage, check the developer's page directly. The add-on was published for Blender version 2.79, which is worth verifying against your setup before relying on it in production work.

Similar plugins