Skip to content
BLBlender

Modular Body Groups

by Inlet·Workflow

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

Why we like it

Modular Body Groups earns its place in the Superhive library for turning mesh swapping into a UI-driven workflow, with a Pro tier that carries the concept into animatable, separable objects.

What is Modular Body Groups?

Modular Body Groups brings a body-group workflow to Blender: a way of organizing and customizing a mesh by grouping and controlling different components together, and switching mesh to create variations on a selected object. In practice, it lets you add and remove objects from a rig through a UI. You might build a head group that swaps different head meshes in and out, or groups for clothing and whole body types.

The concept extends well beyond human bodies. The addon can handle different tyre and chassis groups for a car, different architecture for a building such as windows, ladders, doors and flower pots, and character attachments like horns, hats, backpacks, guns and belts. It also suits destruction states, randomized variations and LOD setups, letting you generate many combinations from a set of body groups.

Several versions scale the body-group count per object, from a Trial with one group up to Max with a hundred. The Pro tier adds functionality to animate body groups and turn them into active animatable objects — you can separate and make a body group real so it can be animated and modified while retaining the switching mechanism, enabling gibbing, dismemberment and damage effects.

Who is Modular Body Groups best for?

Modular Body Groups is best for blender artists building modular characters, vehicles or environments who need to swap mesh components, set up variations, LODs, or destruction and dismemberment states.

How much does Modular Body Groups cost?

Modular Body Groups is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Add and remove objects from a rig through a UI
  • Switch mesh components in and out to create variations on a selected object
  • Version tiers scaling from 3 up to 100 body groups per object
  • Pro version adds animating body groups and turning them into active animatable objects
  • Pro can separate and make body groups real for animation and modification while retaining the switching mechanism
  • Documentation included

Tags

#body groups#modular#rigging#mesh switching#character customization#LOD#Blender addon#animation

Frequently asked questions

What Blender versions does Modular Body Groups support?

Modular Body Groups lists support for Blender versions 2.83 through 4.5, covering a wide span of releases from older builds to more recent ones. If you are working in a specific version within that range, the addon is stated to be compatible. For the latest confirmation and any version-specific notes, check the developer's page before installing so you know the addon matches your current Blender setup.

What are the differences between the Modular Body Groups versions?

Modular Body Groups comes in several tiers that scale how many body groups each object can hold. The Trial allows one body group with no dependent or freeze functions. Light allows three per object, Mid allows ten, and Max allows a hundred. The Pro version includes everything in Max plus functionality to animate body groups and turn them into active animatable objects, which supports separating and making groups real for effects like gibbing and dismemberment.

Can Modular Body Groups be used for animation?

Modular Body Groups supports animation in its Pro version, which adds functionality to animate body groups and turn them into active animatable objects. Pro can separate and make a body group real so it can be animated and modified while retaining the switching mechanism between groups. This enables setups such as gibbing, dismemberment and damage to a body, where a mesh part is swapped and then moved with full control throughout.

Is Modular Body Groups free?

Modular Body Groups is listed as free here in the catalog. The addon is distributed under the GPL license. Because the developer offers multiple version tiers with different body-group limits and, in the Pro case, animation functionality, it is worth checking the developer's page for current licensing details and to confirm which version fits your needs before downloading.

Similar plugins