Skip to content
BLBlender

Pickup Tools

by Wolfram Kampffmeyer·Workflow

Images © Wolfram Kampffmeyer. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Pickup Tools earns its place in the superhive library for a focused set of animation utilities—PickUp and Drop parenting, position pinning, and stepped-animation camera fixes—built by an animator with over 20 years of experience. A demo video is available.

What is Pickup Tools?

Pickup Tools, also known as WK Tools, is a Blender add-on built by Wolfram Kampffmeyer, a 3D animator with over 20 years of experience. It automates constraint handling and transform keying across several animation tasks, and has been tested with Blender 5.1.

The PickUp module animates picking up and dropping objects or bones with a click, handling Child Of constraint creation, offsets, and keyframes. It works with animated targets and multiple pick-up/drop sequences, producing clean results for object-to-object, bone-to-object, or IK-to-IK parenting. ObjectPin locks an object's global position across a chosen frame range to stop foot sliding in walkcycles, and works with bones, IK chains, and child objects.

CamCorrect shifts camera keyframe pairs so cuts land on stepped frames for on 2's or on 5's timing, aligning all cuts in one click. Viewport Render Stepped captures every fifth frame and duplicates the inbetweens, while still capturing extra frames for camera movement and lip sync. A Quick Foot Reset module places feet back to the ground with one click.

Who is Pickup Tools best for?

Pickup Tools is best for blender animators who want faster object handoffs, foot pinning in walkcycles, and stepped-animation camera cleanup.

How much does Pickup Tools cost?

Pickup Tools is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Animates PickUp and Drop for objects or bones with a click, handling Child Of constraint creation, offsets, and keyframes
  • Works with animated targets and supports multiple pick-up/drop sequences without manual cleanup
  • Clean parenting results for object-to-object, bone-to-object, or IK-to-IK setups
  • ObjectPin locks an object's global position across a chosen frame range by copying its world transform, working with bones, IK chains, and child objects
  • CamCorrect shifts camera keyframe pairs so cuts land on stepped frames (on 2's, on 5's), aligning all cuts in one click
  • Viewport Render Stepped captures every fifth frame and duplicates inbetweens, with extra frames for camera movement and lip sync
  • Quick Foot Reset places feet back to the ground with one click

Tags

#Blender#animation#walkcycle#constraints#rigging#stepped animation#workflow#camera

Frequently asked questions

Does Pickup Tools work with Blender 5.1?

Pickup Tools has been tested with Blender 5.1, so that release is confirmed by the developer. The add-on works on both objects and bones, and its modules cover parenting, position pinning, and stepped-animation camera timing inside Blender's animation workflow. For compatibility with other Blender versions, or details on the minimum supported release, check Wolfram Kampffmeyer's developer page before installing, since that page holds the current information.

What happens when I drop an object with Pickup Tools?

Pickup Tools handles dropping through its PickUp module: after an object follows a target using a cleanly animated Child Of constraint, you select the object again and click Drop. The object stays exactly where it is, and the constraint is muted with clean keyframes. Because it supports multiple pick-up and drop sequences without manual cleanup, you can grab, hand over, or release objects repeatedly across a shot. It works for objects or bones, including object-to-object, bone-to-object, and IK-to-IK parenting.

How does ObjectPin stop foot sliding in walkcycles?

Pickup Tools includes ObjectPin, which locks any object's global position across a chosen frame range. Select an object, or a bone in Pose Mode, enter how many frames to pin it, and click Pin Object; the tool copies its world transform across that range so it holds still in space. Going to the first contact frame and pinning the foot stops it from sliding during a walkcycle. It bakes into the motion without constraints and works with bones, IK chains, and child objects like lids.

Is Pickup Tools free?

Pickup Tools is listed as free here in the catalog, and it bundles several modules including PickUp and Drop, ObjectPin, CamCorrect, Viewport Render Stepped, and a Quick Foot Reset. Licensing terms can change over time, so for the current terms and any download details, check Wolfram Kampffmeyer's developer page. That page is also the place to confirm which Blender versions are supported beyond the tested Blender 5.1.

Similar plugins