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Powerpin

by Wolfram Kampffmeyer·Workflow

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

Why we like it

Powerpin earns its place in the Superhive library for a focused job: locking feet to the ground during contact and baking it out, with a non-destructive NLA route that keeps re-editing simple.

What is Powerpin?

Powerpin addresses foot sliding that occurs when animating characters walking around curves or up a hill. It automates the process of pinning down feet when they reach local Z=0, or whichever axis you define as "up". As long as you move the character's global controller, the feet keep a local zero position during feet-down.

The workflow starts by picking the character's armature as the Reference and one or more feet as Targets. You choose an axis, set a Ground Value (0.0 for most rigs), adjust Tolerance for walk cycles without precise flat ground-keys, define a frame range and bake step, then hit Bake. Powerpin finds ground-contact segments where the local axis sits near the Ground Value within Tolerance, creates a Combine overlay action, and pins the foot across each segment. Outside contact frames, nothing is keyed.

Two modes are offered. In non-destructive mode, all pinning animation is keyed into an NLA strip added in the NLA editor, so changes are easy: delete the new NLA strip, edit your animation, and bake the feet again. Destructive mode bakes the pinning directly into your f-curves. Powerpin works stand-alone, and integrates into the wk_tools side panel if you already have wk_tools.

Who is Powerpin best for?

Powerpin is best for blender animators fixing sliding feet in character walk cycles.

How much does Powerpin cost?

Powerpin is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Automatically pins feet in global position during ground contact, for example at z=0
  • Tolerance setting for walk cycle animation without precise flat ground-keys
  • Adjustable start and end frame for the bake range, plus a bake step
  • Trim Contact Range option to steal a frame or two for smoother transitions at contact boundaries
  • Choice between non-destructive mode adding an NLA strip and destructive mode baking into f-curves
  • Configurable up axis and Ground Value to match your rig
  • Works stand-alone or integrates into the wk_tools side panel

Tags

#foot pinning#character animation#walk cycle#NLA#foot lock#baking#non-destructive#blender addon

Frequently asked questions

What Blender versions does Powerpin support?

Powerpin lists compatibility with Blender versions 4.0 through 4.5, and the developer notes it has been tested with Blender 5.1. It is published as a Blender Extension-compatible add-on. If you are working in a specific release, check the developer's page to confirm current version support before downloading, since compatibility details can change as the add-on and Blender itself are updated over time.

How does Powerpin's non-destructive mode work?

Powerpin's non-destructive mode keys all pinning animation into an NLA strip and adds it in the NLA editor. This makes changes to your walk animation straightforward: delete the new NLA strip, edit your animation, and bake the feet again. If you prefer, destructive mode bakes the pinning directly into your f-curves instead. During baking, the base action is pushed to the NLA if needed, and a Combine overlay is created and pinned per contact segment.

How do I set up Powerpin for a walk cycle?

Powerpin starts by selecting your Reference, usually the armature or control object that defines the local up axis, and one or more Target feet. You pick the axis, set a Ground Value of 0.0 for most rigs, adjust Tolerance if needed, define a frame range and bake step, then click Bake. If you see pops at contact boundaries, set the Trim Contact Range, for example Start=1 and End=1, to help smooth the transitions.

Is Powerpin free to use?

Powerpin is listed as free in this catalog and is distributed under the GPL license as a Blender add-on. Licensing and pricing can change, so check the developer's page for the current terms before downloading. The add-on works stand-alone, and if you already own wk_tools it integrates into the wk_tools side panel rather than requiring a separate workspace.

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