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BLBlender

Property Builder

by JohnGDDR5·Workflow

Images © JohnGDDR5. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Earns its place in the superhive library as a focused rigging utility that covers the repetitive work of making many custom properties and moving them between locations, including automatic Left/Right generation.

What is Property Builder?

Property Builder is a Blender add-on designed to help riggers create, update and transfer custom properties for the controls in their rigs. It can automatically generate Left/Right properties, so editing one produces an identical property named in the opposite direction. It also transfers, or copies, the custom properties of a location to other locations, giving flexibility over where those properties sit.

The add-on registers three panels: Property Builder, Transfer Properties, and Options. You add Property Names for the names of your properties, add Properties for the options to include, and edit the active ones in Active Property. To generate, you select the Custom Property Placement for the target location. It is non-intrusive and does not unregister any default Blender panels. When using the Transfer Property panel with Pose Bones or Armature Bones, Pose Mode is required to select the active and selected bones.

Property Builder supports Blender 2.80 and later, with listed versions 2.8, 2.81 and 2.82. Installation is straightforward: install directly from the .zip file, with no need to unzip. A demo video is available.

Who is Property Builder best for?

Property Builder is best for riggers building, updating and transferring custom properties for controls across their Blender rigs.

How much does Property Builder cost?

Property Builder is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Automatically generates flipped Left/Right properties from a single edit, naming the mirror in the opposite direction
  • Transfers (copies) the custom properties of a location to other locations
  • Registers three panels: Property Builder, Transfer Properties, and Options
  • Toggle which properties to generate for an active name, with options to update existing properties
  • Generate properties by selecting the Custom Property Placement for the target location
  • Non-intrusive: does not unregister any default Blender panels
  • Installs directly from the .zip file, with no need to unzip

Tags

#rigging#custom properties#transfer properties#scripting#property generation#Blender add-on

Frequently asked questions

Which Blender versions does Property Builder support?

Property Builder supports Blender 2.80 and later, and the listing names versions 2.8, 2.81 and 2.82 specifically. Installation is handled through Blender's add-on installer: you install directly from the .zip file, with no need to unzip it first. Because the add-on is non-intrusive, it does not unregister any of Blender's default panels, so it sits alongside your existing setup rather than replacing parts of the interface. If you run a newer Blender release, check the developer's page to confirm current version support before installing.

Does Property Builder require Pose Mode to transfer properties between bones?

Property Builder requires Pose Mode in one specific situation: when the Transfer Property panel uses any combination of Pose Bones or Armature Bones for the From or To selection, you need to be in Pose Mode to pick an active bone and the selected bones. Outside of that bone-based case, the Transfer Properties panel copies the custom properties of a location to other locations, which is useful when moving properties from an object's Object Data to the object itself instead of remaking them by hand.

What changed in Property Builder version 1.0.1?

Property Builder version 1.0.1 was released on April 29, 2020. This update fixed bugs in the Transfer Properties operator and added the ability to transfer individual property settings, not just the properties themselves. That makes moving custom properties between locations more complete when you are reorganising where properties live in a rig. For the current version and any later changes, the developer's page is the best reference to consult before downloading.

Is Property Builder free?

Property Builder is listed as free in this catalog. Licensing and distribution terms can change over time, so for the most current details it is best to check the developer's page directly before downloading. The add-on is released under the GPL license. If you want to see it before installing, a demo video is available, and the developer's page is the place to confirm anything about pricing or terms.

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