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Visual Bone Limits

by Denis Chera·Workflow

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

Why we like it

Visual Bone Limits earns its place in the Superhive library as a focused rigging aid: it swaps the fiddly Limit Rotation constraint for a one-click, visual approach to capping bone rotation. It's listed here as free, though a delete function isn't yet available, so keep rig backups on hand. A demo video is available.

What is Visual Bone Limits?

Visual Bone Limits is a Blender add-on for constraining bone rotation to mesh surfaces with a single click. Instead of relying on Blender's Limit Rotation constraint, which is difficult to get working across all three axes and offers no visual feedback, the add-on shows a clear visual representation of the rotation limit space.

The workflow runs through the N-panel: open the Visual Bone Limits tab, pick an option from the Limit Type drop-down list, then select one or more bones in Pose Mode and click Add a limit(s) to selected bone(s). A Display Constrained option can be turned off to see the controller bone's actual rotations. When working with Rigify, the selected bone should be an ORG- bone.

The add-on is Rigify compatible and lets you add your own meshes as Limit Types through the Mesh_Templates collection, with smooth spheres recommended for the cleanest results. It supports Blender 2.8 through 3.4 and is released under the GPL license. Note that deleting an added limit isn't implemented yet, so saving rig backups is recommended.

Who is Visual Bone Limits best for?

Visual Bone Limits is best for blender riggers and animators who want to constrain bone rotation to mesh surfaces with visual feedback, including those working with Rigify controls.

How much does Visual Bone Limits cost?

Visual Bone Limits is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • One-click constraint of bone rotation to mesh surfaces
  • Clear visual representation of the rotation limit space
  • Limit Type drop-down list for choosing the limit type
  • Display Constrained toggle to view the controller bone's actual rotations
  • Rigify compatible, applied to ORG- bones
  • Custom meshes usable as Limit Types via the Mesh_Templates collection

Tags

#rigging#rigify#animation#bone rotation#rig#pose mode#blender add-on

Frequently asked questions

Does Visual Bone Limits work with Rigify?

Visual Bone Limits is compatible with Rigify, working with the spines.super_head, limbs.super_limb, limbs.arm, limbs.leg, and basic.super_copy types. The spine type is not currently supported. When using Rigify, the bone you select should be an ORG- bone before you add a limit to it. To apply a limit, open the N-panel, choose your Limit Type, then select the bone or bones in Pose Mode and click Add a limit(s) to selected bone(s).

What Blender versions does Visual Bone Limits support?

Visual Bone Limits lists support for Blender 2.8, 2.81, 2.82, 2.83, 2.9, 2.91, 2.92, 2.93, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4. It's released under the GPL license. If you're working outside this range, check the developer's page for current details, since compatibility can change with newer releases. The add-on installs the same way as other Blender add-ons, so once you're on a supported version you can activate it through Preferences.

Can I add my own meshes as limit types in Visual Bone Limits?

Visual Bone Limits lets you add your own meshes as Limit Types by placing them in the Visual_Bone_Limits/Mesh_Templates collection. For the best results, the developer recommends using a smooth sphere or parts of a sphere and avoiding jaggy edges. Once added, your custom mesh appears alongside the other options in the Limit Type drop-down list found in the Visual Bone Limits tab of the N-panel, ready to apply to bones selected in Pose Mode.

How do I install Visual Bone Limits?

Visual Bone Limits installs the same way as other Blender add-ons. Go to Edit > Preferences... > Add-ons, click Install..., then select the downloaded visual-bone-limits.zip archive. Click the check box to activate the add-on. Once enabled, open the N-panel and find the Visual Bone Limits tab, where you can pick a Limit Type and start adding rotation limits to the bones you select in Pose Mode.

Can I delete a limit added by Visual Bone Limits?

Visual Bone Limits does not currently include a feature to delete a limit once it has been added, though Blender's UNDO still works. Because of this, the developer recommends saving backups of your rigs before applying limits. You can also turn off the Display Constrained option if you want to see your controller bone's actual rotations rather than the constrained result while you work on a rig.

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