Skip to content
BLBlender

Wk Facerig

by Wolfram Kampffmeyer·Workflow

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

Why we like it

Wk Facerig earns its place in the Superhive library by replacing manual driver and node setups with a visual mapping process across three modules for controllers, shapes and bone chains.

What is Wk Facerig?

Wk Facerig by Wolfram Kampffmeyer is a Blender add-on for creating facial rigs. Rather than wiring drivers by hand or building node setups, you create a handful of slider controllers and map your shape keys, bones, or object transforms directly onto them. The system handles driver creation automatically, including left/right asymmetry, so the resulting setup stays clean and minimal.

The add-on covers three core modules. Create Controllers builds slider controllers in the viewport with automatic naming and grouping, lockable controller groups, presets for mouth, eyes and brows, and extendable 2-way, 3-way and 4-way controllers. Shape Linking connects existing shape keys to sliders in a single pass, with optional bone-pick and automatic left/right splitting. Object / Bone Mapping maps bone chains or object SRT channels to sliders, with an influence ramp and full asymmetry support.

The intended workflow is to sculpt face shapes symmetrically, let the tool split them into left/right versions, map everything onto custom sliders in one pass, and start animating. Additional slider controls, drivers and blend shapes can be added at any time. A collapsible Tips Section describes how to sculpt the most important facials, and documentation is included.

Who is Wk Facerig best for?

Wk Facerig is best for blender artists building expressive facial rigs for talking-head shots, stylized characters, or curve-based facial rigs without manual driver wiring.

How much does Wk Facerig cost?

Wk Facerig is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Create slider controllers in the viewport with automatic naming and grouping, plus lockable controller groups
  • Extendable controllers in 2-way, 3-way and 4-way variants, with presets for mouth, eyes and brows
  • Shape Linking connects existing shape keys to sliders in a single pass, with optional bone-pick
  • Automatic left/right splitting of symmetrically sculpted shapes into left/right versions
  • Object / Bone Mapping for bone chains and object SRT channels, with an influence ramp and fine-tuning
  • Full support for asymmetry, with the add-on building all required drivers from your mapping rules
  • Documentation and a collapsible Tips Section describing how to sculpt the most important facials

Tags

#facial animation#face rigging#blendshapes#shape keys#rigging#animation#Blender add-on#workflow

Frequently asked questions

How does Wk Facerig handle left/right asymmetry?

Wk Facerig supports asymmetry throughout its workflow. You sculpt your face shapes symmetrically and the tool automatically splits them into left/right versions. During Shape Linking you choose which slider controls the R/L fading, which can be a dedicated controller or the X-axis of a 4-way controller. Common use cases include blinks, brows, sneers and lip asymmetry. The Object / Bone Mapping module also offers full support for asymmetry, and the add-on builds all required drivers based on your mapping rules once everything is mapped.

Can I add new controllers and shapes after the rig is set up?

Wk Facerig lets you extend a rig at any moment. You can add slider controls to your slider groups, create new drivers, and edit your blend shapes as you work. If you are missing a special mouth shape, you can sculpt it, create a controller, map it and continue animating. Controllers use automatic naming and grouping, and controller groups can be locked, for example a "Lock Frame" option for finalized layouts, so completed parts of the rig stay in place while you keep building.

What can the Object / Bone Mapping module control in Wk Facerig?

Wk Facerig includes an Object / Bone Mapping module intended for tongue rigs, simple tail rigs, or any bone chain controlled by sliders. You select a bone chain and map it to a 4-way controller, with an optional additional controller for counter-animation such as a tongue tip. An influence ramp and fine-tuning provide gradual motion along the chain, and you can map any object or bone SRT channel to any slider. The module offers full support for asymmetry.

Is Wk Facerig free to use?

Wk Facerig is listed as free in this catalog. For current licensing details, the developer's page from Wolfram Kampffmeyer is the best place to confirm the terms that apply to you. The add-on ships with documentation and a collapsible Tips Section for artists new to the system, describing how to sculpt the most important facials, and a demo video is also available for the add-on.

Similar plugins