by k44dev Software·Simulation
Images © k44dev Software. Used for product review; image policy.
X-Muscle System stands out in the superhive library for pairing physically based tissue simulation with support for a range of popular Blender rigs and an included Anatomy Bundle. It's now part of the #EpicMegaGrants program.
X-Muscle System is an add-on for Blender designed for rapid creation of muscular systems, tissue and other organic objects, along with their physical simulations. It helps visualize skin surface deformations according to volume preservation of body muscles, fat and skeletal bones, and integrates with Blender's native tools. The add-on is now part of the #EpicMegaGrants program.
Muscles use flexor and extensor types, animatable parameters for size, properties and controllers, and support for Shape Keys. Body meshes with Shape Keys and the Mirror modifier are supported. The X-Mirror feature mirrors tissue shape, properties and behavior, while the Muscle Pinning Manager and Bendy Muscles let tissue follow the bone chain of a rig. It supports a range of armatures and custom rigs, including Rigify, Pitchipoy, ManuelBastioniLAB, BlenRig5, BlenRig6 and Auto-Rig Pro.
Physically based simulation lets jiggling muscles stand in for fat or parts like breast, buttocks, cheeks and skinfolds, or behave as rigid bodies such as bones. The package includes an Anatomy Bundle of rigged skeleton models, documentation, examples and tutorials, plus lifetime support and updates.
X-Muscle System is best for blender artists building realistic muscular structures and organic tissue for characters and creatures with physically based simulation.
X-Muscle System is completely free to download and use.
X-Muscle System supports a variety of armatures and custom rigs, including Rigify, Pitchipoy, ManuelBastioniLAB, BlenRig5, BlenRig6 and Auto-Rig Pro. Muscles can auto-attach to bones through Auto-Aim mode, and body auto-weight painting handles muscles and controllers with scope control. The Muscle Pinning Manager and Bendy Muscles let tissue follow the bone chain of your rig, so muscular systems move with the underlying skeleton. For the full list of supported rigs and setup details, check the developer's documentation.
X-Muscle System supports muscle Shape Keys, and body meshes that use Shape Keys work with the add-on as well. Body meshes with a Mirror modifier are also supported. Alongside these, the X-Mirror feature mirrors tissue shape, properties and behavior for symmetry without duplicating work, and animatable parameters cover muscle size, properties and controllers. Refer to the developer's documentation for the specifics of combining Shape Keys and modifiers in a scene.
X-Muscle System's Anatomy Bundle provides remastered rigged skeleton models, including human male, human female, horse, cat, dog and carnivore dinosaur skeletons, with all mesh built from 100% quads. The bundle sits alongside access to documentation, examples and tutorials. These models give a starting point for building muscular systems on top of a rig using the add-on's flexor and extensor muscle types and pinning tools. See the developer's page for the full contents of the current bundle.
X-Muscle System is listed as free in this catalog. The developer describes a package that includes add-on download access, an Anatomy Bundle of rigged skeleton models, and access to documentation, examples and tutorials, along with product lifetime support and updates. Pricing is not shown here, and licensing and what's bundled can change over time. Check the developer's page for the current terms and the full package contents before you download the add-on.
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