dpAutoRigSystem vs InstantRig

dpAutoRigSystem is a free, open-source Python script for automating rigging in Maya. Its modular, multilingual, object-oriented design lets users assemble components into rigs. The documented process uses guides as rig blueprints, then parents them, sets rig attributes, adjusts controller shapes, skins the model, and prepares it for animation. A rebuilding feature supports updates to an existing rig. Skinning tools can create skinCluster nodes and change joint influences on selected geometry. Skin weights can be copied by closest-point or UV-space methods, or exported and imported as JSON files. Installation involves placing the dpAutoRigSystem folder in Maya’s scripts directory or another MAYA_PATH, then launching it with Python in Maya’s Script Editor. It runs with Maya on Linux, macOS, and Windows. The project says it was created to help users make rigs themselves, is GPL-2.0 licensed, and links to a wiki for documentation; maintainers invite questions, suggestions, and comments.

InstantRig is a modular auto-rigging tool for Autodesk 3ds Max, intended for keyframe cartoon animation. It offers auto rigging and skinning, automatic overlapping action, and a pose manager for copying, pasting, and flipping poses. Users can configure fingers and toes and add tails, hair, ears, and breasts to rigs; characters can be resized, and body parts can be stretchy. Animation tools include IK/FK matching and sliding, soft IK, knee and elbow snapping, and customizable controllers. The maker says animations can be baked to deform bones for export to game engines, using formats supported by 3ds Max. InstantRig does not support mocap data. Once a rig is created, it can be used with native 3ds Max versions 2014 or higher without InstantRig installed on that computer. Installation instructions cover dragging the installer into the 3ds Max viewport, manual installation, and quick launch. The free plan is free and provides one license for one user; each additional user needs a separate license.