dpAutoRigSystem vs MakeHuman

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.

MakeHuman creates customizable 3D human characters by blending adjustable features on a base mesh. Character targets let users alter traits from sex and muscle tone to earlobe shape. A built-in downloader provides access to community assets, and the application includes a render engine and parametric modeling. Meshes can be exported in Collada (DAE), FBX, Wavefront OBJ, STL, and Ogre3D formats; projects can also be saved in MHM format. Exporting meshes is one-way: MakeHuman cannot open those exported formats again. BVH is the listed rig format, and the documentation says MakeHuman 1.1.0 does not officially support animation inside the application. For Blender workflows, MPFB can communicate directly with MakeHuman instead of depending on file exports. It runs as desktop software on Linux, macOS, and Windows. The plan is free. The site says core assets including the base mesh, targets, and skins are CC0, with no paywall or email requirement for downloading.