dpAutoRigSystem vs Rigify

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.

Rigify is a free Blender add-on that generates character armatures by assembling rig components from a metarig template. Users position the metarig bones to match a character and start generation through Blender’s Armature properties. The manual lists Basic Human, Basic Quadruped, Human, Cat, Wolf, Horse, and Shark metarigs. Bundled rig types cover spines, limbs, fingers, faces, and skin, while feature set packages can add custom rig classes. Generation duplicates the metarig, identifies needed rigs, creates instances, and runs their generation methods. The generated rig interface can switch visible bone collections, change custom properties, and convert between IK and FK. A user-provided Python text block can apply customizations after generation, allowing them to be repeated on regeneration. Rigify requires Blender and runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. It assumes one Blender unit equals one meter. The manual advises keeping the metarig, since removing it or substantially changing the generated rig can interfere with later feature updates or adaptation to breaking Blender changes.