SMPL Blender Add-on for Blender 4.5+

🌟 Updated for Blender 4.5 Compatibility

This is an updated version of the original SMPL Blender add-on that has been specifically modified to work with Blender 4.5 and newer versions. The original add-on had compatibility issues with newer Blender versions, which have been resolved in this fork.

📖 About

This add-on allows you to add gender-specific SMPL (Skinned Multi-Person Linear) model skinned meshes to your Blender scene. Each imported SMPL mesh consists of a shape-specific rig, as well as shape keys (blend shapes) for shape, expression and pose correctives.

SMPL is a realistic 3D model of the human body that can be used for computer vision, graphics, and machine learning applications.

✨ Features

• ✅ Add gender-specific SMPL mesh to current scene (Male/Female)
• 🎨 Set mesh textures (None, UV Grid, Color Grid)
• 📏 Position feet on ground plane (z=0)
• 🎲 Randomize/reset body shape
• 🦴 Update joint locations
• 🔧 Enable/disable corrective pose shapes
• 📝 Export current pose in SMPL theta notation to console
• 📦 FBX export to Unity with multiple options:
  • Import without rotations and scaling issues
  • Shape key export options:
    • Body shape + pose correctives
    • Body shape only
    • None (bakes current shape into mesh)

🎯 Requirements

• Blender 4.5+ (Updated compatibility)
• No additional dependencies required

💾 Installation

1. Download the latest release from this repository
2. Open Blender → Edit → Preferences → Add-ons
3. Click Install and select the downloaded ZIP file
4. Enable the "SMPL for Blender" add-on
5. In the 3D Viewport, enable the Sidebar via View → Sidebar (or press N)
6. The SMPL tool panel will appear in the sidebar

🎬 Usage Tutorial

For a comprehensive usage tutorial, please refer to this YouTube video: SMPLX for Blender Tutorial

Note: While this tutorial is for SMPLX, the plugin usage methods are very similar to this SMPL add-on. The interface and workflow are nearly identical.

🔧 What's Fixed

This version resolves compatibility issues with Blender 4.5+ that were present in the original add-on, specifically:

• Updated API calls for Blender 4.5+
• Fixed deprecated function usage
• Ensured proper panel registration
• Resolved UI layout issues

📁 Project Structure

smpl_blender_addon/
├── __init__.py                          # Main add-on file (updated for Blender 4.5+)
├── LICENSE.md                           # License information
├── README.md                           # This file
└── data/
    ├── smpl-model-20200803.blend       # SMPL model data
    ├── smpl_joint_regressor_female.npz # Female joint regressor
    └── smpl_joint_regressor_male.npz   # Male joint regressor

📄 License

• Generated body mesh data using this add-on:
  • Licensed under SMPL Model License
• See LICENSE.md for complete license information including commercial licensing
• Attribution for publications: You agree to cite the most recent paper describing the model as specified on the SMPL website

🤝 Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome! If you encounter any problems with Blender 4.5+ compatibility, please open an issue.

📚 References

• Original SMPL website
• SMPL paper and citations
• Usage tutorial (SMPLX)

⭐ Credits

• Original Author: Joachim Tesch, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems
• Blender 4.5+ Compatibility: Updated by lu123bing

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If you find this add-on useful, please consider giving it a ⭐ on GitHub!