What it does
Auto-Rig Pro builds character rigs in Blender from fitted reference bones. The Full package also includes Smart placement, motion remapping and FBX/glTF export, while Lite supplies the core rigging tools. The Full and Lite packages are one-time purchases with 12 months of support and updates.
Place the character at the world origin facing negative Y. In the ARP panel, choose Add Armature and a preset such as Human, or start empty and add limbs. Fit the reference bones to the model, then use Match to Rig to generate the controls. Edit Reference Bones returns to the fitting stage.
To skin the character, select its meshes, Shift-select the armature, and choose Bind. The Heat Maps method works best with closed meshes; Voxelized is an alternative for more complex or layered surfaces. Smart marker placement targets humanoids, while the manual limb workflow accommodates other structures.
Keep the generated bone names and hierarchy intact. Bendy-bone chains cannot be exported to FBX, so the deformation setup matters when the rig will leave Blender.
Purchases include 12 months of support and updates; another 12 months costs 25% of the current product price. The add-on code is GPL-licensed, but proprietary AI binaries and other bundled assets have separate terms. The official licence states that rigs produced by the user remain the user's property.
Strengths
- Reference-bone fitting and generated controls structure custom rig creation.
- The Full package combines rigging, motion remapping and engine-export tools.
Watch out for
- Changing generated bone names or hierarchy can break the toolkit.
- Bendy-bone chains cannot be exported to FBX.
Best for
- Blender animators fitting controls to custom characters
- Artists preparing rigs for animation and supported engine exports
Sources
- Auto-Rig Pro | Rig Setup and Skinning (Oct 28, 2026)
- Auto-Rig Pro | Licence (Oct 28, 2026)
- Auto-Rig Pro | Creator Store Packages and Terms (Oct 28, 2026)
- Lucas Veber | Auto-Rig Pro (Oct 28, 2026)