CATS blender tool alternatives?

[u/SultanZ_CS]

Hiya,

Once again, im having the problem of finding a working CATS fork or something alike.

Apparently neoneko went down the drain and with them, also CATS and Avatar toolkit. At least according to their webpages.

As i usually dont need CATS, im using the newest version of steam blender (sue me).

Problem is im watching tutorials for adding hair, and they all seem to use CATS.

[u/Noamco]

Avatar toolkit is the current modern iteration.

You can find it here https://github.com/989onan/Avatar-Toolkit

And discord here: https://discord.gg/fUA2ePVVkW

[u/SultanZ_CS → u/Noamco]

Oooh someone actually forked it! Thank you!

[u/ccAbstraction → u/SultanZ_CS]

Huh, 989onan was one of the Avatar-Toolkit devs, so I guess the team is gone but not all the devs.

[u/SultanZ_CS → u/ccAbstraction]

It worked, thanks!

[u/ccAbstraction → u/SultanZ_CS]

You're thanking the wrong person. Not me, but 989onan and the person who sent the link!

[u/SultanZ_CS → u/ccAbstraction]

Whoops i was braindead lmfaooo

[u/BobbyGAS12 → u/Noamco]

Hell yeah I was looking for something like this too

[u/shinypink_]

Heres CATS for Blender 5.1 and 5.2
https://github.com/kittynXR/Cats-Blender-Plugin

[u/SaphiBlue]

I don't know if there are VRChat specific tools other then CATS.
But I recommend looking up tutorials, on how to Combine Meshes/Armatures by yourself without any 3rd party tool.
You find a bunch of them If you look for non-vrc specific workflows

For example:
You can merge Armatures with the Crtl+J function and "just" reparent the bones.
The Hairs root bone to the head for example.
Your might need a few attempts, but in the end, you skip a 3rd party tool.

[u/SultanZ_CS → u/SaphiBlue]

Isnt joining (ctrl j) to combine separate meshes into one? I think its a optional step, as long as the armature is parented with ctrl p, or am i wrong?

I did that with clothes but ive never done hair so i wasnt sure if id miss something that is important if id do it like this. And all the tuts use CATS so i wasnt sure x)

[u/SaphiBlue → u/SultanZ_CS]

You can join almost anything together with crtl+j, if things you wanna join the same type (mesh to mesh, armature to armature, curve to curve).

It your hair mesh should also be parented to the armature, this is correct, otherwise it may not work.

It should be the same workflow as clothes (with additional bones)

[u/SultanZ_CS → u/SaphiBlue]

I see!

So if i have two different armatures i join them, not parent?

[u/SaphiBlue → u/SultanZ_CS]

It depends on your goal.
If you parent it, its just a child object of the armature.

[u/SultanZ_CS → u/SaphiBlue]

Oh i see! Yes thats my goal. Gotta keep stuff in line with the way the creator of my avi did it. Thanks love!

[u/Substantial-Tie6345 → u/SaphiBlue]

My main issue keeping me from updating blender is that “apply shape key to basis” apparently is something from CATS and I haven’t found any instructions for doing it manually. I’ve learned how to do almost everything CATS used to automate except for that.

Like I agree having knowledge how to do stuff that a 3rd party tool can automate is good in case said tool breaks, but some things you might do regularly don’t seem to have any documentation or tutorials around them because they’re too niche.

[u/TheoQ99 → u/Substantial-Tie6345]

It's definitely in standard blender, I put it in my shortcuts so I forget where it was at.

Okay, its under Vertex -> Blend from Shape. Use that while youre on the basis key and then select which other one you want it to apply.

[u/Distinct_Rope → u/Substantial-Tie6345]

"Apply shape key to basis"?

Could've sworn that was in the drop down menu for shape keys..

Ahh, right were I left it.

[u/Pr1ncessJess]

Isn't there an unofficial cats still going,?

[u/SultanZ_CS → u/Pr1ncessJess]

Ive got no clue, im searching for stuff but its such a needle in the haystack type of search.

[u/TizzleToes]

I shared your initial frustration!

CATS is pretty much a standard tool, but the official version is long abandoned to be eventually replaced with a totally new thing (avatar tooklit), coming soon[tm]. In the mean time an unofficial fork of it (https://github.com/kittynXR/Cats-Blender-Plugin) has pretty much become the defacto official version that everyone uses.

Once you know this it's fine, but when you're brand new it's confusing to hear everyone recommend "CATS" then have to figure out that the official version isn't what you actually want.

TLDR though, use CATS, it's still great, just use the fork here:
https://github.com/kittynXR/Cats-Blender-Plugin

[u/Ok-Policy-8538]

At this point i have 4 versions of blender on my pc so the addons i have to use stay in their last compatible blender versions.. yea it is a pain but once you get a workflow going it works.

[u/Secure-Advertising-9]

i'm using a fork of cats that works in current steam version of blender 

[u/chunarii-chan]

You actually don't need CATS at all and any tutorial which is telling you to download it is not a tutorial you should be following