Open-Source Character Creation with MB-LAB

Archive notice: This article was originally published on July 24, 2019. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.

MB-Lab is a Blender add-on that can quickly create human characters. Shortly after original developer Manuel Bastioni stopped working on the add-on, the tool developed into a community project that is now launching MB-LAB 1.7.5, the first stable release for Blender 2.80.

MB-LAB for Blender 2.80

The tool can be used to create and use characters with many functions—the workflow is divided into two steps: In the first “Creation” phase, you can adjust the appearance through various parameters. These include properties such as age, physique, phenotype, history details, skin shaders, textures and more. This also allows you to create elves or anime characters, for example.

The parameters can be defined with sliders or generated automatically with the help of a random generator. With an additional Automodeling function, rough 3D sketches created by you can be analyzed by MB-LAB and converted into a corrected character.

In the second “Post-Creation” phase, the created character is converted into a normal Blander model. All 3D characters automatically receive a complete rig. The interface then switches to other tools so the finished model can be used in the scene. The tools include Face Expressions, Poses, Animation, Clothing, Helper Tools and more. New in version 1.7.5, alongside GUI changes and shader updates, is the improved FACS-based facial rig (Facial Action Coding System):

The feature highlights

The feature highlights of the open-source add-on include…

• Complete topology, including mouth with teeth and tongue, eyelids and more.
• Parametric: Morphing parameters with real-time changes
• Auto-rigging with auto-fitting of the skeleton and inverse kinematics
• Procedural textures and shaders including Cycles and Eevee support
• Anime characters and other styles with their own Cell Shader
• Facial expressions with multiple presets and a useful rig

Open-source license

The software is free to use and uses both a GPL 3 and AGPL 3 license. Models generated by MB-Lab use the AGPLv3 license. You can find further details here.

Download