Animation Tools

Animation Tool Kit

A production-focused Maya toolkit that removes repetitive setup from blocking, polish, and shot handoff — so animators can spend their time animating.

Animation Tool Kit (ATK) is a Maya toolbar that consolidates the small, repetitive jobs animators do every day — tweening, retiming, ghosting, mirroring, versioning, playblasting — into a single docked strip of one-click tools.

Why it exists

Most animation friction isn’t the animation itself — it’s the setup around it. Switching panels to add a frame, hand-rolling a tween, snapping a control, or saving a versioned scene all add up across a shot.

ATK collapses those steps into a toolbar built by animators, for animators. Every tool is designed to do one thing quickly and predictably, with sane defaults that hold up under production deadlines.

What you get

Faster shot prep

Frame inserts, tangent fixes, and pose blends that used to take a sub-menu hunt.

Tighter iteration loops

Onion skinning, micro-manipulators, and bookmarks that keep timing and spacing experiments cheap.

Pipeline-ready handoff

SavePlus versioning, Studio Library integration, and playblasts with consistent presets.

Rig-friendly utilities

Mirror, snap, reset, and selection-set tools that work the way animators actually reach for them.

Download & source

The Latest Release card on this page pulls the current build straight from GitHub. The package includes a drag-and-drop MEL installer — drag it into the Maya viewport and the toolbar installs immediately, with a shelf icon added to your current shelf for toggling it on and off. No scripts-folder setup, no Maya restart.

For source, changelogs, and full release history, follow the GitHub Repository link in the sidebar.

Who it's for

Character animators working in Maya who want fewer clicks between idea and pose.
Animation students building production-grade habits before they hit a studio pipeline.
Technical artists looking for a lightweight, readable starting point for their own utility scripts.

Feedback, bug reports, and feature requests are welcome on GitHub — ATK grows directly out of what production animators ask for.

Toolbar Tool Reference

A complete reference for every tool in the ATK toolbar — what each one does and which Python entry point it calls internally.

Timing Tools Viewport Tools Rigging Tools Pipeline Tools

Timing Tools

Inbetweener v2.0.2

Blends poses between keyframes with multiple easing modes.

Module: vertex_tweener fn: show

Add / Remove Frames v1.0.2

Inserts or removes frames while rippling downstream keys.

Module: insert_remove_frames_tool fn: show

Tangent Tools v1.0.0

Provides Graph Editor tangent and interpolation controls.

Module: tangent_tools.main fn: launch

TweenMachine v3.x

Creates in-between poses from selected keys/controls.

3rd-partyBundled open-source tool by Justin Barrett. Available independently at github.com/The-Maize/tweenMachine.

Module: tweenMachine fn: start

Noise Generator v1.0.0

Adds noise, easing, and scale effects to animation curves.

Module: noise_generator_1_0_0 fn: launch

Xform Copy Paste v2.0.0

Copies and pastes world-space transforms between objects.

Module: xform_copy_paste fn: show

Bookmarks v0.1.0

Creates and navigates timeline bookmarks.

Module: time_bookmarks.main fn: launch

Viewport Tools

Micro Manipulator v1.0.0

Gives precision transform controls with micro-speed scrubbing.

Module: Micro_Manipulator_v1_0_0 fn: show

Temp Pivot v1.0.5

Creates temporary non-destructive rotation pivots.

Module: temp_pivot_tool fn: show

Onion Skin v2.1.0

Displays multi-frame ghosting for motion reference.

Module: onion_skin_2_1_0 fn: launch

AnimSnap v1.0.0

Snaps one object to another using world-space transforms.

Module: anim_snap fn: launch

Rigging Tools

Wire Shape Tool v1.0.0

Builds curve-based rig control shapes.

Module: wire_shape_tool fn: show

Reset Tool v2.0.1

Resets translate/rotate/scale on selected objects.

Module: transform_reset_tool fn: show

Selection Set v2.0.4

Creates, stores, and recalls named selection sets.

Module: SmartSelectSets_v2 fn: show_smart_select_sets

Character Snapshot v1.0.0

Captures rig snapshots for Mirror Controls and related tools.

Module: character_snapshot_v1_0_0 fn: show_dialog

Mirror Controls v2.3.1

Mirrors, swaps, or flips controls across left/right sides.

Module: mirror_controls_v2_3_0 fn: MirrorControls.show_dialog

Pipeline Tools

SavePlus v2.0.4

Handles intelligent scene versioning and backup.

Module: savePlus_launcher fn: launch_save_plus

Studio Library v2.21.1

Manages animation clips and poses in a visual library.

3rd-partyBundled open-source tool by Kurt Rathjen. Available independently at studiolibrary.com.

Module: studiolibrary fn: main

Playblast Creator v2.0.4

Creates preview playblasts with masks and presets.

Module: playblast_creator_ui fn: show_ui

User Directory Check v1.0.0

Verifies key Maya user directories and path setup.

Module: user_directory_check fn: show

Source of truth: atk_toolbar/atk_loader.py (TOOL_REGISTRY).

Release Notes — v1.0.9

# Animation Tool Kit v1.0.9

Animation Tool Kit (ATK) **v1.0.9** is now available.

This release ships the latest bundled ATK toolbar package and tool collection for Autodesk Maya, with updated distribution archives and installer-ready layout.

* * *

## Release information

* **Version:** 1.0.9
* **Package:** `Animation_Tool_Kit_v1_0_9.zip`
* **Type:** Production release
* **Platform:** Autodesk Maya (Python-based toolset)
* **Install method:** Drag-and-drop `install_atk_toolbar.mel` into Maya

* * *

## Included tools

ATK v1.0.9 includes the following tools in the dockable toolbar:

### Timing

* Inbetweener (v2.0.2)
* Add / Remove Frames (v1.0.2)
* Tangent Tools (v1.0.0)
* TweenMachine (v3.x)
* Noise Generator (v1.0.0)
* Xform Copy Paste (v2.0.0)
* Bookmarks (v0.1.0)

### Viewport

* Micro Manipulator (v1.0.0)
* Temp Pivot (v1.0.5)
* Onion Skin (v2.1.0)
* AnimSnap (v1.0.0)

### Rigging

* Wire Shape Tool (v1.0.0)
* Reset Tool (v2.0.1)
* Selection Set (v2.0.4)
* Character Snapshot (v1.0.0)
* Mirror Controls (v2.3.1)

### Pipeline

* SavePlus (v2.0.4)
* Studio Library (v2.21.1)
* Playblast Creator (v2.0.4)
* User Directory Check (v1.0.0)

* * *

## Installation

1. Download `Animation_Tool_Kit_v1_0_9.zip` from the release assets.
2. Extract the archive.
3. In Maya, drag and drop `install_atk_toolbar.mel` into the viewport.
4. Confirm install when prompted.
5. Launch the toolbar from the new **ATK** shelf button.

* * *

## Notes

* This release is packaged for per-user installation into Maya user script/icon locations.
* If a specific tool file or icon is missing, the installer continues and logs warnings.
* Existing users can reinstall to refresh the toolbar package and bundled scripts.

* * *

## Known compatibility

* Designed for Maya environments that support the shipped Python/Qt stack used by ATK tools.
* Some third-party bundled tools may have their own version-specific requirements.

* * *

## Credits

Thanks to all contributors and third-party tool authors included in the ATK bundle.

For licensing details, see:

* `ATK_LICENSE.md`
* `THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md`

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