Installing

To install the "RigStars Add On" just go to your "Blender User Preferences" and  under the tab "Add ons" select the "Install from File" button. Go to the folder where you saved the add on and choose the python file. Then click on "Install from file" in the "File Browser Window". Now you should see the add on under the category "Rigging" in the user preferences. When you select the activation box of the add on it should appear in your "Tools Window" in the "3D View". If you can not find the "Tools Window", go to your "3D View" and press T.

What do you need?

To use the "RigStars Add On" you just need an armature. It does not matter if its already bound to your character. Also it would help(This is not a must) to switch to edit mode while you select your armature and press "A" to select all bones. Then press "CTRL + N" and choose "Global Z Axis". Now you should be ready to get started with the "RigStars Add On"

RigStars Video Tutorial

RigStars Tutorial Video

Creating RigStars

To create a RigStar/s select the desired armature and go to pose mode. Then select a bone(This bone is later named as "Mother Bone" ). Now you can choose how many RigStars you want to create. If you leave the first options alone, four RigStars will be created. If you want you can choose which Stars you want to create. Just disable stars in the checkboxes. WARNING: For regular use of RigStars, make sure you paint weights for them, otherwise they will not affect the mesh in case you add them when your mesh is already bound to the armature.

Size Divide

You can also change the size of the RigStars by changing the "Size Divide" Property. By default its set to 2 and that means the mother bones lenght will be divided by 2. So if you want to make the RigStars smaller just increase this value to a higher number.

RigStar Options

When you created some RigStars, you should be able to change some settings for them:

Apply Pose

So first we have the "Apply Pose" button. This button allows you to apply the pose of your bones by resetting the affected skin back to its standard position but keeping all weight painting values for each bone. This is very useful if you use the "Offset" property with already applied weight painting. But be careful to choose this option while any other bones are not in their standard position because the Apply Pose button is not only for the selected bone but for the complete pose. so make sure you reset the pose and just pose the bone which you want to apply the position to.

Minimum Scale

This option allows you to set the minimum scale of the RigStar bone. By default its set to 0.5 so its scaling inverse if you rotate the mother bone in the positive or negative direction(depending of the "Scale Speed"). If you set the minimum value to 1 then the bone will not scale smaller than 1 and so on.

Maximum Scale

This option is the complete opposite of the minimum scale and allows you to say how big the RigStar can be.

Scale Speed

The "Scale Speed" property is a very important option while using the "RigStar Add On". It allows you on the one hand to say how fast the RigStar will scale when you rotate the mother bone and on the other hand in which direction it will be scaled when the mother bone rotates in a position.

Start Scale

The "Start Scale" property defines, how long the bone will be at the beginning. But this option is a little tricky to use because you have to make sure that you apply the pose.

Invert Rotation

"Invert Rotation" is exactly what its called. It just inverts the rotation of the selected RigStar object.

Offset

with the "Offset" property you can choose if the rigStar should have a custom start rotation. But make sure you applied to pose after doing that because if not, the weight painted skin will automatically rotate with the offset and not stay at its start position while weight painting.

Rotation Influence

The "Rotation Influence" gives you the ability to decide how much the RigStar will rotate with your mother bone. For example you have set this option to 0.5  then the RigStar will just rotate half as fast as the mother bone. If you set the value to 0 then rotation will not affect your RigStar.

Shape Keys

A very important part of the "RigStar Add on" is, that you can use shape keys for very cool corrective shape animations. The add on basically adds drivers to the scale of the RigStar and controls the shape key this way. To controll how fast the shape key will affect the skin just change the "Scale Speed". Here is a short step by step way to add shape keys to your RigStar:

1. Select the RígStar bone
2. Choose the object where the desired shape key belongs to
3. Choose the desired shape key
4. Click on "Bind to RigStar"
5. Have fun

Tip: It does not matter if the object is connected to the armature or in any way related to the RigStars with the exception that it has shape keys on it. After you pressed the "Bind to RigStar button, you will probably see, that the Shape Keys Menu has changed. Now there are some new options. (Only visible when a shape key is applied to the RigStar and it is not advisable to use them if not needed)

Animation Speed

This option allows you to set a delay when the animation of the shape key starts if you go in the 0.number area. If you go to higher than the standard value, you get the same result as the "Animation Offset" property.  Animation Offset The "Animation Offset" property lets you define an offset for the start value of your shape key.

Unbind from RigStar

If you press the "Unbind from RigStar" button, then the RigStar will not longer affect the bound shape key and you can select a new one.

RigStar Delete

For deleting RigStars you should not just delete them because there are some information stored in them which will not be deleted by the standard way like some drivers. So delete them with the help of the interface. You can choose some the desired RigStars which you want to delete by selecting them like in the Create Area with the checkboxes. If you want to delete all RigStars from your mother bone, select the mother bone, check all checkboxes and press "Delete RigStars" WARNING: Make sure to unbind all RigStars from shape keys if you applied some to them, otherwise the driver will be kept on the bound shape key. Also, Make sure you didn't animate your armature before adding RigStars