Description:

The Spring Tool is an auto spring simulation script for Maya, inspired by Luismi Herrera's LMspring: LMspring on Gumroad.

Key features:

• Rewritten with Qt and Python 3: Improved performance, especially in the bake process.

• Preset System: Allows saving and reusing controller configurations. See the Presets section for more details.

• Automatic Opposite Chain Detection: The system now detects opposite chains and bakes them automatically.

Watch a Quick Tutorial

Compatibility:

Tested on Maya 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025

How to use:

1. Select Controllers: Choose all the controllers in the chain (or just one).
2. Create Locator: Click "Create Locator" and align it to the end of the chain to set its scale. Translate the locator only in one axis preferably in object space.
3. Preview: Hit "Preview" and tweak the spring/rigidity settings. This previews only the first controller in the chain.
4. Bake: Click "Bake" to simulate and bake the entire chain.

Note: When previewing, ensure you read the timeline from the beginning.

Presets:

You can add presets for different parts of a character/prop to be reused. That preset file can be shared accross team of artists.

Magic trick: Using presets, you'll be able to launch the whole sim and bake process by right clicking any preset and 'Do Magic!' menu.

See the Working with Presets section for details.

Launch on-the-go:

You can quickly run the Spring Tool by copying the spring_tool.py code into Maya’s Python console and executing it.

Note: The Presets UI will not be displayed unless the tool is fully installed and set up. See the installation instructions below.

Installation instructions :

To install the Spring Tool for Maya, follow these steps:

1. Copy the spring_tool folder into your Maya scripts directory. This directory is typically located at:

   os	path
   linux	~/< username >/maya
   windows	\Users\%username%\Documents\maya
   mac os x	~/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya

2. Launch Maya and run the following Python code in the Maya Script Editor or Python console to open the tool without presets functions:

   from spring_tool import spring_tool
   window = spring_tool.SpringToolWindow()
   window.show()

To launch spring_tool with presets functions, you'll need to add path and filename to args. If you work in team, make sure the presets file is in a shared directory sothat everyone can get and add presets.

Example:

from spring_tool import spring_tool
window = spring_tool.SpringToolWindow(
    prod_root_env_name = None,  # can be usefull if you work with environments
    presets_dir_path='/Users/Username/Desktop',
    presets_filename='spring_tool_presets.json',
    lock_write_presets=False  # can be used to prevent users to add presets
    )
window.show()

• Note: 'prod_root_env_name' will be sent as string in 'os.environ.get(prod_root_env_name)' in 'get_presets_file_path' function.

Working with Presets:

Once the Spring Tool is installed correctly, you should see a panel on the right side of the interface.

Creating Presets

To create a preset, follow these steps:

1. Select the controllers you want to work with.
2. Create a locator and position it at the end of the chain. Translate the locator only on one axis in object space.
3. Click ‘Save Preset’—the locator’s coordinates and values will be automatically populated in the Save Preset popup window.

Applying Presets

When presets are available, you can apply them easily:

1. Select the necessary controllers in the viewport.
2. Click on 'Create locator'
3. Double click on any preset, this will place the locator to the position saved in the preset and set the spring values.

or you can run the whole process automatically using the 'DO MAGIC' option:

1. Select the necessary controllers in the viewport.
2. Right-click on the desired preset and choose the ‘DO MAGIC’ option.

This will automatically execute the entire process, applying the preset seamlessly.

Presets Administration UI instructions :

The Spring Tool includes an administration window for managing presets. You can use this interface to tweak, rename, or delete any created preset.

To launch it run this python command:

from spring_tool import presets_admin
window = presets_admin.SpringToolPresetAdmin(
    prod_root_env_name=None, # can be usefull if you work with environments
    presets_dir_path="/Users/Username/Desktop",
    presets_filename="spring_tool_presets.json",
    authorized_access=True,  # Set this to False if you want to prevent users to access the administration window
    )
window.show()