Accessing the Mixamo Control Rig auto-adjustment logic

[leah.hayes]

Hello Maxon ,

I am currently studying and developing a Python plugin for Cinema 4D that improves character animation workflows around the Character Object.

While researching, I noticed that the Mixamo Control Rig template performs an automatic adjustment: when a Mixamo skeleton is in the scene and I switch the Character Object to the Adjust tab, all components snap precisely onto the Mixamo joints. When this happens, the Python console prints:

<c4d.BaseTag object called Annotation/Annotation with ID 1030659 ...>
Auto-Adjustment Complete

I would like to achieve the same automatic snapping behavior for the Advanced Biped template. My questions:

1. Where is the Python code of the built-in character templates (Mixamo Control Rig, Advanced Biped) stored? I could not find template .c4d files in the installation folder or in the preferences library/character folder.
2. Is there a supported way to extract or view a built-in template (for example through c4d.modules.character.builder.Template) so I can study how the auto-adjustment is implemented?
3. Is there a public API entry point to trigger or implement this kind of auto-adjustment for other templates?

I am using Cinema 4D 2025.3.1 on Windows. Any pointers to documentation, Cineversity material, or the right developer forum thread would be greatly appreciated.
#Character #Rig
Thank you for your time,

[ferdinand]

Hello @leah.hayes,

Welcome to the Maxon developers forum and its community, it is great to have you with us!

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About your First Question

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Where is the Python code of the built-in character templates ...

They are stored in {c4d installation folder}/library.zip/characters.

Is there a supported way to extract or view a built-in template (for example through c4d.modules.character.builder.Template) so I can study how the auto-adjustment is implemented?

I am not quite sure that I follow. All these rigs are just our standard CA component system decorated with some Xpresso and Python. Since there can be literally hundreds of nodes in a rig, I attached below a little helper script to scan for specific Python content or just the scripts in general that are embedded somewhere in the rig.

Is there a public API entry point to trigger or implement this kind of auto-adjustment for other templates?

That auto adjustment seems to be some kind of Python script which the authors of this rig provided. These CA rigs have been created by (technical) artists and not the members of the Maxon development team. See the print out below for details on the artist code for "auto-adjustment".

Cheers,
Ferdinand

Result

====================================================================================================
Node: Character Component (Character Component) | Attribute: (2158, 130, 1022113)

Value:

import c4d
from c4d import gui
import c4d.modules.character as ca
import c4d.utils as utils
#Welcome to the world of Python

def Bl2DIterator(bl2D):
    while bl2D:
        yield bl2D
        for bl2DChild in Bl2DIterator(bl2D.GetDown()):
            yield bl2DChild
        bl2D = bl2D.GetNext()

def SearchInHierarchy(obj, name):
    allChildrenWithName = [bl2D for bl2D in Bl2DIterator(obj.GetDown()) if bl2D.GetName() == name]
    return allChildrenWithName[0]

def ShowLayer(layersList, showName):
    for layer in layersList:
        layerName = layer[c4d.ID_BASELIST_NAME]
        if showName in layerName:
            layer[c4d.ID_LAYER_VIEW] = True
            layer[c4d.ID_LAYER_MANAGER] = True

def HideLayer(layersList, hideName):
    for layer in layersList:
        layerName = layer[c4d.ID_BASELIST_NAME]
        if hideName in layerName:
            layer[c4d.ID_LAYER_VIEW] = False
            layer[c4d.ID_LAYER_MANAGER] = False

def CharacterAnimateMode(characterObject):
    characterObject[c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_COMPONENT_HIGHLIGHT_OVER] = 4
    characterObject[c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_COMPONENT_MOUSEOVER] = 0
    characterObject[c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_COMPONENT_VISIBLE] = 2
    characterObject[c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_OM_DISPLAY] = 5
    characterObject[c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_LOCK_AM] = False

def CharacterEditMode(characterObject):
    characterObject[c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_COMPONENT_HIGHLIGHT_OVER] = 3
    characterObject[c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_COMPONENT_MOUSEOVER] = 4
    characterObject[c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_COMPONENT_VISIBLE] = 3
    characterObject[c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_OM_DISPLAY] = 1
    characterObject[c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_LOCK_AM] = True

def CharacterBindMode(characterObject):
    characterObject[c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_COMPONENT_HIGHLIGHT_OVER] = 4
    characterObject[c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_COMPONENT_MOUSEOVER] = 4
    characterObject[c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_COMPONENT_VISIBLE] = 1
    characterObject[c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_OM_DISPLAY] = 5
    characterObject[c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_LOCK_AM] = True

def CatchEmAll(obj, stop, listy):
    if obj is None: return

    #Actions go here
    if obj.GetType()==1019362:
        listy.append(obj)
    if not stop:
        if obj.GetDown():
            CatchEmAll(obj.GetDown(), stop, listy)
        if obj.GetNext():
            CatchEmAll(obj.GetNext(), stop, listy)

    return listy

def SetGlobalRotation(obj, rot):
    """
    Please remember, Cinema 4D handles rotation in radians.

    Example for H=10, P=20, B=30:

    import c4d
    from c4d import utils
    #...
    hpb = c4d.Vector(utils.Rad(10), utils.Rad(20), utils.Rad(30))
    SetGlobalRotation(obj, hpb) #object's rotation is 10, 20, 30
    """
    m = obj.GetMg()
    pos = m.off
    scale = c4d.Vector( m.v1.GetLength(),
                        m.v2.GetLength(),
                        m.v3.GetLength())

    m = utils.HPBToMatrix(rot)

    m.off = pos
    m.v1 = m.v1.GetNormalized() * scale.x
    m.v2 = m.v2.GetNormalized() * scale.y
    m.v3 = m.v3.GetNormalized() * scale.z

    obj.SetMg(m)

def SetGlobalScale(obj, scale):
    m = obj.GetMg()

    m.v1 = m.v1.GetNormalized() * scale.x
    m.v2 = m.v2.GetNormalized() * scale.y
    m.v3 = m.v3.GetNormalized() * scale.z

    obj.SetMg(m)

def ModeChanged():
    characterObject = charop.GetObject()
    #Turning Off the Annotation
    # Main function

    leftAnnotationTag = SearchInHierarchy(characterObject, "LeftLeg_bind").GetLastTag()
    print(leftAnnotationTag)
    if leftAnnotationTag.GetType() == c4d.Tannotation:
        leftAnnotationTag[c4d.ANNOTATIONTAG_VIEWPORT_SHOW] = False

    #Hiding the Rig's Layers
    root = doc.GetLayerObjectRoot() #Gets the layer manager
    layersList = root.GetChildren() #Get Layer list
    for layer in layersList:
        layerName = layer[c4d.ID_BASELIST_NAME]
        if "Mixamo_Rig" in layerName:
            layer[c4d.ID_LAYER_VIEW] = False
            layer[c4d.ID_LAYER_MANAGER] = False
            mixamoLayers = layer.GetChildren()
            for layer in mixamoLayers:
                layerName = layer[c4d.ID_BASELIST_NAME]
                if "Retarget_Hierarchy" in layerName or \
                "ANIMDATA_Nulls" in layerName or \
                "Control Hierarchy" in layerName:
                    layer[c4d.ID_LAYER_VIEW] = False
                    layer[c4d.ID_LAYER_MANAGER] = False

    masterControl = SearchInHierarchy(characterObject, "Master_con+")
    hips = SearchInHierarchy(characterObject, "Hips")
    if nmode==c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_MODE_BUILD or \
    nmode==c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_MODE_ADJUST:
        CharacterEditMode(characterObject)

    if nmode==c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_MODE_BIND:
        CharacterBindMode(characterObject)

    if nmode==c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_MODE_ADJUST and omode==c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_MODE_BUILD:
        #Changed search method to only search in Character Object
        #hips=doc.SearchObject("Hips")
        #masterControl=doc.SearchObject("Master_con+")
        #added Namespace Code
        nameSpace=masterControl[c4d.ID_USERDATA,16]

        results=CatchEmAll(hips, hips.GetNext(), [])
        for result in results:
            mixamo=doc.SearchObject(nameSpace+result.GetName())
            if mixamo:
                matR = result.GetMg()
                matM = mixamo.GetMg()
                matR.off = matM.off
                matR.v1 = matM.v1.GetNormalized()
                matR.v2 = matM.v2.GetNormalized()
                matR.v3 = matM.v3.GetNormalized()
                result.SetMg(matR)


            if result.GetName()=='Neck1':
                #neck=doc.SearchObject(nameSpace+'Neck')
                #head=doc.SearchObject(nameSpace+'Head')
                neck = SearchInHierarchy(characterObject, nameSpace+'Neck')
                head = SearchInHierarchy(characterObject, nameSpace+'Head')
                if head and neck:
                    result.SetMg((neck.GetMg()+head.GetMg())/2)

        print("Auto-Adjustment Complete")

        #Turning On the Annotation
        if leftAnnotationTag.GetType() == c4d.Tannotation:
            leftAnnotationTag[c4d.ANNOTATIONTAG_VIEWPORT_SHOW] = True

    if omode==c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_MODE_ADJUST and nmode!=c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_MODE_BUILD:
        L_Leg=doc.SearchObject("Left_IK_parent_rot_algn")
        #L_Leg = charop.FindObject("Left_IK_parent_rot_algn")
        if L_Leg:
            conTag=L_Leg.GetFirstTag()
            conTag[c4d.EXPRESSION_ENABLE]=False
        R_Leg=doc.SearchObject("Right_IK_parent_rot_algn")
        #R_Leg = charop.FindObject("Right_IK_parent_rot_algn")
        if R_Leg:
            conTag=R_Leg.GetFirstTag()
            conTag[c4d.EXPRESSION_ENABLE]=False

    if nmode==c4d.ID_CA_CHARACTER_MODE_ANIMATE:
        CharacterAnimateMode(characterObject)
        doc.SetActiveObject(masterControl, c4d.SELECTION_NEW)
    c4d.EventAdd()

Code

"""Scans the document for all nodes that have multi-line string parameters that contain the word "adjustment" 
(case-insensitive) and prints the node name, type, parameter ID, and value to the console.
"""

import c4d
import mxutils

doc: c4d.documents.BaseDocument

def main() -> None:
    """
    """
    node: c4d.BaseList2D
    pid: c4d.DescID

    # Iterate over all objects and tags in the document that live outside of caches and within the 
    # object branch of the document.
    for node in mxutils.RecurseGraph(doc.GetFirstObject(), yieldBranches=True, yieldHierarchy=True, 
                                     branchFilter=[c4d.Obase, c4d.Tbase]):
        # Iterate over the description, i.e., parameters of the node.
        for data, pid, _ in node.GetDescription(c4d.DESCFLAGS_DESC_NONE):
            # The first level of this parameter is not of type string or does not use the
            # multi-line string GUI, so  we skip it.
            if pid[0].dtype != c4d.DTYPE_STRING or data[c4d.DESC_CUSTOMGUI] != c4d.CUSTOMGUI_STRINGMULTI:
                continue
            
            # Try to read the value, the exception block is needed as not all parameter types are 
            # accessible in Python (and this could be some kind of exotic multi level string data type).
            try:
                value: str | None = str(node[pid]).strip()
                if not isinstance(value, str) or not value:
                    continue
            except Exception:
                continue

            # Check if the value contains the word "adjustment" (case-insensitive), if not, skip it.
            if "adjustment" not in value.lower():
                continue
            
            # Print the match.
            print ("\n\n" + ("=" * 100))
            print (f"Node: {node.GetName()} ({node.GetTypeName()}) | Attribute: {pid}\n\nValue:\n\n{value}")

            # For good measure, select the node and break the loop.
            (doc.SetActiveObject(node, c4d.SELECTION_NEW) 
             if isinstance(node, c4d.BaseObject) else 
             doc.SetActiveTag(node, c4d.SELECTION_NEW))
            break
        c4d.EventAdd()


if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()