Introduction to Rigging

BSoD/Introduction to Rigging

by Robert Christian (wavez)

Table of Contents

The Objective.......................................................................................................................................6Introduction to Character Rig Design..............................................................................................6The Early Days................................................................................................................................6How to Make A Move.....................................................................................................................6A Skeleton Was Born......................................................................................................................7Back to Kinematics..........................................................................................................................8Summary..........................................................................................................................................9The Tools............................................................................................................................................11the Armature and its Features........................................................................................................11the Armature and its Work Modes.................................................................................................11Armature Edit Mode.................................................................................................................11Armature Object Mode.............................................................................................................12Armature Pose Mode................................................................................................................13Building an Armature/Rig: Construction Techniques...................................................................13Placing a New Bone..................................................................................................................13Resizing a Bone........................................................................................................................13Pointing One Bone at Another Bone.........................................................................................14Armatures and Buttons..................................................................................................................14The Armature Panel..................................................................................................................14The Armature Bones Panel.......................................................................................................15The Armature Display Modes...................................................................................................16Moving the Mesh...........................................................................................................................16Armatures and Hotkeys.................................................................................................................17Constraints and Axis Locks................................................................................................................18Introduction To Blender Constraints.............................................................................................18Universal Constraint Features........................................................................................................18Copy Location................................................................................................................................19Copy Rotation................................................................................................................................20Copy Scale.....................................................................................................................................21Track To.........................................................................................................................................21Locked Track.................................................................................................................................22Floor...............................................................................................................................................22Follow Path....................................................................................................................................23Stretch To.......................................................................................................................................24IK Solver........................................................................................................................................24Action.............................................................................................................................................25 Null................................................................................................................................................25Preface: Rigging in Blender...............................................................................................................26Some Guidelines............................................................................................................................26Mesh to Armature Assignment.................................................................................................26The COG and the Armature Center..........................................................................................26Plan Ahead................................................................................................................................28When In Doubt, Snap To Grid!.................................................................................................28Layer Usage..............................................................................................................................28The IK and Constraint Hotkeys................................................................................................28Some Explanations........................................................................................................................29Understanding Hierarchies............................................................................................................29Terminology Overview.............................................................................................................37Pag. 3