Rigging Concepts & Tools | rigginglevelzero

2.06 Groups

2.06d Groups: Pulling Objects out of Hierarchy

Duration: 3:38

A quick trick you can use with groups is to pull objects out of the heirarchy that are buried way deep. It's faster than dragging them out of the heirarchy, and a simple trick.

Files: Dummy_demo

2.06d Groups: Pulling objects out of Heirarchy

2.06c Groups: Organization

Duration: 3:01

As we've discussed before, groups are also a key part of a clean scene and organized outliner. Now that we have a dummy demo to show it on, we'll do a quick walk through of what that organization looks like on a very simple rig.

Files: Dummy_Demo

2.06c Groups: Organization

2.06 Groups

Duration: 0:41

Null groups and groups as middlemen proxies are a helpful concept and a key part of how rigs are made. Using groups, you can maintain axis orientation through frozen transformations, you can make sure channels remained zeroed out through parenting, and you can make sure control attributes remain free for animators to key on.

2.06b Groups: Mirroring

Duration: 6:05

You can mirror objects using groups. This is great for things like curve-based controllers, as there is no mirror curve tool in maya.

Files: Dummy_Demo

2.06b Groups: Mirroring

2.06a Groups: Maintaining Axis Orientation

Duration: 3:01

When you freeze transformations on an object, Maya snaps the axis orientation to the same orientation as the parent. If there is no parent, then it snaps the orientation to the world space. But there are many times you need to maintain orientation, especially on controls. You can do this using a group as a parent object.

Files: Dummy_Demo

2.06a Groups: Maintaining Axis Orientation

2.06e Groups: Axis Orientation Demo

Duration: 3:01

Now that we have a partially formed dummy, I want to demonstrate axis orientation through groups and how that would apply to a rig.

Files: Dummy_demo

2.06e Groups: Axis Orientation Demo

2.06f Groups: Dummy Demo Wrap Up

Duration: 6:06

Since we have our Dummy well on his way, we might as well practice a little more and finish setting Dummy up so we can use him for constraints, next.

Files: Dummy_demo

2.06f Groups: Dummy Demo Wrap Up

2.07a Constraints: Parent

Duration: 1:00

The parent constraint is the most common of the constraints. It is used all over the place in a rig, and mimics and true parent/child relationship, without re-ordering the objects in the outliner.

Files: Dummy_Demo

2.07b Constraints: Orient

Duration: 5:40

The orient constraint does exactly what it sounds like. It creates a relationship between the rotations of the controller and the rotations of the driven object. This constraints is ofject used between fk controllers and their corresponding joints.

Files: Dummy_Demo

2.07 Constraints

Duration: 2:10

Constraints are a commonly used "fake" relationship between two objects. Constraints do not re-order objects in the outline, and therefore are not a true parent/child relationship. However, they can mimic a parent/child relationship, as well as various other relationships between two objects. Constraints most commonly connect one transform attribute of a driver object to another transform attribute of a driven object.

2.07 Constraints

2.07c Constraints: Point

Duration: 2:10

This constraint creates a relationship between just the translates of the driver and driven objects. This constraint is often used on ik controls and their corresponding handles, when rotations are not needed.

Files: Dummy_Demo

2.07d Constraints: Scale

Duration: 2:16

The scale constraint does exactly what it sounds like. It creates a relationship between the scale attributes of the controller and the corresponding scale attributes of the object.

Files: Dummy_Demo

2.07e Constraints: Aim

2.07j Constraints in Animation Pt 1

2.07j Constraints in Animation pt 1

Duration: 3:35

Now we'll take what we learned about constraints and apply it to something simple like picking up and letting go of a prop ball.

File: Bonnie_Ball_drop

2.07k Constraints in Animation Pt 2

2.07k Constraints in Animation pt 2

Duration: 5:16

We'll take a quick look at how we would fix that gap between her hand and the ball without losing the work we've done with our constraints or keyed animation.

File: Bonnie_Ball_drop

2.07i Snapping to Location using Constraints

Duration: 2:22

Another thing you can do with constraints is use them to quickly snap one object to the accurate center of another. You can create a parent constraint (or any constraint) with the "maintain offset" checked off. Then delete the parent constraint once the object has snapped to it's parent location.

2.07f Constraints: Pole Vector

Duration: 2:39

The pole vector constraints forms a relationship betwee the translates of a controler, and the twist of an ikHandle. These are the knee and elbow controllers you've seen in rigs, that allow the knee to move back and forth in a raised step.

2.07g Constraints: Point-on-Poly

Duration: 10:21

The point on poly constraint takes an object and "glues" it to a vertice of another object. This is really handy for buttons on cloth, or any object you need to follow along precisely to a vertice, but not an object itself.

2.07h Combining Constraints and Parenting

Duration: 10:57

Now that we know some about constraints and the types of relationships they create within rigs, lets finish up this dummy demo of ours by combining parenting in the outliner with the constraints we've set up. This is a lo-res version of how rigs are made, if you will.

Files: Dummy_Demo

2.07e Constraints: Aim

Duration: 3:23

The aim constraint creates a relationship between the translations of the controller and the rotations of the object. This is the constraints used to set up eye controllers, so that as you translate them in space, the eyes rotate to aim after the controller.

Files: Dummy_Demo

Tutorials: Rigging Concepts & Tools

These videos will go over the basic fundamentals we apply whenever we rig a character. You'll learn a little bit about how we set up rigs to make them function, and how these concepts can be used in your day to day animation projects.

2.08a Non-Linear Deformers: Bend

Duration: 5:52

The bend deformer is a non-linear deformer that creates quick bends in objects, from the smallest degree to full 180 degree C shape. It's great for quick "rigs" for book pages, loosey-goosey pipes, and a helpful modeling aide.

2.08b Non-Linear Deformers: Flare

Duration: 3:03

The flare deformer is great for modeling purposes, and can create pyramid-like flare at the base of objects, or the top. Best way to model a vase ridiculously quickly. It has less uses for animation, but I suppose if you have a cartoon character going through a tight pipe like the old, golden days of Looney Tunes, than the flare deformer is your guy!

2.08 Deformers

Duration: 2:56

An introduction to the world of deformers, which manipulate geometry for a variety of uses.

2.08 Deformers

2.08c Non-Linear Deformers: Sine

Duration: 4:14

The sine deformer creates a sine wave along a length of line. This is great for snake-like motions, any sort of wave or wiggle you need to introduce through an object, and can be used for "quick rigs" like a fish or snake moving across a surface. It's also a great modeling tool anytime you need an object with a wave shape.

2.08d Non-Linear Deformers: Squash

Duration: 1:56

The squash deformer does exactly what you think it's going to do. It simulates squash and stretch on an object. If you have a simple prop you'd like to add a little squash and stretch too, but it doesn't have a rig set up for that, the sqash deformer is your friend! It's keyable, and functions well on most shapes.

2.08e Non-Linear Deformers: Twist

2.08j Deformers: Cluster

Duration: 3:28

Clusters can be used a lot like joints. They can move an entire object, similar to a joint with skinned geometry, or they can be painted out to only effect certain areas. They're often used in facial rigging when combined with blendshapes. They can be helpful for silhouette or clothing manipulation post animation.

2.08k Deformers: Blenshapes

2.08k Deformers: Blendshapes

Duration: 8:39

My personal favorite deformers, blendshapes allow you to create a duplicate geometry, sculpt it or manipulate it however you want, and then bring it back into your geometry through a keyable, 0-1 weight scale. Blendshapes are the most common driver behind facial expressions on most rigs.

2.08i Deformers: Lattices

2.08i Deformers: Lattice

Duration: 3:15

The lattice deformer is a crazy tool that lets you do all sorts of manipulation on your object. Sort of like the Warp edit transform in photoshop, the lattice deformers allows you to create a limitless numbers of points in a grid with which to manipulate areas of the object. You can also move an object through the lattice to animate the effect. This allows for a quick and easy swimming fish, for example.

2.08f Non-Linear Deformers: Wave

Duration: 3:09

The wave deformer may sound a lot like the sine deformer, but the difference between the two is the wave comes in a circular format. This is great for ripples across water, and any wave motion you need with a central source.

2.08g Non-Linear Deformers: Deleting History

Duration: 1:36

We talked about good and bad history for deletion. Deformer history is tricky. You can delete history on an object with a deformer, and it will maintain it's shape. But delete the deformer itself (select and delete) reverts your object back to its original state.

2.08h Non-Linear Deformers: Painting Weights

Duration: 3:28

One of the cool and really great things about deformers is their ability to paint them. You can select the object you are deformer, switch to paint mode, and decide which sections of the object deform, and how much. This is incredibly useful as some of these deformers are super helpful, but not over, say, an entire character or prop.

2.08e Non-Linear Deformers: Twist

Duration: 1:58

The twist deformer is great for modeling everything from screws to spiral staircases. You can apply it to anything, and move the base of the deformer offset of your object for larger, more grand spirals. I imagine it has less uses for animation, but it is just as keyable as the others if you come up for a need for it.

2.05 Relationships

2.05c Relationships in a Rig

Duration: 5:22

Now that we've discussed the different types of relationships, we'll take a quick look at where you can find these different types in a working rig.

Files: Max Rig

2.05c Relationships in a Rig

2.05 Relationships

Duration: 1:02

There are two different types of relationships in Maya: true and false relationships. One re-organizes the outliner, one does not. We'll take a moment here to learn about the differences between the two and why they're so important.

2.05b Relationships: Fake

Duration: 5:07

Fake or false relationships do not re-organize objects in the outliner, and are used to establish connections between objects that must remain separate in the outliner for any number of reasons. These relationships include constraints, expressions, connections, and so on.

2.05b Relationships: Fake

2.05a Relationships: Real

Duration: 4:25

Real relationships, or True Parent/Child relationships, are established in the outliner and reogranize the placement of objects in it.

2.05a Relationships: Real

2.03 Deleting History

3.03 Deleting History

Duration: 4:51

Deleting history is part of keeping a clean scene. History consists of nodes and connections that are no longer needed or active, and should be safely deleted so that the scene does not get heavy with unnecessary information.

2.03a Deleting History Safely

Duration: 5:01

There is good and bad history for deleting. Inactive nodes that have already applied their usefullness to your object can be deleted. Still active nodes that continue to feed information to your object, such as deformations or keyable nodes for animation, need to be deleted much more carefully.

2.03a Deleting History Safely

2.03b Deleting History No-Nos

Duration: 4:13

You have to be careful deleting history. If you delete something that is vital to your object or rig, and don't realize it until later down the road, most of those incidents are not fixable, at least not easily.

2.03b Deleting History No-Nos

2.04 Pivot Point

Duration: 8:05

Pivot point location is "pivotal" (get it? har har har) because being able to move it allows us to have a controller in a convenient or easily selectable location, and the pivot point elsewhere, were it needs to be for correct movement or joint control.

2.04a Pivot Point: Moving CVs

Duration: 2:07

There is another way to adjust your pivot point, and that's by moving the cvs of your object instead of moving your pivot point. Be careful with this, though, as there is no easy way to revert your cvs to their previous location.

2.04a Pivot Point: Moving CVs

2.02 Freezing Transformations

Duration: 4:25

Freezing transformations zeroes out the translate and rotate channels in the channel box, and sets the scale channels to 1, while maintaining your objects current location in space. In other words, it redefines where "zero" is for the object, or where it's default position is.

2.01 Nodes

Duration: 5:22

The concept of nodes is an important one, as it's how Maya is built and functions behind the scenes. The most important node for non-Riggers to understand is the shape node, and that's what we'll focus on primarily.

2.01a Nodes: the Node Network

Duration: 4:27

Most of you are unlikely to get much into nodes, but understanding their existence is important, and how to look into them should you ever need to.

2.01a Nodes: the Node Network

2.00 Intro to Rigging Concepts

Duration: 1:15

Welcome to rigging concepts, where we will learn some of the principles and tools that go into rigging, and how you can apply them to your own discipline.