Rigging is that skill that seems easy to get started with, but as you learn it gets harder and more complex. Nimble Collective teaches you how to prepare your rigging process and how to avoid common pitfalls.
You’ve just been handed a shiny, new 3D model for rigging. Oh joy of joys! It is vertex sculpted perfection and you’re just DYING to get this model running, laughing, slapping, squirming, and generally exuding life. So you open up the model and start adding bones and parenting them to the mesh.
WAIT!
Are you SURE that each toe needs full rotation? Does the script say the submarine periscope will rotate or not? Does this character’s mouth need to be fully rigged, or do they just walk though the background in silence?
With a bit of planning and forethought you can not only save yourself some time, but you can ensure your rig is the best it can be in the ways that matter most to animators.
Nimble Collective's own Jason Schleifer details in his most recent blog post how he goes about preparing for rigging a 3D model. From determining what needs to be rigged to gathering reference, he sets down 6 steps to keep in mind when you are ready to rig.
Here are Jason's 6 Guaranteed Steps To Rigging Success - you won't believe #4! (well, actually you might, it's not really all that weird. Ok, it's "keeping notes". Not really that mind blowing, actually. We're really bad at click bait.)
