Automating shape keys for FK and IK rigs

Support Animation and Rigging
1

I’ve been trying to figure this out for a while now, and I’m really getting nowhere (doesn’t help that I have proverbial rocks in my head -_-).

I’ve found various tutorials and posts in various forums on the net but they usually don’t go by a, step by step how to, or the information is so dated that it doesn’t apply to the current version of Blender.

Can someone please direct or refer me to a good step by step tutorial or post one here.

EDIT:I’m looking for one that will mainly show me how to fully rig an arm (or other similar body part) with corrective shape keys

Thanks in advance.

2

I don’t know of any particular tutorial that covers this, but here is the basics to get you started;
Create a shape key that gives you the shape you want when the arm is “closed”.
Add a driver to the shape key.
Use the rotation of the arm joint in your driver to make the shape key at 0 when the arm is “open” and at 1 when it is completely “closed”.

3

First make sure you have good deformable topology. That will reduce (or eliminate) the need for shape keys and make those you do use easier to set up.

4

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your help. Unfortunately the tips you mentioned (although good) don’t really solve the problem I was having.

I finally found a training vid though, that addressed my problem (after stabbing myself in the wallet).