Imagine a arm target/handle (IKtarget) that not only moves the 2 arm bones around but…
can also…
therefore having just the 1 handle for the everything in the arm rather than 1 for arm and 1 for the hand
the ultimate rig for an animator simplified to perfection
Why imagine it when it’s already possible?
My “Jim” Rig rotates the hands as well as targets ik, as do many other rigs.
Prob just got a copy rotation constraints targeting the armIK but will have a look. This option is crusty cos theres no restriction on the rotation of the hand. anyways looking looking…
Ok will take “Jim” home and interegate him
that JIM rig looks great. thank you for sharing
Yeah no probs. I just updated it with a few fixes.
Hello mikahl!
Your file looks great… Impressing would be more correct (because, at the first sight, it passes way over my understanding!). I just wonder about a little detail about bones color:
In my copy of 2.48, under Themes, i only have 1 single column (“Default” on top and “Add” bellow it) but nothing about bones…!!!.. Where is this thing to be found?
In the meantime, i’ll go back having a look on your IK systems… 
B.R.
almux
hmm actually the IK target could have a limit rotation constraint on it to limit the hand rotation displaying only natural movements that the hand can do. Cos IK targeet cant really have degree of freedom set (DoF) cos not really part of an IK chain.
but hmm theres a way round that but not telling. ha!!!
Glad you guys like it!
Just did a quick update on Jim - I unlocked the roll on the ik arms, as this was making it unpredictable.
Known Issues :
-inprecise rigging on feet will make toes roll slightly with the ankle ( very slight )
-can’t roll the feet up too forward, otherwise they ‘flip’
-limited facial rigging
-REALLY bad blinking - its just a few shape keys that’s it, don’t use if using for close-ups.
@almux:
Yeah the colors are a local thing. So you can add your own colors by just clicking on
the black boxes you see, and choose your colors. Is there a ‘Bone Group’ field right above the colors?
@evobenno:
So you know a way of applying a DoF on the hand, but you don’t want to tell? I guess it wouldn’t just be a Limit Rotation constraint, because that would do the trick.
Hey, Jim is great hey, but just having a copy rotation on the hand is not enough. The hand has degrees of freedom too, why hasnt anyone designed the hand to perfection. I tried last night and included like a wrist bone with radius and unla for arm twisting plus had an IK on hand targeting a bone that is a child of IKhand, the limitations get so defined that when roam the hand around any where in posing all the axis’s change and effect the DoFs, just want an arm that does everything through the IKarm grrrr. The dream the dream grrrr
Personally, I recommend that you let the animator decide the limitations when animating. Why restrict them? These are talented people who are good at making decisions about natural movement. As a rigger, your job is to facilitate the animator’s job and make it easier, not to bind them down. At some point in the process, you’re going to have to trust that the animator does his or her job well and allow some flexibility in your rig even if it’s not physically possible.
This is true not only for cartoony rigs, but also “realistic” rigs that are supposed to be modeled on actual physiology. Remember, 90% of animation is cheating to make something look right even though it might not actually be right.
Personally, I recommend that you let the animator decide the limitations when animating. Why restrict them?
While I agree with Fweeb, I know where your coming from evobenno. To be honest
Jim isn’t the greatest rig for realism, I didn’t even put the radius and ulna deformation in because he has sleeves cover that.
For a better example, I suggest looking at Mancandy, as when you rotate the ik control, at least the radius and ulna rotate with it. I think its just some bones ( like your wrist and ulna bones you described ) that have a copyrot constraint on it, with B-bones to feather out the deformation. I know its not the DoF your looking for, but its better than mine.
On a side note, I’ve tried to restrict the rotations on ik bones before, and while
in theory that should work - I find it makes the ik VERY unpredictable.
now that’s not exactly a friendly approach, there’s tons of people here sharing more than decent rigs, all for free. You come and ask them for help, and when you think you have the solution yourself, you make sure to inform us that you’re NOT going to share it.
search youtube, there are some vids by people making full muscle rigs that do pretty much what you want. Both in Blender and other apps. And I’m NOT telling where to find em.
ha trippers!!! whats the dream again?? no of you’s can do hey?
hehe
not critizing the rig, jims great
Firstly, I think that’s probably not a terribly good idea. As Fweeb said, the animator should have control. But even beyond that, the kind of setup you’re talking about would make the translation of the control change how its rotation is limited, which I can only imagine being a pain to work with as an animator.
But all of that aside, the most obvious solution to achieve what you’re talking about is to apply the limit rotation constraint to the hand bone (that is part of the chain), rather than the IK target.
(By the way, evobenno: it’s good to share. At least, it is if you ever want help from others in the future. Or if you happen to care about helping others.)
yeah true hey. very helpful.cheers
Hmmm just been set on making an advanced of an advanced rig. Where it has as little amount of controls as possible, but does everything a rig could imagine. eg…
2 arm controls
2 feet controls
1 waist controls
1 spine controls
1 head controls
…then all the facial controls
must be becoming an armature geek, and not an animator
Cessen so u think give it 2 contraints? Copy Rot & Limit Rot.
I’ll prob just make an extra control for wrist, thats only allowed to rotate its twisting axis.
If I knew how to upload i’d prob show some experiments that almost nearly worked.