Rigging controls, how to create them?

Support Animation and Rigging
#1

So I learned how to rig my character in a simple manner with IK’s etc… However its incredibly hard to animate with a default rig like that. So Iv seen videos of people using rigging controls (thats how I call it). These black lines that can be seen surrounding a foot like ski’s or arrows.

You can see what I’m talking about in this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_y9s6Vs5AA). This is a very good tutorial series on advanced rigging but in an incredible feat of stupidity the guy skips the entire part on how to create exactly those controls!

I need to be able to simplify my rig for better animations because its absolutly horrible at the moment. So what I’m asking is how do you make those controls? Instead of tugging at those target bones.

Help appreciated!

ps: how do you guys create a closed loop for say a walk cycle without jerkyness?

#2

Make the shape you want the bone to look like then select it as the bones custom shape
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.6/Manual/Rigging/Armatures/Visualization#Shaped_Bones

http://cgcookie.com/blender/2011/03/22/creating-an-advanced-face-rig-part-two/ (from about 34:30)

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#3

Hi :slight_smile:
To create a closed loop for the walking, if you create a new action in the action editor, then just animate half the walk, you really only need two poses for half the animation, the peak of the step, the mid point, then at that point, copy the poses and paste the mirror versions at the appropriate times using the three keys next to the snap-to button to animate the other half of the run, then in the action editor select all of the keyframes and dupilcate them along the timeline in order to repeat the action. I’m thinking of doing a video on animating a run tomorrow if that’ll be useful.
Otherwise good luck with it :slight_smile:

#4

EDIT: Wakl Cycle Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_zTSR8tv0k&feature=youtu.be

Its strange, when I play it with vlc or another player it really looks glitchy but on youtube it seems fine. Also I did not put it in movie maker and just copied my walk cycle.

@Enigma

Thats how Iv been doing them, but for some reason its not as fluent as I want it to be. I put the first frame as my last frame. I think because of this it causes a small pause in a loop. However when I change the endframe to before my last frame to skip a frame but maintain the movement it still isn’t completetly cool. Or perhaps there is something wrong when I export it to a video format.

I export my animation and put it into movie maker so perhaps thats the problem. Ill keep practicing I guess, I look forward to your tutorial.

@Richard

Thanks I will try it later and thanks for the vids, I love vids.

#5

Hmm, well it looks great in the video, the only thing I think that’s making it look slightly robotic, is that the hips aren’t pivoting like they do when you walk, and the shoulders need to bob up and down a bit. As for the jerkiness that could just be the looping at the end of the video? Not too sure.
Anyway it looks pretty good at the moment. :slight_smile:

#6

It might be movie maker, I just put some pimp music on the walking video and it turned out jerky again (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUqx980XxAE&feature=youtu.be). Look how it jerks around, bah.

Anyway, i’ll keep the hip thing in mind, I thought I had rotated the hips too but might not be enough.

#7

Hahaha top song choice :smiley: yeah, try increasing the frames per second or something along those lines. Might help, otherwise I’m stumped.

#8

Hehe thanks bro. Also thanks for the help.