Character Rigging in Maya

Provides a basic introduction to rigging theory, plus details of how to create professional 3D characters in Maya.Character Rigging in Maya provides a basic introduction to rigging theory, and delves into the details of how to create professional, realistic 3D characters. Instructor and animation veteran George Maestri shows how to combine Maya's skeleton, inverse kinematics (IK), and constraint tools to create a basic rig for a character, and how to attach the character mesh to the skeleton using Maya's skinning tools. The course also explores advanced rigging controls such as IK switches and facial animation and how to create a control panel to manipulate the character's expressions. Exercise files accompany the tutorials. Topics include: Understanding the basics of rigging Creating skeletons Modifying joint attributes Working with inverse kinematics and constraints Rigging characters Using Maya's new HumanIK skeletons/rigs Setting up an FK/IK switch Creating custom facial rigs Binding skin using Smooth Bind Painting and editing skin weights Using expressions to rig a character's mouth controls Controlling eye direction Finalizing a rig