Getting Started with CAT Rigging Tools in 3ds Max

Discover an alternative to the traditional character rigging workflow with the Character Animation Toolkit (CAT) toolset for 3ds Max, which offers quick preset character rigs as well as custom tools for creating a rig from scratch.Discover an alternative to the traditional character rigging workflow with the Character Animation Toolkit (CAT) for 3ds Max, which offers preset character rigs as well as custom tools for creating a rig from scratch. Author Joel Bradley demonstrates animation layers; CAT muscles, which you can use to create a skin that deforms and stretches realistically as your character moves; and the forward/inverse kinematics workflow. The final chapter puts all these features into motion, as you apply the tools to a full character rig with secondary bones and perform a stress test animation. Topics include: What is CAT? Using and editing preset rigs Repositioning bone pivots Using CAT control gizmos Working with spines Adding limbs to a character Working with adjustment and motion layers Animating with the foot pivot system Building a start-to-finish rig with CAT