Where did u learn rigging?

[mr_ace]

I must say, rigging is a bit of a weak point for me, mostly due to the fact no-ones really told me how to, so where did everyone learn how to rig, and can anyone reccomend any good rigging tutorials in 3DS max?
Also, do people tend to use biped or their own custom rigs? and does everyone use physique or skin?
thanks!

[cookepuss]

There's no good or proper way learn rigging. Early on, a lot of what you do is trial & error. As you go along, you develop custom scripts or certain work habits, but nothing is ever standard.

I mean, a basic bipedal rig is simple. All you've basically got to deal with are the primary joints and the controls. Anybody can do that in an afternoon - quicker if you only need basic posing. However, for a more complex rig, you've got the primary joints, helper joints, morphs, and effect joints. Those take more time.

- A primary joint would be a knee, elbow, finger joint, etc. These are the essentials.
- A helper joint might be a "phantom joint" inserted in the middle of a primary bone. Example: A joint inserted in the middle of the upper arm bone could be used to twist along the bicep. The point of such a joint is simply to make your job easier and to avoid common problems such as gimbal lock. Another good example might be a reverse foot setup, where an extra bone is inserted so that the bone tip hits the heel instead of the toe. Very helpful when trying to lift a character's heel off of the ground.
- Morphs... Obvious. Most of the time, you'll insert morphs in the face. However, there are other times where your morphs may be bone or data driven for the purpose of exaggeration or extra "oomph" that bones alone can't accomplish.
- Effect joints... Pretty much what it sounds like. A bone stuck at the belly could control a vertex cluster to control stuff like jiggle. You could have a bone protruding off of the shoulder and into the bicep to create flexing biceps without muscle systems.

Plus, you've also visual controls and scripts to deal with.

There's no such thing as a "standard" rig. There might be a good "starter" rig, but nearly every character requires a unique solution. Some characters have greater ranges of motion and fewer constraints. Others need fewer bones. Some need advanced squetch functionality.

Tutorials are helpful, but only to a certain extent. Practicality usually trumps theory. Jeff Lew's old character animation DVD has some good insights, along with some practical instruction. Digital-Tutors & Gnomon all sell their own character rigging DVDs.

One would also assume that 3dsmax comes with some sort of training material. I know that, as a C4D user, I've got tutorial DVDs that cover about 20 hours of material - including film quality rigging. You really have to take a look at whatever goodies your 3D app comes with. There's bound to be a hidden treasure or two in there.

For facial animation, the best bet is the Jason Osipa "Stop Staring" book. It can't be beaten for its no nonsense, in-depth approach to the topic. I don't necessarily subscribe to his style of controllers, preferring standard morph sliders, but he touches on a lot of quality material in such a brief book.

Learning how to rig is all about 3 Ps: Planning, Patience, and Pummeling.

- PLAN your rig before digging in. Without knowing what your character's capabilities are, you may end up missing critical controllers, joints, or morphs.
- Be PATIENT because nothing about rigging is quick. Controller design takes time. Weight mapping takes time. Custom scripting takes time.
- PUMMEL the sh** out of your rigged character. A good rig is one that can take a beating and survive. That's why you always see those animation tests like aerobics & Michael Jackson "Thriller" dances. A good rig is a dependable one.

The good news is that, once you've created a reliable rig, you can reuse it on similar characters later on.

I know that 3dsmax comes with standard rigs. C4D does too. Personally, I don't use them. I often feel much better working with a rig that is designed to my specific needs. A general purpose rig can only serve general purpose needs. Such rigs either make too many compromises or don't offer enough constraints. This is why it's important to know what your needs are.

On the filpside, a general purpose, stock rig is good for learning purposes. AFAIK, schools such as Animation Mentor provides their students with general purpose rigs, as rigging and animation are two different skill sets. A general purpose rig might not be great for the next "Elastigirl," but it can help to further your education with the fundamentals. Once your characters or animations become more ambitious you'll realize why stock rigs serve a limited purpose.

The best way to learn rigging is just to dig in. Make your mistakes. When you can't figure out why your character can't do "x" or why "y" joint on the mesh explodes.... Go back to the drawing board. Trial & error is time consuming, but (imo) can be much more informative than a 8 hour tutorial that you'll have to watch 4 or 5 times just to fully absorb.



BTW: For the most part, rigging is rigging the world over. Creating a rig in C4D is not much different than creating a rig in Maya or 3dsmax. The fundamentals are the same. Only the specific vary. Most of those specifics tend to be in the area of scripting. Scripting is usually done to fill those feature gaps or to create desired rig effects. As long as you understand what each script does, you can decide how to get around it or how to translate it your 3d package's native scripting language - Maxscript for 3dsmax & XPresso/COFFEE for C4D. In the end though... Bones are bones. Joints are joints. Morphs are morphs. Controls are controls. Same sh**, different color. :)

[mr_ace]

wow, thanks cookepuss, that was a really interesting read. i guess i just need to sit down and just keep rigging and skinning till i get it right. it just feels a bit overwhelming at the moment. but i guess thats the same with every aqspect of 3D when you first approach it.

[kageko]

as im not sure about the rules of this forum and the rules for linking im not gonna post a link for a tutorial, but there are some really good tutorials out there if u just look for them, and from what i hear, u want a basic rig tutorial so just try searching and you should be fine in a few days.

I should also add that rigging takes a few tries even if u follow a tutorial, theres always going to be some little detail that u thought wasnt important that ends up screwing something up... and with that, happy hunting young skywalkah!

[BradMyers82]

Yeah, what cookepuss said is really the frame of mind you need to have to get really good at rigging. I learned a few things myself just by reading what he had to say there.

I do think that it might help to have a combination of both though. That is, trial and error, and some professional rigging videos.

I watched and followed along with this whole rigging series below. I basically went from knowing next to nothing about rigging, to feeling quite comfortable with the whole process when I was threw. It's a bit pricy, but I think its well worth the money because simple trial and error could never have tought me some of the techniques he used in these videos.

I have watched other videos on rigging as well, and I have to say these are by far the best.

CG Academy Intermediate Rigging 1 - FK Spine, Leg & Foot Rig
CG Academy Intermediate Rigging 2 - Spline IK, ARM & Hand Rig
CG Academy Intermediate Rigging 3- Skin Techniques

Good luck!