Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Conclusion
So that's an introduction to the basics of rigging and skinning. It's probably the most technically difficult
thing you'll have to do when working in 3D. If you don't get it, try again, but don't beat yourself up
about it. It's not for everyone. Chapter 11 on character animation includes the character file with the exact
rig described in this chapter.
Blender also includes a fairly automated rigging solution at the moment. It is found in the
Add
menu
under the
Armature
heading. The
Human
and
Quadruped
rigs are armature systems that have been
designed with complex, high-level controls. Their setup and use is shown in the video
automatic_rigging
.mpeg
in the Web Bucket.
What We Missed
Rigging is a huge topic, and it should be no surprise to you that we've only flirted with it here. The
amount of advanced material you can learn with rigging and skinning, just in Blender alone, is staggering.
On the rigging side, topics you might want to look up are “spline IK,” which let's you use a Bezier curve
to guide curving spinelike chains of bone; “py Constraints,” which use Python scripts to generate new
constraint effects on-the-fly; and of course the long list of normal constraint types that we didn't even
touch. With skinning, take a look at the Mesh Deformer, which uses a simple mesh cage for smooth
deformations of complex geometry, as well as Curve and Lattice deformation.
Next Up …
In Chapter 10, we give our character some facial expressions using the Shape Keys system, and learn how
to add their controls to our rig.
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