Above is a video displaying my successful first attempt to learn character rigging. I’m very proud of the rig and skeleton that I’ve created, and I already know a lot more about Maya itself just by having spent the time to practice this. I predict that in the future my new understanding of joints, IK handles, and NURBS curves will help me solve a lot of my own animation problems, and am pleased to share this clip on my showreel to compliment my animation and motion tracking skills.
A good example of the way this has greatly impacted my animation skills for the positive is that I’ve long struggled with incorrect joint weights deforming mesh inappropriately, and only now do I realize the cause. As I rigged this model, I noticed that the fingers and feet were deforming with movement, and was ecstatic to finally learn how to fix this error.
That being said, in my further experiments in rigging I’d like to set up an arm rig that does not rely on an elbow pole vector to steady the arm, and in the same vein allows for smoother and less hands-on work. I’d also like to explore facial rigging, as I’ve only (as of yet) mastered the use of blend shapes for facial expression.
I must now spend my time diving back into my FMP, as I have been over the past several weeks, but I’m glad that I took some time to get this valuable knowledge and set my eyes on a fresh project for the time being.