What's New in Rigging

Unified Character Controls

The new Character Controls let you perform multiple character setup tasks in a single window.

As you set up your character, the previously independent HumanIK tools appear as tabs in the consolidated Character Controls, simplifying the character set up process.

The Skeleton, Definition, Controls, and Custom Rig tabs appear as you select options from the Start pane, Source menu, or Character Controls menu button.

• Set up a HumanIK character

Watch: Define a HumanIK character

Start pane

Begin the character setup process using the Start pane in the Character Controls window. Whether you are creating a new HumanIK skeleton from scratch, defining an existing skeleton, or adding a Control rig or Custom rig mapping to your character, this pane is designed to guide you through the setup process.

• Create and define a HumanIK skeleton
• Define an existing skeleton for HumanIK
• Create a Control rig
• Create a Custom rig mapping

Source management

The new Source menu provides feedback about the type of source driving your character. The Source menu is available in the Character Controls window at all times, regardless of the HumanIK tool that is active.

This menu updates dynamically as you work to reflect changes to the character state. You can also set your character's source type by manually selecting an option from the drop-down menu.

• Create a Control Rig
• Retarget animation from one character to another

Custom Rig Mapping

The new Custom Rig tool gives you a visual interface for mapping your non-HumanIK rigs.

Designed to streamline the mapping and retargeting process, this tool lets you map and retarget bipedal HumanIK character animation to and from a Custom rigged character. You can define your rig using the familiar click-and-assign workflow.

Other controls let you save and load mapping templates and adjust the offsets between a Custom rig and the character's skeleton joints.

• Create a Custom rig mapping

Watch: Create a Custom rig mapping

Customizable character layout

You can now customize the character layout in the Character Controls to fit your character.

The layouts for the Controls and Custom Rig tabs are available as user-editable XML files, located in the new CharacterControls directory. Editing these files lets you create custom layouts. For example, you can replace the background image or change the position, quantity, color, and size of cells.

• Customize the character layout

Watch: Customize the character layout

In the Smooth Bind Options window, the Bind Method options now include a Heat Map method.

This method uses a heat diffusion technique to distribute weights, and generally gives better default results than the existing Closest Hierarchy and Closest Distance binding methods.

Heat Map binding sets initial weights based on each influence object inside the mesh acting as a heat source, emitting weight values onto the surrounding mesh. Higher (hotter) weight values occur closest to the object, and dissipate to lower (cooler) values as you move away from the object.

Refer to the following topics:

• Bind smooth skin
• Bind methods for smooth skinning

You can now paint weights for the Bend, Flare, Sine, Squash, Twist, and Wave deformers. Select the new Edit Deformer > Paint Nonlinear Weights Tool menu item to use a Maya Artisan brush and paint point weights on your deformed geometry.

Refer to the following topics:

• Paint nonlinear deformer weights
• Edit Deformers > Paint Nonlinear Weights Tool

Updated Roll properties for the HumanIK skeleton definition are now available in the Attribute Editor to give you improved control over roll bone behavior as you rotate character limbs. See Define roll bone behavior.

Stance pose on body parts

Now you can force a stance pose ( > Edit > Controls > Stance Pose) on selected body parts. This functionality is useful during pose-to-pose character animation when only specific body parts need to be reset to create a new pose.

See Stance pose and Manipulation and keying modes.

Continuous rig align

When manipulating your character in Full Body or Body Part mode, the IK and FK effectors of your character's Control rig now appear synchronized. By default, the IK and FK solutions visually merge to show the final solving of the character's skeleton.

This feature replaces the Align Rig After Time Change option.

See Align Control Rig.