To function as an HIK character and participate in a retargeting pipeline, your character needs a characterized skeleton. To be a target character (receiving retargeted animation) the character also needs a Control Rig.

Your approach to HIK character setup depends on whether you want to use an existing skeleton. The basic workflow to set up an HIK character is as follows.

To set up an HIK character

1. Select Skeleton > HumanIK from the main menu bar to open the HumanIK window.
2. Do one of the following to create an HIK character and define its skeleton:
   • To start with an existing skeleton, switch to the Characterize tab to click New. See Characterize an existing skeleton.
   • To build a default skeleton, switch to the Skeleton Generator tab and click New. See Create a default skeleton.
3. (Optional) Create a Control Rig.

   If you plan to use this character as a target character, you must create a Control Rig. Source characters do not require Control Rigs.