What is character rigging?
Before we jump back into UE to start animating our characters, you must understand the concept of character rigging. Character rigging (sometimes referred to as skeletal animation) is the process of creating a digital skeleton or structure for a character model in animation. It is a technique used to define the range of movement for a character or object, enabling actions, gestures, and movement.
Figure 8.1: Digital skeleton in UE5
During character rigging, an artist takes a static character model and adds a series of interconnected bones to create a skeleton. These bones serve as a framework that allows animators to manipulate and control the character’s movements. By assigning specific movements and constraints to the bones, animators can create lifelike movements and expressions for the character. Without rigging, characters would lack the ability to deform and move freely, making it challenging to bring them to life...
