What is an IK Rig?
Well, to answer that question, we actually have to ask two questions:
- What is a rig?
- What is IK?
Let’s answer them now.
What is a rig?
In 3D animation production, a rig is a simplified means of controlling a character’s movement, tailored for use by animators. Instead of the animator manipulating the character’s bones, a rig provides handles that the animator can quickly identify and select. Many 3D software applications come with rigs that are designed for people and animals. In animation studios, rigs are designed at varying levels of complexity depending on how complex the animation is. Ultimately, the purpose of a rig is to simplify the process of animation. In this chapter, we will take advantage of these simplified rigs for the purpose of applying animation data to them.
The MetaHuman comes with a built-in rig for character animation called an IK Rig. In fact, it comes with an IK Control Rig that allows animators...
