Summary
In this chapter, we explored character rigging techniques in 3ds Max and Maya.
Starting with the creation of skeletons and the arrangement of bones (or joints) to fit a modeled character mesh, we explored the crucial relationship between the character and its skeleton.
In 3ds Max, we adapted a Biped rig to fit our female zombie character by scaling and rotating the default joints to fit the character's initial pose. We then used the skin modifier to connect the rig to the character model, fine tuning the envelope settings to correct the range of influence from each bone until the character deformed smoothly in the test pose that we created.
Working in Maya, we created a full hierarchy of joints from scratch, by assembling individual chains of joints for the spine, leg, and arm. We implemented workable naming conventions, before mirroring our joint chains to complete the main skeleton. After adding additional joints for the ponytail and jaw, we used smooth bind to define the relationship...
