Do the foxtrot

Character set-up is truly the unsung hero of the animation world. At the root of every great animated performance lies the foundation of a successful, well-planned rig. One of the most challenging models to rig is a quadruped. Unlike bipeds, which have one centre of mass based at the pelvis, quadrupeds have two: one at the withers (the highest point on the back, between the shoulder blades) and one at the hindquarters. For ease of animation, independent control over these two points is crucial.

The model we’re using to demonstrate this rig is based on a realistically proportioned red fox. It is a simple polygon mesh created in Maya, made exclusively for 3D World. The model, UVs and texture maps were designed by Gwendelyn Robson.

This article is aimed towards experienced Maya users and assumes the reader has a basic understanding of character set-up, including connection types, simple IK and FK set-ups and constraints. The purpose of this tutorial is to offer the user an idea how character set-up TDs approach rigging quadrupeds in a professional production environment. As production-level quadruped rigs can be exceedingly complex, we will walk through a simplified rig through to completion, inspired by professional concepts.

When designing any rig, you should be conscious of the full range of the character’s actions and performance. Also, for successful joint placement, it is crucial to be familiar with the anatomy of the creature you’re rigging. For the fox, our goal is to produce a rig capable of basic animation cycles and full-body performances.

Once you have completed the tutorial, we recommend that you start from scratch by creating your own joint hierarchy rather than using the one provided. You will hopefully discover how well-planned joint placement will impact the realism of your character’s range of motion and performance. In next month’s follow-up to this tutorial, we shall build upon the foundation of this simplified rig and progress to areas of higher detail and complexity, including the face.

Click here to download the support files (15MB)