For Those about to Rig - Part -3

part-2 continuation..

Responsibilities of the Rigger when rigging for production

 If you want to become well known rigger you need to start thinking from the animators point of view. Understanding the animation requirements and the animator’s requirement is the keynote for the rigger to provide the best rig. A good rig reduces animators stress and gives the best end result.

Set the project to appropriate working directory

• When you receive the model don’t forget to check for proportions, anatomy, mesh topology.
  
• Always look at the storyboard and understand from the animation point of view.
  
• Make sure the Model has the right scale.
  
• Check for the UV’s whether it’s fixed or not if it’s not, pass it to the texturing artist.
  
• Keep up the file versions in order to avoid confusion.
  
• Check up with Maya system unit scale settings based on the project.
  
• Check out for the scale chart before you begin.
  
• Communicate with modeling and texturing artist for model, texture requirements.
  
• Freeze the transformation for the model.
  
• Before you start creating joints for the final rig.
  
• Do the test rig to see your model deforms properly.
  

This will avoid redoing the work.

• Do not create too many joints until it’s really required.
  
• Name the joints in order.
  
• Orient the joints freeze the transformations.
  
• Create the Proper grouping order.
  
• Freeze transformations for the control curves and name them properly.
  
• Lock and hide the attributes, which is not needed for the animation.
  
• Lock and hide unwanted control curves.
  
• Delete unwanted history.
  
• Delete unused curves.
  
• Delete unused objects.
  
• Delete layers, which are not necessary.
  
• Keep the outliner window clean.
  
• Keep the facial UI simple and accessible.
  
• Create Ik handles before skinning.
  
• Create an attribute for switching the model display Low to High.
  
• Organize your blend shape groups and separate them as and name them as phonemes / expressions.
  
• Do not create too many Expressions/Maya Expression system will slow down the performance.
  
• Automate the process which are repeating often to make your work flow easier.
  
• Automate some of the controls, which will make animators life easier.
  
• Create a Brief note about your Rig.
  
• Do the test animations of all the extreme posses.
  

Do the final quality check once you are through with above mentioned points

Thats all folks Happy Rigging!...