Outline for the class

The Character Animator Toolkit for Motion Builder

• Presenters: Brad Clark and Chad Moore

1. Rigging for Animation
1. Maya and Max prep for Motion Builder
1. Keep it clean
2. The importance of the T-pose
3. Animator Friendly rigs in Motion Builder
1. Control Rig System overview
2. Standard Hierarchy
3. What this all means to the animator
4. Character control window
4. Understanding Character Controls and Animator-driven Rigging
1. Positives of a Pinning Workflow
1. Example pin Configurations
2. Negatives of a Pinning Workflow
1. Issues to consider
5. Understanding Reach Controls
1. A few concepts regarding these new tools
6. Basic Set up for Keyframing
1. Visual Rig adjustment for animation
2. Control Rig visual properties
3. Default manipulation setup
4. Quaternion Rotation
5. Finger IK parent trick
6. Re-orient controls
7. Leg/Arm Roll controls
1. Fix the roll
8. De-sync FK/IK Rig option
9. Pinning and Reach settings for a typical rig
7. Advanced set up for animation friendly controls
1. Custom UI creation
1. Custom views of properties
2. Groups - secret power hotkey 'g' and custom selection handles
3. Custom Character Control Window
4. Make the Character picker match your project
5. Watermarking the default settings for the rig on the image
6. Pinning Sets
7. Space changes for the Rig
8. Parent Constraint
9. Aux Controllers
   
1. Aux Effectors
10. Pivot Adjustments: Hip
11. Python Scripts
12. IK/FK visibility feedback
13. Create a joystick
8. Flexible Finger Rig System
1. Finger Solutions
1. final thoughts
2. Relations Constraint and Python Tip
9. Keyframe Foot Rigging Concepts and Solutions
1. The Aux Pivot method of a foot rig
2. Revers Foot Aux style
3. Joystick Controls
4. Relation Constraint Setup
10. Animation Helpers
1. Rotate Around
2. Move Keys
11. Character Props
12. Ring Re-use and Non Linear Production Updating Without Referencing
1. Attaching and Detaching Rigs
2. Character Controls - File Load Animation
1. Load rig
3. Skinning Updating without File Referencing Ability
1. Skin update and/or Blend-shape update
2. Starting with Opening the Character you want to update
2. Animation in Motion Builder
1. Pre-planning animation
1. Be a reference sponge
2. Utilizing your Reference in Motion Builder
1. Camera Back Plate
3. Animation Workflow
1. A simple way to duplicate takes
4. Wave Animation Walk-through
5. Blocking
1. Stepped Keys
2. Keying Modes
1. Hotkey Tip
3. Thumbnails
6. Second Pass Blocking
1. Moving Holds
7. Spacing Control Tools
8. Dopesheet
1. Collapsible Tracks
2. Offsetting Keyframes
9. Refining your Animation
1. Converting to Linear or Spline
2. Arcs and Patterns
1. Trajectories
3. Editing in the Fcurve Window