Creating a Control rig

To create a Control rig, you must first have a characterized character. The Control rig is created based on the structure of the character.

Note: This is a legacy workflow. See Create a Control rig for an updated workflow that uses the Character Controls or the Definition tab.

To create a Control rig:

1. In the Scene browser, expand the Characters folder and double-click the characterized character for which you want to create a Control rig.

   The Character settings for the selected character display in the Navigator window.

2. In the Navigator window, select the Character Definition tab.
3. In the Control Rig area, click Create.

   The Create Control Rig dialog box appears.

4. Depending on how you plan to animate your character, choose which type of Control rig you want to create:
   • Click FK/IK to create a rig with IK (Inverse Kinematics) and FK (Forward Kinematics) effectors.

     IK effectors let you intuitively manipulate a character using a setup that simulates how a human body reacts when moving, and the FK effectors let you selectively fine-tune individual body parts. If you plan to do any fine-tuning, you should create a rig with both FK and IK effectors.

   • Click IK Only to create a rig with only IK effectors.

     When using an IK only Control rig, all features associated with the FK rig are not present. For example, in the Character Controls window, the IK Blend T and IK Blend R sliders are not available. The Control rig constantly reaches towards the IK rig.

   If the current character already has one or more Control rigs, a dialog box appears confirming that you want to create an additional Control rig. You can click Create New Rig to add an additional Control rig.

   All Control rigs you create are added to the Control Rig section of the Scene browser. Each additional Control rig is named Control rig plus a sequential number.

5. Switch to X-Ray display mode (Ctrl+A) in the Viewer window and view the Control rig on the skeleton of a character.

   By default, the small yellow effectors are FK, and the larger blue and red effectors are IK. You can customize the look of your Control rig effectors using the Properties window.