Rigging 101 For Games | Maya 2020

Set up and organize a new Maya project by creating a project, configuring folders for geometry, scenes, and textures, and loading the character assets for rigging.

Import the character, place it on the floor, reset transforms, center the pivot, delete history and namespace, and set the object to a named layer in reference mode for rigging.

Define a character wish list of tasks—spine, arms, fingers, fake legs, movable head ornaments, horns, feathers, and dress—guiding efficient rigging for fast, animator-friendly motion in the 3D pipeline.

Master maya 2020's reference editor to load and manage character references safely, compare referencing to importing, and preserve the original file while you rig for games.

Master a blocks-based rigging workflow by building a full skeleton from spine to head, then add arms, legs, and facial rigging with joints, controllers, and constraints.

Configure Maya layouts by selecting and arranging key windows: viewport, outliner, hypergraph, and node editor, and save a named layout for quick access when rigging in games.

Rig spine joints in Maya 2020 by creating a spine joint chain from the lower back to the head, fixing orientations, freezing transforms, and establishing a clear joint hierarchy.

Create and align a left arm joint chain in Maya, refine orientation with a clean up plan, and properly name finger joints and clavicle for twist-free motion.

Learn Maya 2020 rigging by shaping a knee joint that moves through a dress with minimal joints for game performance, and divide the body into upper and lower halves.

Use maya 2020's mirror joints to copy the left side onto the right across planes. Add a world orientation joint to align the skeleton with the game engine.

Duplicate the original joint chain to back it up for exporting the character into an engine; rename all joints and use a MEL script to select the hierarchy.

Master creating spine controls for Maya 2020, building upper and lower body controllers with shapes, colors, and constraints, and linking them via a center-of-gravity controller.

Explore ik and fk rigging for arms, duplicating the arm, and using an ik handle tool to move the last joint while the rest of the chain follows.

Set up a three-arm IK system in Maya by building clean joint chains, defining a preferred angle, and using pole vector constraints to drive elbow orientation.

Build an FK system and the Ikki motion chain in Maya, create controllers, merge curve shapes under one transform, and switch between Ikki and FK with a node.

Learn to build an ik-fk switch in Maya by creating a settings controller, adding a float attribute, and linking color blend nodes to drive shoulder, elbow, and wrist movements.

Create clavicle controllers and IK arm systems, duplicate and mirror for the right side, apply constraints, color-code controllers, and implement a global and auxiliary controller to move the character.

Master finger rigging in Maya 2020 by creating and naming finger controllers, matching transformations, and constraining joints to enable IK/FK hand motion, with careful parenting and visibility controls.

In rigging 101 for games in Maya 2020, learn to build a fake leg with controllers and pivot-based IK system, ensuring hips and knees move naturally while keeping constraints clean.

Master a game rigging pipeline by exporting clean geometry and a skinned skeleton, linking FK/IK via direct connections, and using a connection editor and scripts to drive an exportable skeleton.

Bind skin by selecting essential joints, then refine weights with closest distance, max influences four, paint with smoothing and mirroring for a low-poly character.

Refine character skinning in maya by adding influences, enabling look weights, and painting weights across neck, head, shoulders, elbows, hips, and feet for natural deformations.

Learn practical skinning of a hand rig in Maya by painting finger weights, using mirror weights, and refining deformations to preserve silhouette while ensuring smooth joint influences.

Lock unnecessary controller channels to keep a game character rig clean, allowing only required translations or rotations while preventing visibility and scale changes.

Rig a crosier prop for games in Maya 2020 by creating a driver and clean joint, adding a world position joint, and building a controller to drive it.

Master space switching in Maya by aligning three pivots—left hand, right hand, and neutral—via constraints and an auxiliary group, driven by a worldspace float attribute with set driven key.

Rig hand grab controls in Maya by creating finger groups for both hands, using a single driver attribute (0–5) to animate fingers via keyframes, while ensuring proper spacing and symmetry.

Rig feathers in Maya 2020 by building compact joint chains, creating controllers, and painting skin weights for efficient feather motion.

Clean up the rig, hide joints, and verify motion to ensure feathers and the rake move, rotate, and scale correctly. Explore a bit of facial reading to finish the setup.

Learn to build a simple nose rig for games in Maya 2020 by placing a mid nose joint, creating a circle controller, and painting skin weights for facial movement.

Create a Maya eyebrow rig by building a joint chain for up-down motion, mirroring left and right sides, and driving geometry with controllers while handling exportable joints and weights.

Rig the mouth in Maya by adding corner and center joints, linking controllers with constraints, parenting to the head, and painting weights for natural mouth movements.

Break unwanted connections, fix the facial rig and animation curves, and reset transforms. Organize the outliner by isolating exportable geometry and controllers, then hide nonessential items for a clean export.

Save a final character version and export only exportable joints and geometry as an FBI file, with animations baked when present. Keep a clean duplicate rig to ease engine export.

Celebrate completing the Maya 2020 rigging basics for games. Explore Digital Art HQ courses on 3D printing models and the video game industry, and share feedback with friends.