Documentation - Maxscript

Rig : System

The Rig System allows the user to create different kind of advanced rigs easily with just some parameters and a template of points that can be used to define the position of the different parts of the rig. The created rig will be an open system composed by several independent components like bones, helpers, controllers and solvers that can be modified, replaced or removed by the user.

It creates rigs with a hierarchy of bones and a set of control nodes that the animator can use to manipulate the rig. All the nodes of the rig are stored in 3 different types of layers for their easy access, one for bones, one for helpers and one for control nodes.

The rig limbs can have IKFK solvers for easy animation of Inverse and Forwards kinematics. The feet can also have reverse foot with parameters for controlling different movements for walking. It can also have an IK spine, which allows the user to animate the spine of the character more easily. And the limbs can have twist bones that can be bent and stretched in a cartoony fashion way if the character requires to do so.

It also provides UI Panels with pickers and other UI Controls, that can be used to access and manipulate more easily the different parts of the rig. Additionaly a face rig with a bone based system can also be created by just defining the position of different points of the face in a similar way that is done with the other parts of the body of the character, this face can also have an UIPanel for accessing the controls easily.

Properties

<Rig>.type enum default: #Add

Get/Set the type of the Rig:

#Biped
#Hands
#Feet
#Arms
#Legs
#Spine

#Head
#Tail
#Ears
#FrontLegs
#BackLegs
#Quadruped

#Minotaur
#Centaur
#FrontPaws
#BackPaws
#InsectLeg
#Insect

<Rig>.rig_name String

Get/Set the name of the rig, the created nodes and layers of the rig will use that name as a prefix.

<Rig>.size WorldUnits

Get/Set the size of the rig.

<Rig>.draw_on_top Boolean default: false

When this is on, the rig draws the points and lines of the template of the rig with the Z buffer turned off (which usually causes it to appear in front of other objects).

<Rig>.side Integer default: 2

Get/Set the side of the rig:

0 - Right.
1 - Left.
2 - Both.

<Rig>.affect_children Boolean default: true

If this parameter is ON, the transformation of a point of the template of the rig will affect the transformation of the children points.

<Rig>.affect_mirror Boolean default: true

If this parameter is ON, the transformation of a point of the template of the rig will affect the mirrored points.

<Rig>.mirror_relative_to_parent Boolean default: true

If this parameter is ON, the mirrored transformations of the points of the template of the rig will be relative to the parent points.

<Rig>.ikfk_solvers Boolean default: true

If this parameter is ON, the rig system will assign ikfk solvers to the limbs of the character.

<Rig>.auto_ikfk_match Boolean default: false

If this parameter is ON, the ikfk solvers will be set up with automatic match.

<Rig>.twist_bones Boolean default: true

If this parameter is ON, the rig system will create twist bones in the limbs of the character.

<Rig>.sub_controls Boolean default: false

If this parameter is ON, the rig system will create sub controls in several parts of the rig.

<Rig>.bendy_controls Boolean default: false

If this parameter is ON, the rig system will create controls that allows the user to bend the limbs of the character.

<Rig>.root_bone Boolean default: false

If this parameter is ON, the rig system will create a root bone that can be moved independently, useful for characters that need to be exported to game engines.

<Rig>.support_bones Boolean default: false

If this parameter is ON, the rig system will create support bones, these bones are useful to keep volume in certain joints of the rig, like the shoulders, elbows and knees.

<Rig>.ik_spine Boolean default: true

If this parameter is ON, the rig system will create an IK Spine system for the character.

<Rig>.reverse_foot Boolean default: true

If this parameter is ON, the rig system will create a reverse foot system in the feet or paws of the character.

<Rig>.end_bones Boolean default: true

If this parameter is ON, the rig system will create small bones at the ends of the bone hierarchy.

<Rig>.ui_panel Boolean default: true

If this parameter is ON, the rig system will create UI Panel with several UI Controls to select and manipulate the rig controls.

<Rig>.face Boolean default: false

If this parameter is ON, the rig system will create a face rig for the character.

<Rig>.pose_kit Boolean default: true

If this parameter is ON, the rig system will create a Pose Kit for the character rig controls.

<Rig>.head Boolean default: true
<Rig>.arms Boolean default: true
<Rig>.legs Boolean default: true
<Rig>.tail Boolean default: false
<Rig>.ears Boolean default: false
<Rig>.front_legs Boolean default: true
<Rig>.back_legs Boolean default: true
<Rig>.metacarpals Boolean default: false
<Rig>.metatarsals Boolean default: false
<Rig>.fangs Boolean default: true

These parameters are used to Enable/Disable the creation of those parts of the rig.

<Rig>.fingers Integer default: 5
<Rig>.finger_bones Integer default: 3
<Rig>.toes Integer default: 1
<Rig>.toe_bones Integer default: 1
<Rig>.upper_arm_twist_bones Integer default: 3
<Rig>.forearm_twist_bones Integer default: 3
<Rig>.thigh_twist_bones Integer default: 3
<Rig>.calf_twist_bones Integer default: 3
<Rig>.spine_controls Integer default: 3
<Rig>.ik_spine_controls Integer default: 3
<Rig>.spine_bones Integer default: 6
<Rig>.neck_controls Integer default: 1
<Rig>.neck_bones Integer default: 1
<Rig>.eyelids_controls Integer default: 3
<Rig>.eyelids_bones Integer default: 5
<Rig>.eyebrows_controls Integer default: 5
<Rig>.eyebrows_bones Integer default: 9
<Rig>.cheekbone_controls Integer default: 5
<Rig>.cheekbone_bones Integer default: 9
<Rig>.nose_controls Integer default: 2
<Rig>.nose_bones Integer default: 3
<Rig>.lips_controls Integer default: 3
<Rig>.lips_bones Integer default: 5
<Rig>.nasolabial_controls Integer default: 4
<Rig>.nasolabial_bones Integer default: 7
<Rig>.chin_controls Integer default: 3
<Rig>.chin_bones Integer default: 5
<Rig>.tongue_controls Integer default: 3
<Rig>.tongue_bones Integer default: 5
<Rig>.tail_controls Integer default: 3
<Rig>.tail_bones Integer default: 6
<Rig>.ear_controls Integer default: 2
<Rig>.ear_bones Integer default: 4
<Rig>.upper_front_leg_twist_bones Integer default: 3
<Rig>.mid_front_leg_twist_bones Integer default: 3
<Rig>.lower_front_leg_twist_bones Integer default: 3
<Rig>.upper_back_leg_twist_bones Integer default: 3
<Rig>.mid_back_leg_twist_bones Integer default: 3
<Rig>.lower_back_leg_twist_bones Integer default: 3
<Rig>.front_toes Integer default: 4
<Rig>.front_toe_bones Integer default: 2
<Rig>.back_toes Integer default: 4
<Rig>.back_toe_bones Integer default: 2
<Rig>.leg_pairs Integer default: 3

These parameters control the number of components for that part of the rig.

Methods

<void> <Rig>.CreateRig()

Creates the rig with all his components.

<void> <Rig>.ResetRig()

The rig will be reset if it was created, the rig's nodes will be removed from the scene.

<Point3> <Rig>.GetPointPos <string>name [side:<integer>] [sub_index:<index>] [index:<index>]

Returns the local position of the template point specified by the parameters.

<void> <Rig>.SetPointPos <string>name <point3>pos [side:<integer>] [sub_index:<index>] [index:<index>]

Sets the local position of the template point specified by the parameters.

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