Auto Rig Tool
This tool was developed in Python for Maya to assist in the rigging process of a bipedal humanoid for the short Innovation.
When the main Python file is run, the auto rig GUI appears. This GUI allows for user input to control the amount of spine joints and the number of fingers that can created. From there all the user has to do to create a rig is to click the buttons in order of:
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Create Base Locators
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Create Joints
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Create IK
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Create Controls
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Constrain
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Bind Skin
Creating the base locators is an important step in this auto rig process, because the locators are set up in a base T-pose position with no regard to any specific mesh. This positioning allows for translation manipulation for an imported bipedal mesh. To expedite the manipulation process, the Mirror L -> R button allows for any locator manipulation done on the left side of the character to be mirrored on to the character's right side.
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Creating the joints is done automatically through the script by finding the locator's position in world space and hierarchy to place the joints and to insure proper joint hierarchy to allow for proper movement. Once the joints have been created then the IK systems can be added. The arms an legs are given a standard IK solver with the legs having a stickiness component added. The spine is given a spline IK solver, and creates clusters along the spine's control curve.
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The controls are then created base on where the joints are located or for the spine where the spline clusters are. Once the controls have been created they are then able to have the joints constrained to them. The constraints are based on what movement each joint will need. For example the fingers only need orient constraints while the arm or legs need parent constraints.
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Finally, the mesh can be bound to the joints. This tool uses Maya's geodesic voxel skin bind with a dropoff rate of 0.1.
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