Workflow

bad animation rig:

• Confusing interaction - Move controller to the right, character moves to the left, doesn't correspond.
• Difficult to find controls.
• Animator thinks more about the technology than the art - computer animation is difficult, shouldn't have to think about the technology more than needs to be.
• Medically damaging - Physically (RSI) and mentally (postal) - make rig thats least painful as possible, don't have to do too many things at once.

good animation rig:

• Easy to use.
• Consistent behavior.
• Gives the animator the control they need - dont over provide, gets confusing.
• Fast and interactive. 
• Provides the right amount of detail at the right time. 
• Allows the animator to do their job without compromising their ideas

balance:

• Performance requirements of char or prop.
• Manipulation and interaction needs of the animator.
• Technical requirements of the character or prop - function and purpose, solve performance requirements only.
• Communicate any limitations with the animator.

steps to creating a good anomation rig:                                                           

1. Analyze the problem.
2. Test possible solutions.
3. Analyze the solution.
4. Re-create the solution cleanly - make sure there are no surplus nodes.
5. Re-create the solution again using code, easier to alter in future than re-creating the whole rig.

developing guidelines:                                                                                   

• How the rig should work
• Animation Requirements:
• How the character should act
• What it needs to be able to do
• Rig Requirements
• Standard animation rig specs
• Determined to help ensure consistency,ease of use etc.

professional tips:

• Keep a copy of the scene (geo only) saved separately - when you work on
• different components of the rig you can keep referring to it and be sure there are no extra "dirty nodes" that may clutter the scene.
• Make it transferable - be able to update the rig with later models/names.
• This can be done by using controls for movemen.
• Controls should be unique and understandable - Iconic representation (could use
• text symbols). ask animators feedback - what types of things makes sense to them.
• Arrows movement - arcs rotation
• Naming conventions - make it solid, develop one that makes sense :

_geo Geometry

_anim Animation controls

_joint Joints

_skin Joints used for skinning

_grp Group Nodes

_shad Shaders

_tex Textures

• Limited keyability - hide channel box attributes that are not needed.
• Create a work in progress directory (WIP) and place in same directory as Library folder.
• Set the project in here - incremental saves should be placed in here.
• Investigate best solution for problems.

gimbal mode:                                                                                                

• Set rotation order according to movement ie, which axis will be used the most should notn affect the other axis. Animation should be done in Gimbal to keep track of animation curve to maintain readability.
• Which axis is most important for the animator?

 

automation:

• Does animation occur by itself (ie using expressions/dynamics) or does the animator arbitrate it?

post requirements:                                                                                        

• Limit Control Selection
• Clean Rig Presentation
• RRP - Rig Relocation Program, allow for rig to be moved and rotated anywhere in the scene and still work within all space.

Test Animation Rig - Either yourself or get an animator to do it!!