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Creating a Quadruped Rig For Production

Rigging Techniques using Maya with Paween Sarachan

Lessons

Description

Improve the quality of your rigs with this professional guide to creating quadruped rigs. In this 6.5-hour workshop, Paween Sarachan shares the tips and tricks he’s learned to create user-friendly rigs while working alongside experienced professional animators in VFX production. The rigging system featured in this workshop was developed while working with Chalermphol Wattanawongtrakool, Senior Animator at Framestore, and Colin McEvoy, Animation Supervisor at DNEG. It has been tried and tested to meet the highest quality production standards while being animator-friendly.


This workshop begins from the basics and works through the creation of the final main-body rigs in a step-by-step process. One of the key components of this workshop is creating the realistic spine, which gives a final output that you’ll see used in VFX production — all without the need for any plugins. You’ll learn how to use the helper Python script to create the generic control rig and how to create a Spline-IK system with realistic behavior to push and pull the chest and pelvis, allowing all components to move together efficiently.


Parween also instructs how to create the FK/IK switch setup for the limbs, as well as the IK stretch setup, and the double FK control structure technique for the toe setup. You’ll learn the Limb Lock technique, the scapula auto aim setup, and discover Parween’s belly trick setup with cMuscleSmartConstraint node. He also covers the skinning weight technique using Maya’s skinning tools.


Included with this workshop is the model used and tested by the talented Colin McEvoy.


Duration: 6h 33m

Format: HD 1920x1080

Lessons

Paween Sarachan

Head of Assets at Igloo Studio

Paween Sarachan is Head of Build (Asset, Rig, CFX) at Igloo Studios, with over fifteen years of experience in animation and VFX. He specializes in creating a variety of rigging styles for characters, creatures, and assets across film, games, and cinematic projects.


Paween’s work includes contributions to the League of Legends and Valorant cinematics at Axis Studios, and the Prehistoric Planet documentary series for Apple TV. He also contributed to feature films such as Aquaman and The Last Kingdom while at Moving Picture Company.

  • I've worked directly with Paween and I know he has brilliant artistic and technical skills and creates rigs that animators enjoy using. He has also mentored junior- and mid-level riggers so I'm confident that the techniques demonstrated in this Gnomon Workshop will be complex but easy to understand.

    - Harry Houghton
    Senior Rigger at Sony Pictures Animation

  • Paween is an exceptional talent, providing professional grade rigs that are innovative and class leading. I found him excellent to work with, always looking for creative and proactive solutions to any technical challenges. As an animator, I found his rigs intuitive and elegant to use, allowing me to focus completely on creative posing, the excellent deformations always lending themselves to beautiful shaping. I would wholeheartedly recommend this workshop to anyone interested in developing as a top-line industry level rigger.

    - Colin McEvoy
    Animation Supervisor at DNEG

  • Paween is one of the best riggers I've worked with in my career. He is a talented and open-minded person who keeps learning and improving all the time. I love how precise all his work is and that he always serves his best for the team. Paween always seeks improvement and researches new ways to develop his rigging system, which makes his work outstanding, up to date, and friendly to use. I know you will enjoy learning with Paween.

    - Chalermphol Wattanawongtrakool
    Senior Animator at Sony Pictures Imageworks

  • Paween stands out as an exceptionally skilled rigger. He's just top-notch in both technical and artistic aspects. If a rig isn't up to par, he'll tweak it to make it better. And even if it's already good, he'll somehow make it even better and optimized. I consistently benefit from his valuable technical advice. Plus, he's very good at breaking down tricky problems into smaller, easier bits.

    - Peck Kanjanasahas
    Character Technical Director - Rigging at MEGALIS VFX

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