| Character rigs control characters in the traditional CG pipeline. This thesis examines the rig creation process and discusses several problems inherant in the traditional workflow---excessive time spent and a lack of uniformity, and proposes a software plugin which solves these issues. This thesis describes the creation of a tool for Blender 3D which automates the rigging process yet keeps the creativity and control in the hands of the user. A character rig designed by this tool will be fully functional---yet capable of being split into its component parts and reconstructed as the user determines. These body parts are individually scripted with the intent of maximizing reusability, and the code and rigs are distributed to the open source community for vetting. The final tool has been downloaded many times by the Blender community and has met with very postive responses. |
