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SAMURAI CHARACTER RIGGING & ANIMATION

YEAR 2019

This project was a freelance assignment focused on creating a high-quality character rig and animation for a samurai warrior character. I was responsible for developing a robust rigging system that would allow for dynamic movement, cloth simulation, and expressive character animation.

Samurai Character Design

Final Samurai Character Design

Rigging Challenges and Solutions

The character demanded a complex rigging setup to handle both traditional martial arts movements and dynamic cloth elements. I approached this with a combination of Maya's built-in rigging tools and custom scripting solutions.

  • Advanced control system - Created an intuitive FK/IK switch setup for the limbs with custom controls that allowed animators to easily manipulate the character
  • Cloth simulation integration - Implemented nCloth for the samurai's robes and fabric elements with custom scripts to manage collision and performance
  • Facial rigging - Developed a blend shape-based facial system with additional controls for nuanced expressions
  • Weapon attachment system - Built a flexible system for the samurai to interact with various weapons and props

Custom Technical Solutions

To address specific challenges with the character's complex clothing and armor:

  1. Wrote MEL scripts to automate weight transfer between the character's body and cloth elements
  2. Developed a custom collision system to prevent the nCloth simulation from intersecting with the character's mesh
  3. Created utility nodes to control simulation parameters based on the character's animation speed
  4. Implemented a caching system to improve playback performance during animation reviews

Animation Showcase

Demonstration of the rig's capabilities and animation sample

Technical Specifications

  • Software: Autodesk Maya
  • Custom Tools: MEL and Python scripting
  • Simulation: nCloth for dynamic elements
  • Control Rig: 60+ custom controls for animation
  • Special Features: Auto-adjusting IK/FK matching, dynamic secondary motion system

This project was particularly challenging due to the need to balance realistic cloth physics with the stylized, sometimes exaggerated movements typical in samurai combat sequences. The final rig successfully delivered on both technical requirements and artistic flexibility, allowing animators to create compelling performances with the character.

The custom scripts developed for this project have since become part of my standard rigging toolkit, especially the nCloth management utilities that significantly improve workflow efficiency for characters with complex cloth elements.