How to Upload Your Own Rigged Body Sl

Rigacar

a Blender add together-on to rig... a automobile

Downloadable file

rigacar.zip

This add-on is available for free on GitHub for Blender 3.0, 2.9X and two.83. For previous versions, get and check the releases page.

If you want to animate cars but you don't desire to spend too much time for rigging, Rigacar could be helpful. It is a complimentary addition for Blender I developed for i of my projects. Rigacar was designed to fulfill the following goals:

• generate a complete rig as quickly as possible for standard car models
• provide tools to automate wheels animation
• allow efficient blitheness blistering to be able to export blithe models into existent fourth dimension renderers

At the terminate of this documentation, at that place is a section defended to useful advices to create animations and avert mutual mistakes.

Before reading this documentation, you can picket my series of videotutorials:

Circumspection!

These videotutorials are based on a previous version of the add-on for Blender two.7x and are therefore a piffling bit outdated. Only they should nonetheless be helpful. Below is a list of things explained in the videos which are no more relevant:

Part one: adding a new rig

I explain in this video you lot need to accommodate the length of the torso bone when y'all add the armature to signal the length of your model. This is no longer necessary. Rigacar computes bounding boxes for each reference object and their children to find the dimension of your model. Naming convention to lucifer objects of your model with the primary parts of the rig is now case insensitive.

Function 2: adjusting the rig

Adjusting widgets could however be necessary but Rigacar is now able to place widgets at a off-white location.

Part 3: animating forth path

No need to accommodate the delta location of your armature later on calculation a follow path constraint. Origin point of the armature is adapted automatically at generation time.

Role 4: slamming on brakes

Brakes have their ain blitheness widgets now.

Prepare your model

Downloadable file

bmw27_with_rig.blend

Y'all can download the alloy file with the model and the complete rig. Don't forget to download and install Rigacar. Nice BMW27 model used in this article is a modified version of the one bachelor in the Blender demo files. Thanks to Mike Pan for creating and sharing it.

Rigacar expects your model is oriented forth the -Y centrality and the wheels lay upon the filigree floor. This fashion, the front end of your model matches the front view in Blender. If it is not the case, yous should rotate your model to match this orientation. Of course, don't forget to apply rotation and scale on your model.

One time y'all have installed and enabled the add-on, you should follow these steps:

• prepare your model and ensure you accept followed the naming convention to let the add together-on find the structure of your model
• add together the deformation rig
• generate the concluding animation rig
• tweak the rig and, optionally, extend the rig for your own purposes

Use naming convention for reference objects

Before adding the rig to your scene, I highly recommend to adapt your model and to follow a naming convention for each role. This way, Rigacar volition exist able to analyse your model and to create an accurate deformation rig.

Rigacar is able to identify reference objects based on their names. Reference objects are objects used for the body, the wheels and the restriction wheels in your model. The name for these reference objects should be suffixed according to the rules describe in the following table:

Suffix	Part of the model	Case
torso	The Body of the model	mycar-trunk
wheel.Ft.L	The forepart left wheel	mycar-wheel.Ft.Fifty
wheel.Ft.R	The forepart right bike	mycar-wheel.Ft.R
wheel.Bk.L	The rear left wheel	mycar-wheel.Bk.L
cycle.Bk.R	The rear right bicycle	mycar-bicycle.Bk.R
wheelbrake.Ft.L	The front left brake wheel or whatsoever office associated with the cycle which does not spin	mycar-wheelbrake.Ft.L
wheelbrake.Ft.R	The front right restriction wheel or any office associated with the wheel which does not spin	mycar-wheelbrake.Ft.R
wheelbrake.Bk.Fifty	The rear left brake wheel or any part associated with the wheel which does not spin	mycar-wheelbrake.Bk.L
wheelbrake.Bk.R	The rear right brake cycle or any function associated with the wheel which does not spin	mycar-wheelbrake.Bk.R

Name matching is case insensitive and you can employ dot, infinite, nuance or underscore equally separators. Post-obit names are all valid: mycar.Wheel.Ft.Fifty, mycar-wheel-Ft-L, mycar wheel fr l, mycar_WHEEL_FT_L

You may have multiple objects for each part. For instance yous may have 1 object for the wheel rim and some other for the tire. Consider ane of these as the reference object and name it according to the convention. Then parent the others to this one. See below as an example, the outliner for the scene used in this commodity:

If your model has more than i pair of wheels at front or at rear, utilize the same convention as Blender: add together a number with 3 digits at the end: mycar-Wheel.Ft.L.001, mycar-Wheel.Ft.R.001, mycar-Bike.Ft.50.002, mycar-Bike.Ft.R.002...

If some of these objects do not exist, Rigacar will adjust the rig. For instance, you tin can create a valid rig for models with no brake cycle. You can even apply Rigacar for models without any front end bike or back cycle (or even no wheel at all... fifty-fifty if I doubt your model should be some sort of machine).

Caution!

Known limitation: do not parent your reference objects (torso, wheels, wheel brakes) to annihilation earlier adding the rig. It could generate errors or an incorrect rig.

Bank check origins

Rigacar will use the origin betoken of each reference objects to locate the generated bones. Before adding the deformation rig (encounter the side by side section), yous should check the origin of each of them:

Reference object for the trunk

The origin indicates the location around which the model volition pitch and coil.

Reference object for the bike

The origin indicates the center of the wheel which is the intersection of the spinning centrality and the steering axis (only for front end wheels)

Reference object for the brake cycle

The origin should be the signal of the attachment of the brake bicycle. You should marshal information technology with the origin of the cycle.

In the model below, you lot see the origin bespeak and the name of each reference objects:

In the previous prototype, reference object for the trunk is yellow, reference objects for wheels are cerise and reference objects for brakes are green. All other objects are white and are parented to one reference object.

Add the deformation rig

Once yous have installed the add together-on, you lot tin add together a new kind of armature in your scene: a motorcar deformation rig. It is an armature with only bones used to animate straight your model: the trunk, the wheels and the brakes.

When you add together such an armature, Rigacar volition effort to discover reference objects amongst the selected objects. For each one found, Rigacar volition automatically position the associated bones at the same origin indicate and will parent the reference object to the bone.

And then the dominion of pollex is: select all the objects of your model, add the rig and allow the improver do the job for you.

Annotation

If needed, y'all can use the operator panel to tweak the deformation rig:

• add front/back wheel pairs. You can fifty-fifty remove front end wheels or back wheels
• add together bones for brakes
• adjust location of basic

If yous accept correctly prepared your model, y'all should not take to tweak the deformation rig. If the rig seems not correct, it could be difficult to tweak it by mitt. Consider checking the proper name and origin indicate of your objects then add the rig again. Most of the fourth dimension, information technology'due south merely near using an iterative process.

Each generated bone is named following the same convention as the reference objects:

DEF-Body	Deformation bone for the torso
DEF-Wheel.Ft.L	Deformation bone for the forepart left wheel
DEF-Bike.Ft.R	Deformation os for the front correct cycle
DEF-Wheel.Bk.L	Deformation bone for the rear left wheel
DEF-Wheel.Bk.R	Deformation bone for the rear right cycle
DEF-WheelBrake.Ft.Fifty	Deformation bone for the front left brake
DEF-WheelBrake.Ft.R	Deformation bone for the front correct brake
DEF-WheelBrake.Bk.L	Deformation bone for the rear left brake
DEF-WheelBrake.Bk.R	Deformation os for the rear correct brake

If your model has more than i front or dorsum pair of wheels, additional bones will have proper name suffixed past a number: DEF-Wheel.Ft.L.001 or DEF-Bicycle.Ft.R.001 for instance.

Generate the complete rig

One time the deformation rig is added, you can now generate the complete rig.

Use the button Generate bachelor in the properties panel in the 3D View. You lot can also notice the aforementioned button in the properties of the armature.

The consummate rig is generated and the animation widgets are dispatched over several armature's layers:

• Layer i (bluish widgets) contains the root widget for the overall model and the drift widget to control location and orientation of the automobile
• Layer 2 (xanthous widgets) contains the pause widget and one damper widget per bike
• Layer 3 (green widgets) contains widgets for forepart wheels, back wheels, brakes and steering
• Layer 4 (ruby-red widgets) contains the ground sensors (one per cycle and 1 per axle)
• layer 14 contains bones necessary to tweak the position of the widgets
• layer 15 contains main mechanical bones (useful to extend the rig)
• Layer 16 contains deformation basic (those originally added past the deformation rig)
• Layer 32 contains all mechanical bones (no need to accept a expect at it).

Layers ane, 2, three and iv are useful for animators. Layer xiv is useful for riggers to tweak the generated rig (come across below). Layer fifteen is useful for riggers who want to extend the rig with more basic. For instance, if y'all want to add bones to control side doors, you should parent these new bones to MCH-Body from this layer.

Tweak the generated rig

Once you have generated the animation rig, you lot may need to tweak it.

Check the spinning of the wheels

The animation rig can rotate wheels as you lot move your model along the Y centrality.

Be aware the spinning is only correct for translation on the Y axis. And so, this feature is non the proper manner to animate wheels with Rigacar (see section below). But information technology is useful to quickly check the generated rig. In the properties console, put the property Wheels on Y axis to 1 to activate this feature. Don't forget to set it back to 0 one time you take checked your model.

Edit properties for basis sensors

Basis sensors (layer four) are widgets generated for each wheel and for each axle. They are used to make sure your model will follow the ground of your scene. They are bones generated with a shrinkwrap constraint named Ground projection. This constraint is not activated by default. You lot tin tweak each footing sensor from a dedicated department in the backdrop panel. Yous tin can choice the object for the footing and accommodate min/max local Z values to limit wheels vertical position to avert inaccurate positions (like passing through the body). Yous can also pick the object in your scene which is the ground.

Suit suspension

Moving ground sensor and damper widgets has an issue on the trunk of your model. Animation of these widgets is supposed to be subtle. Otherwise, your model will be stripped away. If y'all want, you can adjust this break issue in the Animation Rig panel.

Pitch factor

This factor adjusts the variation on the local Z axis of the body when basis sensors and/or damper widgets are moving.

Gyre gene

This factor adjusts rolling of the body on the local Y axis when ground sensors and/or damper widgets are moving.

If you desire to go along full control on your blitheness, you can turn these factors to 0 to deactivate any consequence from the suspension.

Bake wheels animation

Virtually of the fourth dimension, you don't really need to animate wheels. Rigacar can bake the animation for you based on the motion of your model. And so you lot should non breathing the steering widget nor widget for wheels but use buttons to bake their animation.

Broil steering

The button Bake auto steering computes animation of the steering. When you lot click on it, a popup dialog is displayed to accommodate baking parameters:

First frame and end frame

The range for the animation. By default it matches the range of the current blitheness. You can arrange information technology if you lot like.

Rotation factor

The value is used as a cistron to adjust strength of the steering. If you desire to create animation with a more noticeable animation of the steering, y'all can employ a college value.

Keyframe tolerance

Rigacar can try not to add keyframe if information technology is not necessary. If y'all want to remove some racket in the animation, you lot can creepo up this value: Rigacar will go more and more tolerant and volition ignore significant variations, adding less keyframes. On the contrary, if you ready this value to goose egg, Rigacar will add keyframes for each frame. Yous should not have to alter this parameter. Endeavour tweaking information technology merely if yous get some weird event.

Broil wheels rotation

The button Bake wheels rotation computes spinning of the wheels. Rigacar takes into account the brake widgets to animate the wheels. When yous click on it, a popup dialog is displayed to conform baking parameters:

Start frame and cease frame

The range for the animation. By default information technology matches the range of the current animation. You can suit it if y'all like.

Keyframe tolerance

Rigacar can endeavor non to add keyframe if it is non necessary. If you want to remove some racket in the animation, you lot can crank upward this value: Rigacar will become more than and more tolerant and volition ignore significant variations, adding less keyframes. On the reverse, if you ready this value to nil, Rigacar volition add together keyframes for each frame. Yous should non take to change this parameter. Try tweaking it only if you get some weird upshot.

If you want to animate skidding during braking, you lot tin can activate brakes on wheels. Calibration downwardly brake widgets, add together keyframes then hitting Bake wheels rotation once more.

Articulate baked animation

Quondam, you want to remove animations generated by Rigacar for steering and wheels. In this case, click on the button Clear baked animation. This volition reset bones rotation and remove generated keyframes.

Advices and reminders

Based on many feedbacks and comments, I added this section to share tips for avoiding common mistakes and creating better animations.

1. Rigacar is no car simulator. Don't expect to see you lot model drift or whatsoever kind of nice things happens automatically. Deplorable, It's merely a rig generator. you take to do the blitheness yourself. At least, it provides a quick and like shooting fish in a barrel way to generate keyframes for wheels animation. Probably could practice much more but not at the current state...

2. Unfortunately Rigacar is not able to rig three-wheeled vehicle or bike. It is designed for vehicles with one or more pairs of wheels. Anyway, Jamis made a tutorial to rig a three-wheeled motorcar with Rigacar (many thanks to him):

   This tutorial could exist useful just the generated rig is not 100% efficient (there are some problems with suspension). But if it is good plenty for you who cares it is not 100% efficient.

3. Do non add a new rig in a non editable collection, it will non work.

4. The easiest manner to animate your model is past making it following a bend object. You can utilize follow path constraint on the root widget equally a bone constraint in pose mode (take care not adding the constraint on the armature itself).

5. With follow path constraint, checked the choice Follow curve and use -Y for the forrard direction because your model is supposed to exist aligned forth -Y axis.

6. If you use a curve every bit a path for your model, do non apply the default value of Resolution preview U for the curve (a value of 100 is more often than not fine). Fifty-fifty if the curve seems smooth on screen, it could create jagged animation because curves are merely sampling of points. Resolution preview U defines the resolution of your bend and is bachelor in the Object Data Properties console.

7. When y'all use ground sensors, make certain you apply scale on the mesh object used as the ground in your scene. Otherwise, you may ended upwards with a model floating higher up the footing.

8. Later baking blitheness for wheels, it could seem the wheels are not spinning in the correct direction (going backward while the model is going forward) or the wheels are barely spinning. You can cheque the generated animation curves in the graph editor but information technology is more probable an optical result. Information technology happens in movie, it happens in life and it happens in Blender. To know more than, read this article. Try using motion mistiness at render time to have a more than realistic effect.

9. If you want your model to go forward and astern in the same scene (in a car park blitheness for instance), the all-time method I know is to utilise multiple curves. Apparently, the terminal control point of ane curve must be at the same location as the beginning control point of the next curve. But to achieve a smooth animation, the second-concluding control indicate of one bend must be at the aforementioned location as the 2nd control point of the next curve. You have to breathing the motion of the root widget forth these curves using several Follow path constraints. Y'all too have to animate activation and deactivation of these constraints along the timeline.

To infinity and beyond

I would exist glad if this add-on could exist useful to some of you. I am no professional rigger nor animator. So I am pretty sure this add-on and the generated rig can be dramatically improved. Use them in a fashion I have non imagined and requite me feedbacks. You lot tin utilize the comments below, yous tin can create an outcome on GitHub and, of form, you tin fork my lawmaking.

Originally, I was inspired by Ondrej Raha's add-on. I somewhen realized it would not provide the features I was looking for. So I decided to write my own improver and finally to share it with the customs. Thanks to him for giving me inspiration.

Bulldoze safely :)

carrickshmarch1949.blogspot.com

Source: http://digicreatures.net/articles/rigacar.html

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