Rigging is the process of creating a skeleton (armature) to control the movement of objects, typically characters. This involves setting up bones, defining the relationship between them, and applying constraints to create smooth, realistic animations. Use this tag for questions about armatures and rigging questions/issues.
Rigging is a critical process in 3D animation, involving the creation of a skeletal structure (Armature) for characters or objects to be animated. This involves setting up bones, defining relationships between them, and painting weights to control how the mesh deforms. Rigging can also include advanced techniques such as inverse kinematics (IK), constraints, shape keys, and bone drivers to ensure realistic or stylized movements.
In Blender, rigging is key to character animation, but it also applies to any object that needs to be controlled in a way that mimics real-world physics. Whether you're working on a character rig, vehicle rig, or mechanical rig, mastering this area allows you to bring your models to life with fluid motion.
Rigging is a general term used for adding controls to objects, typically for the purpose of animation. Rigging often involves using one or more of the following features:
Armatures - This allows mesh objects to have flexible joints and is often used for skeletal animation.
Constraints - To control the kinds of motions that make sense and add functionality to the rig.
Object Modifiers - Mesh deformation can be quite involved, there are multiple modifiers that help control this.
Shape Keys - To support different target shapes (such as facial expressions) to be controlled.
Drivers - So your rig can control many different values at once, as well as making some properties automatically update based on changes elsewhere.
Rigging can be as advanced as your project requires, rigs are effectively defining own user interface for the animator to use, without having to be concerned the underlying mechanisms.
If you're experiencing issues with your rig or need help with the rigging process, this tag is the place for troubleshooting and advice.
Read more about rigging in the Blender Manual.
