Rigging Workshop | Learn Character Rigging

How do I learn character rigging? Well, you can get started by joining Puppeteer Lounge online character rigging training workshop program and learn how to build your very own professional character rigs for films and games! Learn the art and science of building a character rig which is essentially a digital puppet! We offer wide range of flexible and dynamic character rigging courses in Blender and Maya going over a broad spectrum of cartoon and realistic character rigs matching today’s industry standard. Our graduates are currently working in film and game studios around the world! Be sure to check out our student’s rigging show-reel!

Our rigging courses are designed for all levels of character riggers and technical animators. Beginning character rigger will be directed to learn specific tools, rigging concepts and technicalities used in character rigging. Below is the summary of all available online character rigging training workshops!

“Introduction to Character Rigging & Software Tools”

What is character rigging!? A character rig or a character setup is a digital skeleton bound to the 3D mesh. A character rig is essentially a digital puppet that animators can use to manipulate the digital character into the desired pose for character animation. With this introductory rigging course we will learn the fundamental principles and technicalities of character rigging and build our very first character rig. We will start off by rigging a Cartoony Bouncing Ball by implementing the fundamental principles of animation. The second half of the workshop is concentrated towards setting up a fully functional bipedal character rig! By the end of this rigging course, you will be familiar with the fundamentals of character rigging!

Class Detail

Class 01 – Introduction to character rigging and software tools. Introduction to Joint.
Class 02 – Introduction to IK Handles.
Class 03 – Introduction to Constraint.
Class 04 – Introduction to Deformer.
Class 05 – Rigging a Bouncing Ball.
Class 06 – Rigging a bipedal character. Setting up Skeleton.
Class 07 – Bipedal character setup “Session A”. Torso and Head Setup.
Class 08 – Bipedal character setup “Session B”. Arm and Leg Setup.
Class 09 – Finishing off The Basic Bipedal Character Setup.

Assignments:
1. Rigging a Bouncing Ball.
2. Rigging a Simple Biped Character.

Fee

$540 for the Online Workshop
$360 for the Offline (pre-recorded) Workshop

Target Audience

Anyone with an interest in Character Rigging.
No previous experience with Character Rigging or Software Tools is required but it is helpful.
This course is available for learning in Blender and Maya

“Cartoon Character Setup”

With this character rigging course we will learn to build a production ready character rig for film. We will start off by understanding the character, from it’s anatomy to the emotions! Character rigging is a very modular process, hence we categories each section of the body and face to setup an animator friendly rig that delivers superb performance and expression. The first half of the workshop is focused towards building a flexible body rig and the second half of the workshop is geared towards building an expressive facial rig, keeping the puppet very intuitive to work with. Towards the end of the workshop, you will have created a production ready cartoon character rig.

Class Details

Class 01 – Reference study and skeletal setup.
Class 02 – Introduction to stretchy, IK-FK deformation spine control. Build the spine rig.
Class 03 – Build the stretchy IK-FK arm rig with advance elbow control. Add-in bendy deformation control and twist setup for the arm.
Class 04 – Build the stretchy IK-FK leg rig with advance knee control. Add-in bendy deformation control and twist setup for the leg. Setting up a reverse foot system.
Class 05 – Setting up the head, neck and finger rig.
Class 06 – Finalize and complete the body rig. Start skinning and paint weight.
Class 07 – Finalize paint weight and polish the deformation with corrective shapes.
Class 08 – Start skeletal setup for the head and face. Enhancing and adding additional deformation layers for exaggerated cartoon like deformation.
Class 09 – Build an expressive Brow Setup. Add in corrective shapes for expressive brow control.
Class 10 – Setting up eye rig with advance control and blink mechanism with corrective shapes.
Class 11 – Setting up nose and cheek rig using blendshape. Start mouth rigging with sticky lip behavior.
Class 12 – Finishing mouth rig, adding in facial blendshape and corrective shapes for mouth and lip.
Class 13 – Inner mouth rigging. Finalize the facial setup.
Class 14 – Finalize the character setup. Rig checklist, quality check (debugging) and finalize the rig for production. Q&A, Review, Show-reel preparation!

Assignments:
1. Rigging a full body and facial cartoon character for production.

Bonus Material: Students will also be provided with a video tutorial on creating Soft IK, Automated Pivot Control, IK – FK Snapping, Space Switching and Smear Controls! Additionally learn the art and technique of rigging a cartoon character for production featuring Non-Flipping Arm and Shoulder with single-mesh characters and also the ones with short and long sleeved clothes. Wait for it, you get more! Learn the ins and outs of SHAPES tool by brave rabbit! Learn to create facial blendshapes and corrective shapes for production by sculpting, combining, weight mapping, organizing and shape driving for better deformation! These bonus features are an upgrade or add-ons to the existing rigs and all included with this training workshop program all FREE of charge!! (If you would like to purchase just the Bonus Material, Contact Us )

Fee

$840 for the Online Workshop
$560 for the Offline (pre-recorded) Workshop

Target Audience

Anyone with an interest in upgrading their existing Character Rigging skills to build a Cartoon setup.
Previous experience with Character Rigging or Software Tools is required.
This course is available for learning in Blender and Maya (Bonus materials only available for Maya based training workshop program.)

“Hyper Real Character Setup”

With this character rigging course we will take on the challenge to visualize and build realistic production ready character rig and a robust facial rig using digital muscle and simulation. We will begin by building a realistic body rig that delivers believable and anatomically correct deformation driven by dynamic musculo-skeletal setup! The second half of the workshop focuses on creating a believable hyper realistic facial system based on hybrid musculo-skeletal deformation to re-create life-like facial emotion and expression. The workshop emphasizes on creating hyper realistic character rig that are not just believable to the eyes but also performs well thanks to the array of modular rigging approaches we will be implementing. We will be integrating state of the art techniques to build a film quality rig merging the artistic and technical aspects of character rigging!

Class Detail

Class 01 – Reference study and skeletal setup.
Class 02 – Build the control rig for torso and head.
Class 03 – Build control rig for arm and leg.
Class 04 – Build the Animation Rig & Motion Integration.
Class 05 – Skinning and paint weight.
Class 06 – Introduction to Maya muscle.
Class 07 – Build muscle setup for torso, arm and leg.
Class 08 – Muscular deformation binding and weight painting.
Class 09 – Enhance the deformation for proper musculo-skeletal deformation using Pose Space Deformation.
Class 10 – Start skeletal setup for the head and face. Skinning and paint weight on head.
Class 11 – Understanding FACS (Facial Action Coding System) and AU (Action Unit). Facial muscle and bone setup with paint weight.
Class 12 – Facial corrective sculpts creation. Understanding facial combination shape tweaking and in-between shapes for facial articulation.
Class 13 – Connecting key AU of face with UI Integration. Setup facial AU combination shapes. Adding in-between facial shapes to enhance deformation and adjusting interpolation which includes the eye, lips, etc.
Class 14 – Creating Facial shaper controls add-on for micro expression control.
Class 15 – Add-in facial expression shapes. Enhance the facial deformation for proper musculo-skeletal deformation. Sticky Lips Setup.
Class 16 – Facial Setup Completion and Production Puppet Rig Build. Facial geometry add-ons and Neck Corrective. Facial Motion Integration using do it yourself facial motion capture based on Dynamixyz tool-set provided as Bonus Material with this course.

Assignments:
1. Rigging a full body and facial hyper real character for production.

Bonus Material: Students will also be provided with a video tutorial on FAT SKIN Simulation Setup to learn and implement the art and technique of simulating anatomically correct human musculoskeletal – FAT system using nCloth system. Wait! There is more!! A video tutorial on Dynamixyz Facial Motion Capture system will also be provided with this course!!! Learn how to create High-End Facial Animations on your Own with Dynamixyz software!!!! Dynamixyz’s Performer Solution is an award-winning video-based marker-less facial capture and analysis solution for films and games. (If you would like to purchase just the Bonus Material, Contact Us)

Fee

$960 for the Online workshop
$640 for the Offline (pre-recorded) workshop

Target Audience

Anyone with an interest in upgrading their existing Character Rigging skills to build a Hyper-Realistic setup.
Previous experience with Character Rigging is required.

With “Scripting Workshops” you can learn how to build your own tools to help create character rigs effortlessly using MEL and/or Python scripting/programming!

Introduction to MEL Scripting & Expression

In this introductory MEL scripting workshop we will introduce our self to the foundation of MEL scripting. We will learn to create simple tools and execute expressions. Below is the summary of “Introduction to MEL Scripting & Expression” training workshop.

Class 01 – Introduction and overview of MEL scripting.
Class 02 – Explore the different types of variables. GUI creation and simple tool build.
Class 03 – Explore logic, condition and loop to build interactive tools.
Class 04 – Introduction and overview of Expression. Build simple procedural setup.
Class 05 – Implement procedural setup in character rigging for automation.

Assignments:
1. Building simple tools and procedural setup for character rigging.

Fee

$300 for the Online Workshop
$200 for the Offline (pre-recorded) Workshop

Target Audience

Anyone with an interest in learning the basics of MEL scripting.
No previous experience with Character Rigging or Software Tools is required but it is helpful.

Auto Rig Tool

In this training workshop we will learn to create a fully functional custom bipedal character rig with automated tools using the power of MEL scripting. Using these tools we can setup a character rig in a matter of minutes with just a few clicks of a mouse button saving both time and resources to deliver quality rigs. Click here for demo video. Below is the summary of “Auto Rig Tool” training workshop.

Class 01 – Overview of MEL scripting for Auto Rig Tool build.
Class 02 – Character setup template builder tool creation.
Class 03 – Build guide builder tool to initiate character rigging automation.
Class 04 – Torso Builder tool creation. Automate the process of torso rigging.
Class 05 – Torso Builder tool completion.
Class 06 – Arm Builder tool creation. Automate the process of arm rigging.
Class 07 – Arm Builder tool completion.
Class 08 – Leg Builder tool creation. Automate the process of leg rigging.
Class 09 – Leg Builder tool completion.
Class 10 – Finger Builder tool creation. Automate the process of finger rigging. Course summary and completion.

Assignments:
1. Building simple tools and procedural setup for character rigging.

Fee

$600 for the Online Workshop
$400 for the Offline (pre-recorded) Workshop

Target Audience

Anyone with an interest in learning MEL scripting.
Previous experience with Character Rigging and basics MEL scripting knowledge is required. A good knowledge of basic to intermediate level of rigging is recommended.

Python Workshop 1 “Introduction to Python Programming”

In this introductory Python Programming workshop we will introduce our self to the foundation of Python programming language. We will learn to create production ready tools and execute it into desired programs and fields. Below is the summary of “Python Workshop 1” training workshop.

Class 01 – Introduction and overview of Python.
Class 02 – Explore the different types of variables and data types.
Class 03 – Explore functions and statements.
Class 04 – Reading/Writing files part 1.
Class 05 – Reading/Writing files part 2.
Class 06 – Python in Maya implementation.
Class 07 – Packages and creating GUI.
Class 08 – Project development.
Assignments:
1. Building simple tools to query and return basic functions.

Fee

$320 for the Offline (pre-recorded) Workshop

Target Audience

Anyone with an interest in learning the basics of Python programming.
No previous experience with Python is required but it is helpful.

Python Workshop 2 “Introduction to OOP Tool Development”

In this training workshop we will learn to build a flexible tool to create modular bipedal character setup. This course covers the object-oriented design of programming with python to produce production ready tools. Click here for demo video. Below is the summary of “Python Workshop 2” training workshop.

Class 01 – Overview of Python and rigging fundamentals.
Class 02 – Introduction to Classes.
Class 03 – MetaNode network concept.
Class 04 – Using Expressions.
Class 05 – Class Inheritance to transfer code.
Class 06 – Creating Decorators and implementation.
Class 07 – Modular Tool building part 1.
Class 08 – Modular Tool building part 2.
Class 09 – Modular Tool building part 3.
Class 10 – GUI Creation and integration.
Class 11 – Course summary and completion.
Assignments:
1. Building an Auto Rigger.

Fee

$440 for the Offline (pre-recorded) Workshop

Target Audience

Anyone with an interest in learning Python programming.
Basic knowledge of Python programming is required. A good knowledge of basic to intermediate level of character rigging is recommended.

Game Character Setup “Character Rigging for Games”

Learn to setup character rig for video game production! With this game character rigging course we will learn to setup a character rig for video games. We will learn to setup a production ready flexible full body and expressive facial rig including props rigging for video games. The course also includes an in-depth overview of Unreal Engine 4!

Class Detail

Below is the summary of the Game Character Setup “Character Rigging for Games” training workshop.

Class 01 – Reference study and skeletal setup. Torso control rig build.
Class 02 – Arm control rig build. Leg control rig build.
Class 03 – Complete the animation rig. Proxy model creation and bind.
Class 04 – Skinning and paint weight.
Class 05 – Corrective shape integration using Pose Space Deformation.
Class 06 – Motion Integration using motion capture. Props rigging.
Class 07 – FACS study and facial skeletal setup. Facial secondary joint setup.
Class 08 – Brow and Eye Setup.
Class 09 – Nose and Cheek setup.
Class 10 – Jaw and Mouth setup.
Class 11 – Complete facial setup. Unreal Engine 4 integration and animation test.. Conclusion!

Assignments:
1. Rigging a full body and facial character rig for video game production.

Fee

$660 for the Online Workshop
$440 for the Offline (pre-recorded) Workshop

Target Audience

Anyone with an interest in upgrading their existing Character Rigging skills to build a game ready character setup.
Previous experience with Character Rigging or Software Tools is required.
Anyone with an interest in CGI Game Engine integration workflow.
Working experience with Unreal Engine 4 is not required to get started.
This course is available for learning in Blender and Maya

Bundled with this game character rigging course, you will also receive an in-depth training workshop free of cost so that you can create and publish your work with Unreal Engine 4! Learn to build and showcase your work of art through the power of Unreal Engine 4! Learn how to integrate and create an amazing in-game showcase with in-depth classes listed below!

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You can download TEJO Unreal Engine 4 Demo by clicking here. Below is the class detail.

Class 1: Workflow & Concepts of Maya & Unreal Engine 4 integration. Developing the pipeline for the Unreal Engine demo. Preparing the necessary assets, model, and texture.
Class 2: Overview of the character rig and animation. Bake character animation and corrective morph targets to be exported to the game engine.
Class 3: Overview of the Unreal Engine 4. Preparing and importing necessary assets.
Class 4: Overview and creation of various blueprints inside of the game engine.
Class 5: Working with shader. Compiling and assigning necessary materials for the assets. Simple lighting.
Class 6: Setup level lighting and particle effects. Create HUD.
Class 7: Setting up morph target based dynamic driven maps (Normal & Displacement). Setup automated flickering light.
Class 8: Finalize interactive turntable demo. Post processing and ambient music. Publish the demo. Review & Q&A.
Class 9: Intro to Matinee.
Class 10: Use Unreal Engine 4 Matinee for cinematic production!
Assignments:
– Creating TEJO Unreal Engine 4 Demo

Fee

$0.00 (Absolutely free with Game Character Setup training workshop. This workshop as a Bonus Material.)

“Mini-Workshops” are quick, specific courses geared towards learning different types, methods and aspects of character rigging. Below is the list of available Mini-Workshops.

Hyper Real Quadruped Setup – In this 12 class workshop we will learn to setup a photo-realistic quadruped character (Tiger) rig for films. We will learn to setup an animator friendly body rig driven by dynamic musculo-skeletal deformation to create anatomically correct quadruped character rig for production. We will also learn to create believable facial setup that integrate within the production rig for re-creating life-like realistic animation. Click here for demo video.

Super Toon Character Setup – In this 12 class workshop we will learn to setup a super cartoon rig for films. We will learn to setup a super cartoon rig featuring many different kinds of animation gimmicks such as bendy controls, scale-able controls, smears and multiples. The rig will also feature an expressive and highly deform-able facial rig. Click here for demo video.

Morphing Character Setup – In this 12 class workshop we will learn to create a customizable production ready character rig which can be morphed or blended into different looking characters. Using this technique we can blend a character into infinite number of unique characters. For example a little kid can blend into an old man or a lady. We will learn the techniques needed to morph the body and face and create a Universal-Rig. Click here for demo video.

Cartoony Facial Setup – In this 10 class workshop we will learn to create a highly flexible production ready cartoony facial rig based on joints, shapes and deformation controls all layered together to produce a wide range of exaggerated stylized facial expressions. Click here for demo video.

Joint Based Facial Setup – In this 10 class workshop we will learn to create a highly flexible production ready stylized facial rig based on joints only to produce a wide range of exaggerated stylized facial expressions. This facial rig is compatible with game engines.

Wrap FACS Facial Setup – In this 10 class workshop we will learn to setup a believable FACS based facial rig. We will be using DIY photogrammetry to 3D scan a face and integrate it to the pipeline for CGI animation creating your very own digital double. Learn to extract facial expression based on FACS from 3D scans. Make it compatible for 3D workflow and create a rig based on it. Learn to create automated maps for wrinkles and fine facial details. The motion capture ready FACS based facial rig is compatible with game engines and films. For this course we are using the amazing Wrap 3 tool-set! Click here for demo video.

Cartoon Quadruped Setup – In this 10 class workshop we will learn to setup a flexible full body quadruped rig with facial control. Click here for demo video.

Bird Setup – In this 8 class workshop we will learn to setup a flexible bird rig with intuitive wing control and feather dynamics. Click here for demo video.

Human Transformation Setup – In this 8 class workshop we will learn to setup a photo-realistic human (bipedal) transformation rig for film. We will learn to setup anatomically correct human transformation rig that transforms from one form to another. The rig features an intuitive body rig combining body sculpts and musculo-skeletal deformation and an expressive facial rigging system for production. Click here for demo video.

Hyper Real Body Setup – In this 8 class workshop we will learn to setup a photo-realistic body rig for films. We will learn to setup an intuitive body rig combining body sculpts and musculo-skeletal deformation which concentrates into finer details such as triggering skin folding, wrinkles, flexing muscular details, skin sliding and dynamics. We will learn to sculpt anatomically correct deformation, create texture maps, combine deformers and integrate skin dynamics that seamlessly integrate with the body rig to produce believable full body deformation. Click here for demo video.

Procedural & Dynamic Setup – In this 8 class workshop we will learn the art of dynamic-procedural rigging and animation. We will learn how to create a customized scripted expressions to drive procedural animation and enhance your workflow. Further more you will learn to layer the existing rig setup with dynamic setup to add a sense of realism and overlapping action in the motion. In this workshop we will begin by learning how to animate vegetation with procedural animation and move on to rig an auto-walking centipede as well as an auto-crawling snake rigs driven by layering manual controls, procedural animation and dynamics .We will also take an in-depth look into nCloth. We will use nCloth dynamics to simulate character clothing and also take a look at how nCloth can be used to enhance character deformation.

Hyper Real Facial Setup – In this 6 class workshop we will learn to setup a photo-realistic facial rig for films. We will learn to setup an intuitive facial rig combining facial sculpts and musculo-skeletal deformation which concentrates into finer details such as triggering facial wrinkles, skin sliding and dynamics. We will learn to sculpt facial expression, create texture maps, combine deformers and integrate skin dynamics that seamlessly integrate with the facial rig to produce believable facial expression. Click here for demo video.

Pose Space Deformation Setup – In this 6 class workshop we will learn to setup a realistic body rig for films and games. We will learn to setup an intuitive body rig featuring PSD (Pose Space Driven) corrective shapes and multiple combination facial shapes for an expressive facial rig. We will learn to sculpt anatomically correct body and facial deformation and integrate with the rig to produce fast, efficient and believable deformation. Click here for demo video.

Blendshape Combination System – In this 6 class workshop we will learn to create FACS based high-end facial setups for feature production using Blendshape Combination System (BCS) toolset, developed by Daniel Pook-Kolb. With BCS you can create, combine (Combination-Sculpting) multitude of facial expression with flexible inbetweening and interpolation to simulate realistic skin behavior. BCS is free for educational purposes. Click here for demo video.

Game Facial Setup – In this 6 class workshop we will learn how to create a facial rig for video game engine! We will learn to create an expressive facial rig using joints and blendshapes based on “Facial Action Coding System”.

Transformer Setup – In this 5 class workshop we will explore the exciting world of setting up an actual transformer rig. We will learn technical modelling for mechanical articulation and transformation from one form to another. Click here for demo video.

Motion Capture Facial Setup – In this 5 class workshop we will learn to setup a motion capture facial rig for facial animation. We will learn to transfer facial performance from an actor to a CG character. Click here for demo video.

Mechanical Setup – In this 5 class workshop we will learn to setup a mechanical robotic rig. We will learn to setup proper articulation and armature of a mechanical robot with automated turret firing, piston and hydraulics setup, etc. Click here for demo video.

Cartoony Vehicle Setup – In this 4 workshop course we will learn to setup a cartoony vehicle rig with squash, stretch and bendy deformation control together with an expressive facial control.

Vehicle Setup – In this 4 class workshop we will learn to setup a realistic vehicle rig featuring dynamic controls for wheel, suspension, chassis and ground interaction. Click here for demo video.

Fish Setup – In this 3 class workshop we will learn to setup a believable fish rig drive by layers of procedural animation, dynamics and manual controls. Click here for demo video.

Cloth Rigging – In this 1 class workshop we will learn cloth rigging techniques for clothing and accessories without the use of simulation and dynamics. The technique can be used for rigging character clothing such as skirt, coat, cape, loin cloth, etc with proper sliding and collision deformation that seamlessly follows the base model.

Fee

$60 per Class for Online Workshop. (Note: If there are 10 classes in a workshop, the total cost for that particular workshop is $60*10 = $600)
$40 per Class for Offline (pre-recorded) Workshop. (Note: If there are 10 classes in a workshop, the total cost for that particular workshop is $40*10=$400)

Target Audience

Anyone with an interest in upgrading their existing Character Rigging and Scripting skills to match their production needs.
Previous experience with Character Rigging is required. A good knowledge of basic to intermediate level of rigging is recommended.

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P.S. At Puppeteer Lounge, we provide custom character modeling and animation services at an affordable rate for our students and guide them in the process of creating a successful demo-reel.

Have Questions? Contact Us!

For In-House Training: Contact Us directly by Email or WhatsApp to join our in-house Rigging Workshop training programs. NPR 8000 per class for Nepali student!