An animation about family discord by Xiaoxuan Zhao
Rigging
1 Feb 2022 - 12 Feb 2022
I have tried two methods of rigging in Blender: Using the Rigify add-on in Blender and adding bones manually.
Following kkisa's tutorial, I learnt how to use the Human (Meta-Rig) Armature for cartoon character rigging. I adjusted the position of the joints and bones to suit my character. I still need to paint the weight for each joint to achieve a satisfactory result.
Human (Meta-Rig) Armature
Bones and joints
Controllers
The little girl rigging test
21 Feb 2022 - 1 Mar 2022
I tried to use the Human (Meta-Rig) Armature on the little rabbit model as well, but I faced some problems. The Human (Meta-Rig) Armature doesn't quite work as the rabbit character model is different from the human model. My rabbit character only has a palm and thumb, and it needs separate bones for the ears and tail, but I found that adding new bones to the Human (Meta-Rig) Armature does not really work.
Human (Meta-Rig) Armature on the little rabbit
3 Mar 2022 - 10 Mar 2022
So I tried another method following Team Miracles’ tutorials. I manually created the bones and joints I need for each part of the character and they worked better than the Human (Meta-Rig) Armature. I have also learnt from this series of tutorials how to use textures to create changes in facial expressions such as blinking and smiling, which I am also considering as an option for my animations.
Rest Position
Pose Position
The little girl rigging test
In general, I will choose the appropriate rigging method for different character models, and then paint weights for each joint. I would also do rigging for the three rabbit dolls or other props needed.
30 May 2022 - 12 Jun 2022
I finished the rigging and weight painting of the little girl.
Similar to Blend Shapes in Maya, I used the Shape Keys in Blender to animate the little girl's blink and sad expression.
Weight painting
Shape key
13 Jun 2022 - 19 Jun 2022
I also finished the rigging and weight painting of the rabbit characters.
I added a bone to control facial expressions following to the tutorial and replaced each bone with a shape curve.
Then I use the same armature to rig Papa Rabbit and Mama Rabbit.
Little Rabbit rigging
Facial expression control
Papa Rabbit rigging
Mama Rabbit rigging
18 Jul 2022 - 24 Jul 2022
I finished the rigging and weight painting of the rabbit doll using the same armature.
Considering the coherence of the plot and the time cost, I decided to just have a rabbit toy that resembled the Little Rabbit.
Rabbit toy rigging