Introduction to 3D Rigging and Character Setup

Have you ever wondered how static 3D models are brought to life with expressive, natural movement? Rigging is the essential bridge between modeling and animation, acting as the digital skeleton that makes movement possible. This text-based course guides you through the fundamental principles of rigging in CGI, helping you transition from understanding basic joint placements to structuring full character hierarchies. What you will learn: 1. Understand the core terminology and concepts of 3D rigging, joints, and bones. 2. Create skeletal hierarchies that mimic realistic anatomy and mechanical structures. 3. Apply skinning and weight painting techniques to ensure smooth mesh deformations. 4. Configure forward kinematics (FK) and inverse kinematics (IK) for intuitive animation control. 5. Explore modern rigging workflows, including blendshapes and modular rigging setups. 6. Troubleshoot common deformation issues and joint orientation errors. We start with essential definitions and foundational anatomy of a 3D rig before moving step-by-step through joint placement, skin weighting, and control setups. This course is designed for absolute beginners in 3D art, game development, or animation, with no prior rigging experience required. Start your journey into the world of technical art and learn how to prepare your models for movement.