Rig Detail

by - 2012/04/10 36 Comments Rigging

As promised, here is a shortish video showing off a bit of the detail in the rig as it stands thus far. As you’ll see, there are still holes in the model and intersections that need to be fixed, this is just how it is at the moment.

What you’ll see:

  • UI buttons
  • Eye controls
  • IK/FK switching
  • Mech stuff
  • Lots of pistons doing their thing
  • 1 axis locked hinges
  • stretch IK over 1 bone with pistons (cause i can)
  • lots of tiny little things that move when other stuff moves that we’ll probably not see in the film but it was fun to rig anyway
  • all 64 animatable bones…
  • … and the other 713

keep on riggin!

  1. DigiDio says:

    At 2 minutes I also get rigged too. Did you still get it what you’re doing. Many handles in there. Warning! do not make a Tutorial of it otherwise it will take years to follow :)

    But… wow great robot it is. Soon want to see it on render level. Perfect work.

  2. Dusty says:

    NOW THAT IS INSANE!!!!!

    It’s still nice to see that you guys can amaze and thrill me after all this time!!

    Can’t wait to see more!

  3. radek says:

    That’s a damn good rig.

  4. Kerry says:

    That’s incredible! Now I want to try and make a robot.

  5. Psy-Fi says:

    That is what you get when you join a master rigger and a master modeller. Hats off!

  6. postrock says:

    wow! Looks fantastic..
    I wouldnt even know where to begin to do that..

  7. Christoph Pöhler aka Dracio says:

    :D Hurray I BOUTH THE DVD !!!!!

    Man this is the the Mother and Father of all RIGGS I have ever seen
    AMASING

    my bigest Point, the Face is defetlie gone and the jet pack Funktion is brillant
    everything fits like a glove :D
    This is a wonderfull job of jermy and Kjartan very impressiv
    but how was your eorkfolw was there a lot of beck and forwart or plan????

    • kjartan says:

      Hi Christoph. Thanks. The workflow has been pretty simple. I started with a concept sketch by David and blocked out a quick model. After that I had a chat with Ian (he is Art Director btw) and he helped out and did a couple quick design sketches. Then I just modeled and designed stuff, while listening to the input from both Ian and Jeremy.

      Jeremy started rigging early on, and he would just update his rig scene with my model every now and then.

      • Christoph Pöhler aka Dracio says:

        Okay So it is a Team achievment… even more impressiv!!!!

        My first Rigge Charter was a Robot and I mand first the hight Poly By sketch (mistace one) and than I was rebulding the Robor one by one not a plansnt experianc BUT this was The way I learn Rigging and fast modeling :)

  8. windex says:

    Just amazing… who did the concept art for this? this is insane. #Rigporn

  9. matthew/mofx says:

    Amazing stuff guys, I don’t know what else to say. Just in AWE. Keep up the amazing work.

  10. comeinandburn says:

    brain hurts… can’t comment.. too much stimulation:)

  11. shul says:

    beautiful. I hope everything in this movie will be this thought out and great :-)

  12. ThoFei says:

    *three thumbs up* ;)

  13. Florian says:

    Yes, absolutely awesome.

  14. Big Fan says:

    Excellent work.
    I don’t want you to take this wrongly but there is something slightly comical about how it moves. It sort of reminds me of a cross between a bulldog and Wall-e. Is it intended to be a bad ass machine or is it to be entertaining as well? Perhaps it needs an element of menace or perhaps it looks meaner with the materials etc.?

    • ian says:

      From what I’ve heard, this was mostly a test to look for object intersections and stuff, pushing the rig a bit more than it normally would go in order to ‘break it’.

      • Big Fan says:

        OK its still early days. I guess I was thinking of something more villainous with claws, fangs, red scanning eyes, sharp edges and spikes, and strange green fluids in tubing and stuff. I am sure it will be fine. Its the artists movie after all. They should make it the way they want to. ;)

    • jeremy says:

      Ian got it in one. The animation tests i do on rigs as im building them is always over exaggerated. If it works without issues for cartoony movement, then itll work perfectly for realistic movement.

  15. Morten says:

    This is so impressive, I`m out of words.
    But Big Fan got a point: The movement are kind of… cute. Is this not a mean lean killing machine? Like a panther or something?

  16. j-joey says:

    amazing! i’ll great if you post a test-render of some walking or running cycles.

  17. Martin says:

    Ian, you cannot let a robot-rig this cool go to waste. Mango has to be at least ten minutes long just to show off all the cool things it can do.
    If James Cameron sees this, it will end up in Avatar2 or Battle Angel.

    • ian says:

      I know, right?! How are we supposed to make a 5-8 minute film when it takes over 8 minutes just to show off the rig!

  18. stephen says:

    Brilliant work. Can I ask what resolution textures you’re going to use for this?

  19. Dewald says:

    Wow. I really cant wait to see it animated, textured and lit, it is going to be amazing!

    Very nice rigging.

  20. acro says:

    ok. so. um. holy cow.
    That’s so intricate! I had no idea something like this was possible or practical for such a small team in such a short time. Jeremy and Kjartan — WHAT!! Just, WHAT!? Unbelievably cool!
    All the robot/machine rigging tutorials I’ve seen over the years never quite prepared me for watching this.

  21. Ben says:

    Really gets going at 3:00… absolutely gorgeous.

  22. Larrotino says:

    realy amazing!

    O___O
    (___)

  23. Husam says:

    You need to make a training dvd for this rig. It’ll sell like hotcakes.

  24. Cessen says:

    Jeremy! You are amazing! Great work! :-D

  25. Aditia says:

    jaw-dropping rig…awesome

  26. 3pointedit says:

    Really you could make a teaser just from that robot climbing up a cube! Some rim light and sound fx, would be killer.

  27. Aaron says:

    Now I see why there are so many bones. The eyes are incredibly detailed! As you’ve mentioned, we’re probably not going to see all the detail in the film, which is a shame!

    Awesome work! :D

  28. EyeRate says:

    Awesome. +2 on training DVD!! I know all this stuff piecemeal, but putting it together like that makes my head hurt! Anyone else recognize it’s face? Think Short Circuit! It stole Johnny 5’s face…that is mean!