Lesson 4: Rigging the Tail and the Fingers

This rig is very simple. Place the joints from where the tail starts to where it ends. Name the joints and orient them. Then make a nurb control for the tail (name it and group it). Once this is done, add an attribute to the tail control named curlUpCurlDown and set the minimum to 0 (curl down) and then the maximum to 10 (curl up). Save your file!

Open the set driven key window and load as the driven the joints and as the driver the control. When the control is on 0 the tail is curled down, so key all the joints when you rotate them on the Z-axis. When the control is in 10, the tail is curled up. Key every joint and you should have an operating control. You must establish on the value 5 of the control the joints in their original position; so key the original position of the tail as well. Do another set of added attributes that makes the tail curl from right to left and do the set driven key steps to activate the switch. Save your file!

Now we are going to rig the hand. Select the serval geometry and click the magnet symbol to make selection live. This glues the joints over the geometry; when you are done placing the joints deselect the magnet tool. Orient them. Next select each joint, then the wrist bind and press P to parent. Now you have connected your hand to the rest of the arm. Save your file!

To move the fingers, add attributes on the switch control and like the tail, activate the switch to make the fingers curl or move. Remember, when you load up the set driven key the switch control is the driver and the joints are the driven. Save your file!