A script/tool to create a hand rig automatically (in Maya), developed using Python.

Creating a Python script to automatically rig a set of hand controllers/joints for a pre-configured scene consisting of a 5 finger right hand (with metacarpal joints), and a 4 finger left hand (without metacarpal joints). Only the controller and wrist joint are named accordingly, parent hierarchy and constraints are to remain unchanged.

Activation requirements:
The rig is activated by selecting a hand controller and running the script.

Considerations:

– differentiate between left/right
– rename the joints accordingly
– orient the joints to match with the wrist joint Y-UP axis
– be able to rotate finger joints using only one axis universally and make a fist (including thumb)
– be applicable towards 5/4/3/n number of fingers
– create attributes to control the fingers within the hand controller and connect them accordingly
– distinguish if there were metacarpal/no metacarpal joints and add attributes and separate control attributes for them if necessary
– be applicable regardless of hierarchy setup

Get the song here.

A script/tool to zero out the controls in the control rig (in Maya), developed using Python.

Creating a Python script to zero out all keyable attributes for all control handles and affected joints in the control rig. The mesh is weighted to a skeleton that uses joint-only deformation through the use of Expressions for simplified muscle deformations, click here to see more in depth videos of it in action.

Activation requirements:
Run the script from the shelf, and/or create a tool window with a button.

Considerations:

– zeroing out transformations and rotations for all control rig objects
– there are custom added attribute controls that need to be zeroed out
– Nurbs Curves and Surfaces are used only as control handles and rig components
– some attributes are locked/hidden due to inactivity, and are expected to stay that way after the function is complete

Get the song here.