Date Approved

2026

Degree Type

Open Access Senior Honors Thesis

Department or School

Art

First Advisor

Ryan English, MFA

Second Advisor

Andrew C. Cornett, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Ann R. Eisenberg, Ph.D.

Abstract

This project was an in-depth investigation into creating a production-ready rig using the widely used industry-standard software, Autodesk Maya. Using a character I designed, modeled, and shaded, I explored the workflow of bringing it to life through the technical lens of rigging, then tested its functionality in animation, troubleshooting, and further refining the overall rig as I went. I revised the prior model’s topology to create optimal edge flow for deformations before I went on to place it in the skeletal hierarchy, accounting for not only the bones of the character but also secondary bones in the clothing, hair, and face. Once the bones were in, I implemented controls on the body, including forward (FK) to inverse kinematic (IK) switches on the arms, and an IK spline control up the back. Once the controls were in and all the kinematics were set up, I bound the skin to the body, copying the weights of the body over to the clothing, and went on to weight painting to ensure optimal deformation of each bone. After the secondary controls of the hair and clothing were set, I moved onto assigning the facial controls to blendshapes, with each control dictating the motion of a specific area of the face to give animators the ability to create more intricate expressions. The final rig displays the careful integration of intent behind the character and the execution of technical skills to make that happen and bring the character to life in animation.

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