A character I've created to Character rig in Class.
I drew and added the joints separately so I can animate it using anchor points.
Exporting the drawing file into Illustrator to re-name the joints and save it as a PDS. file
How I Character rig on Adobe After Effects;
- Seperate all the joints, make them into layers and name them each
- Parent your layers together; for example, Upper arm parented to Fore arm, then parented to Hand.
- Using the Pin tool, pin all the anchor points together, this connects them together as one
- Now go to Window, scroll down, and click on DUIK.
- Select the hand layer (or a layer you want to add a controller to) and click on Controllers, located on Duik, then click on Create
- You should have a Controller where one of your anchor points is located.
- Then select every layer that you've anchored, then goto IK on Duik
- It'll come up with the option of either 2-layer IK or 3-layer IK, it will depend on how many anchor points you've placed. If you've layed out 3 anchor points, choose 3-layer IK.
- Click create, and you should be able to move your character's arm (or whatever part you've animated) using the Controller placed.
- Using the Pin tool, pin all the anchor points together, this connects them together as one
- Now go to Window, scroll down, and click on DUIK.
- Select the hand layer (or a layer you want to add a controller to) and click on Controllers, located on Duik, then click on Create
- You should have a Controller where one of your anchor points is located.
- Then select every layer that you've anchored, then goto IK on Duik
- It'll come up with the option of either 2-layer IK or 3-layer IK, it will depend on how many anchor points you've placed. If you've layed out 3 anchor points, choose 3-layer IK.
- Click create, and you should be able to move your character's arm (or whatever part you've animated) using the Controller placed.
Animating:
- I animate using Keyframes. You can add a Keyframe by clicking on the stop watch symbol on your choosen Layer you want to animate, then click on the Diamond shape, this will place down the Keyframe depending on where the timeline is.
- Move your character, and place down another Keyframe at the end of each movement, make sure you also move the timeline.
- Move your character, and place down another Keyframe at the end of each movement, make sure you also move the timeline.
