Creating Curve Deformation Chains

Depending on your character and the style of animation you want to achieve, sometimes it is better to use Curve Deformers, instead of Bones, to rig your character.

  1. Once your element is selected, select the Rigging tool in the Deformation toolbar.
  1. In the Tool Properties view, enable the Curve mode.
  1. In the Tool Properties view, enable the Automatically create a group when creating a new deformation rig option so that your deformation chains are created inside groups. Every point in a deformation chain is an individual layer, so creating deformers with this option disabled is liable to clutter your Timeline and Node view.
  1. Place the cursor where you want to create the root of your deformation chain. The root of the deformation chain should be where the body part is bound to the remainder of the body. For example, if you're creating a deformer for a whole arm, you should create its root point at the shoulder joint.
  1. Press and hold down the mouse button to create the point, then drag to towards the direction where you want your curve to bend to set the position of this curve's Bezier handle, just as you would when drawing a curve using the Polyline tool—see Creating Vector Shapes with the Polyline Tool.

  1. Press and hold down the mouse button at the location where you want the curve to end, then drag backwards and release the mouse button to create the Bezier handle before that point.

    NOTE The Bezier handle after the point will be symmetrical to the Bezier handle before the point.
  1. Repeat this process until you have finished building the Curve chain.

  1. As you go, you click and drag on the Bezier handles to adjust the curves of the deformation chain.

    TIP

    When manipulating a Bezier handle, by default, the opposite Bezier handle for the same point will rotate in the same direction, keeping the point curved. If you want to make the point into a corner, press and hold the Alt key, then click and drag on one of the Bezier handles to rotate it without affecting the opposite handle.

NOTE It is possible to reuse a deformation group on another drawing, for example on a symmetrical body part, such as with the right and left arms. To do this, you need to rig the way you would for a multi-pose character, using a Transformation Switch—see Creating Main Deformation Chains for Multi-pose Rigs, as well as the Associate Parent Transformation Switch for Selected Elements button—see Reusing Deformation Groups for Multi-pose Rigs.