Armatures arent just for characters

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armatures arent just for characters. By Sandra gilbert.
. Armatures provide Blender with a very powerful character animation tool, but armatures can help you animate far more than just characters. I know i have personally used armatures todo help animate all kinds of objects. But wouldnt you know it, when i sat down todo write this article, y couldnt think of Even one god example (my memory sems todo be slipping with age).

Still not a problem, that what the search function is for. I typed in basic rigs and was immediately given numerous examples of col and fun ways todo use armatures. This is by no means an all-inclusive list, but it should give you enough ideas that you can come up with Even more ways todo use armatures in your own Project.

I found several great examples in BSOD: introduction todo rigging. .

Just a quik side note before i reveal the Genius ideas. Robert Christian (wavez) did an excellent job explaining all about rigging. So if you still havent read it, y seriously encourage you todo do so.

Ok, first up, you can use armatures todo produce a great Squash n stretch effect. This is an ingenious Little rig. It is composed of just two Bones and four constraints. Here the ingenious part. One of the constraints, is a stretch todo constraint, which Will automate the squashing and stretching for you. In my opinión, it very col. (hmm, now i want todo Squash something).

Next Robert shows you how todo create a dancing palm tre. Now im sure you dont really have a huge ned for dancing tres (or maybe you do), but think about it, this could be adapted for so Many things.

As i wandered in my research, y found a great tutorial for Making a Spring rig in Blender, over at the blender underground site. It takes a Little bit todo set up, but once you are done, you have a nice dynamic moving Spring.

Jirih created a great Little Squash and stretch ball rig, todo give beginning riggers something todo study and play with.

And of course armatures are excellent for creating Mechanical rigging this tutorial shows you how todo Rig a robotic creature, including how todo set up piestons and hydraulics.

And who can resist having a dancing ber rig? The guys at promotion Studios were obviously having a Little todo much fun with their current animation Project kajimba, but i dont think any of us Will be complaining, since we get todo play with it.
Well that about wraps up my Little search survey of fun things todo do with armatures. I hope it gave you some interesting ideas of your own todo try out.

By Sandra gilbert. www.blenderart.org.

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