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Allright Rig Documentation
Allright Rig is an expandable nodes and macros library for automatic creation of character rigs and working with character animation in Unreal Engine 4. The main goal is to create a possibility of creation and editing character animation, which will help to make games, previsualization, cinematics and animation movies in Unreal Engine 4.
Key features:
1) Content for automatic creation of a biped rig and work with character animation.
2) Create custom rigs and work with animation using AllrightNodes plugin. Content for automatic creation of a biped rig and work with
character animation.
Content includes several assets: 1) Rig is an actor blueprint 2) AllrightMacroLib is a macro library 3) RigAnim is an animation blueprint 4) Mannequin is a folder with default Unreal Engine character 5) Enums is a folder with enumerators 6) Controls is a folder with static meshes and materials
Rig
Rig is an actor blueprint which creates a biped rig and allows animation editing. It
uses AllrightMacroLib library. Rig blueprint has three components: 1) PoseableMesh is a poseable mesh component, which is used for posing the
character. 2) SkeletalMesh is a skeletal mesh component, which is used for posing the
character. 3) AnimMesh is a skeletal mesh component, which is used for animation playing and
recording.
How to use: 1) Creating rig 2) Creating animation 3) Baking animation to animation sequence 4) Baking animation to rig 5) Using custom skeletons 6) Work with animation blueprint 7) Customizing controllers shape 8) Orientation and names
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Creating rig
To create the rig choose a Rig option in Source property under Rig Properties menu.
Rig consist of: а) stretchy ik spine б) ik head with auto rotation of neck в) fk shoulders г) fkik arms д) ik legs е) fk fingers
You can use Left Hend Fk Ik and Right Hand Fk Ik properties under the Rig Properties menu.
You can make unlimited instances of this blueprint in a scene, because it is very easy to solve.
Choose Stance option in Source property under the Rig Properties menu.
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Creating animation
To create and play animation you can use default Level Sequence Editor plugin.
During deleting of rig the Level Sequence animation will also be deleted! For how to use Sequencer Editor please visit the Sequencer Editor page in Unreal
Engine documentation.
Baking animation to animation sequence You can play final animation using the rig, but of course it is better to save it to the
animation sequence. 1) Choose your level sequence in Sequencer property under the Bake menu. Also you
need to set Start Frame, End Frame and Fps.
2) Choose BakeToAnimSequence event under the Bluetilities menu and click Run.
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3) Select path to create new animation sequence.
Baking animation to rig Also, you can bake animation from animation sequence to the rig.
1) Choose the animation sequence that needs to be baked in Anim To Play property under the Rig Properties menu.
To play this animation choose the Animation option in Source property under the Rig Properties menu.
The rig will be automatically deleted!
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Also you can use animation playing properties Initial Position and Looping.
2) Choose the level sequence on which to bake an animation in Sequencer property under the Bake menu. Also you need to set the Start Frame, End Frame and Fps.
3) Choose BakeToRig event under the Bluetilities menu and click Run.
Now the animation is editable on the rig.
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Using custom skeletons
If your skeleton is identical to UE4_Mannequin_Skeleton, it is better to assign UE4_Mannequin_Skeleton to your character.
The rig can be created for any character that has a skeletal hierarchy which is
identical to the hierarchy of required bones of default UE4_Mannequin_Skeleton.
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You can see required bones by choosing a Humanoid option in Select Rig property
under the Retarget Manager window. Also, do not forget about the Show Advanced button.
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There can be extra bones in a rig, but the main hierarchy order must be the same. The names of the bones do not matter. The requirements are the same as for making animation copies.
1) To prepare a skeleton for the rig choose a Humanoid option in Select Rig property
under the Retarget Manager window. 2) Use the dropdown menus to select the Bones on the Skeleton that are similar in
location to the Bones (Nodes) on the Rig.
For how to use the Retarget Manager please visit the Animation Retargeting page in Unreal Engine documentation.
After preparing the character choose it in Char Type property under the Rig
Properties menu.
Now you can work with this character.
Work with animation blueprint
The rig has two types of solving. You can define them using a Rig Type property
under the Rig Properties menu.
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1) PoseableMesh uses a PoseableMesh component. 2) AnimBlueprint uses a SkeletalMesh component and animation blueprint.
By default rig uses RigAnim blueprint. AnimBlueprint mode allows user to edit
RigAnim with animation blueprint editor nodes. For how to use animation blueprints please visit the Animation Blueprints page in
Unreal Engine documentation. If you are using a custom skeleton, you need to retarget RigAnim blueprint on your
skeleton and to set a new animation blueprint in Anim Blueprint property under the Rig Properties menu.
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For how to use the Retarget Animation please visit the Animation Retargeting page
in Unreal Engine documentation. Customizing controllers shape
Before creating the rig you can customize the view of your controllers under the
Controls Properties menu.
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Shape defines controls shape. By default it is using Static Meshes from
CharRig/Controls/Shapes folder. Color defines colors for middle, left and right controls. Scale defines controls scale.
Orientation and names
Controllers orientation is defined by orientation of bones. Ik effector controllers , as
well as the main controller of upper body have a global orientation. Controller names are generated according to the names of the skeleton bones.
AllrightMacroLib
AllrightMacroLib is an expandable open multi level macro library which is created
using the AllrightNodes plugin. It allows to create different parts of the rig, update them,
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record and edit animation. User can create his own custom rigs using this library. AllrightMacroLib uses enumerators from Enums folder.
Main macros groups:
1) Constraints consist of usual parent, point, orient and aim constraint analogs like those in Autodesk Maya.
2) AutoRig are rigging modules for spine, head, arms, legs and fingers. 3) Ik is a two bone inverse kinematics system. 4) Ctrl creates controls with different shapes and colors. 5) Update Rig updates rigging modules. 6) Bake To Rig is a recording system for the rig. 7) Bake To Anim Sequence is a recording system for an animation sequence.
RigAnim
Is an animation blueprint that was created using UE4_Mannequin_Skeleton. This
Blueprint controls skeletal animation while the Anim Blueprint property under the Rig Properties menu is set to AnimBlueprint . RigAnim gets variable values from Rig and sets them to skeleton bones using SetBoneLocationAndRotation node. This blueprint allows the user to edit animation with the animation blueprint editor nodes. If the user wants to use a custom skeleton, he needs to retarget RigAnim blueprint on his skeleton and to set a new animation blueprint in Anim Blueprint property under the Rig Properties menut.
Enums
Enums folder has several enumerators :
1) AxisEnum is used in a AllrightMacroLib. 2) CharSourceEnum, CtrlTypeEnum, RigTypeEnum are used in a Rig.
Controls
Controls folder has: 1) Ctrl is an actor blueprint class, that is used for controllers actors. 2) Circle, Cube, Locator, Sphere are static meshes, that are used to define a
shape of the control. 3) ControlMtl is a material, which is used to define a shader of the control.
Create custom rigs and work with animation
using AllrightNodes plugin.
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AllrightNodes plugin is a library of blueprint nodes, which allows the user to create custom rigs, auto rigging systems, to record, edit and create animations using animation and level sequences. Currently the plugin is compiled for Unreal Engine 4.10.
Nodes details:
1) Actor: SpawnActorInEditor spawns an actor in editor (for use in construction
script) Parent is a strippeddown version of AttachActorToActor node which
attaches one actor to another. SetActorSelectable sets actor selectable state PostEditChange updates actor and evaluates construction script SelectActorInEditor selects actor
2) Editor: OpenEditorForAsset opens editor for asset NotificationBox shows message in the corner of screen PromtDialogue shows message with list and possibility to select GetAssetsByClass gets an array of all objects by specified class
3) Name: AppendName appends to name MatchesWildcard checks if a name matches other name
4) Recorder: AddRawKeyToAnimSequence adds a raw transform key to an animation
sequence CreateAnimAsset creates a new animation sequence for skeletal mesh
component CropAnimation crops the raw anim data either from Start to CurrentTime or
CurrentTime to End depending on value of bFromStart GetSpaceBases gets an array of bone transformations from skinned mesh
component 5) Sequencer:
IsSequencerHasBindingForActor checks if a sequencer has binding for an actor
GetTracksFromBinding gets an array of tracks from an actors binding GetSectionsFromTrack gets an array of sections from a track SetTransformSectionKey sets a transform key on a section SetSectionStartTime sets a sections start time SetSectionEndTime sets a sections end time GetSequencerComponents gets an array of sequencer components and
bindings UpdateSequncerComponent updates the sequencer components location
in a specific time AddBindingToSequencer adds actors binding to the sequencer AddTransformTrack adds a transform track to the actors binding RemoveBindingFormSequencer deletes binding from sequencer
6) Animation:
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GetRigMapping gets an array of mapped names from retarget manager TwoBoneIk uses the same algorithm as animation blueprint GetPoleVectorLocation finds location where should be pole vector for ik
7) Animation blueprint: SetBoneLocationAndRotation alters location and translation of the bone
8) ActorUpdater is a custom tickable object, which evaluates a construction script of a specified actor.
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