1 Check the hierarchy

The first thing you should do when testing your rigs is to check the hierarchy of your bones, joints, controllers, and constraints. A well-organized hierarchy will make your rig easier to select, manipulate, and animate. It will also prevent unwanted deformations, transformations, and rotations. You can use the outliner or the graph editor in your 3D software to inspect the hierarchy of your rig, and make sure that everything is parented, grouped, and named correctly. You should also check for any unnecessary or duplicate nodes that could slow down your rig or cause errors.

2 Test the deformations

The next thing you should do when testing your rigs is to test the deformations of your mesh. Deformations are how your mesh responds to the movements of your rig, and they affect the realism and expressiveness of your animation. You should test the deformations of your rig by posing it in different extreme positions, such as bending, twisting, stretching, and squashing. You should look for any issues such as skinning errors, volume loss, clipping, or popping. You can use the weight paint tool or the vertex groups tool in your 3D software to adjust the influence of your bones on your mesh, and smooth out any problematic areas.

3 Test the controls

The third thing you should do when testing your rigs is to test the controls of your rig. Controls are the user-friendly interfaces that allow you to animate your rig, such as sliders, buttons, curves, and handles. You should test the controls of your rig by animating it in a simple way, such as making it walk, jump, or wave. You should look for any issues such as broken constraints, incorrect values, or unwanted behaviors. You can use the attribute editor or the node editor in your 3D software to modify the properties and connections of your controls, and fix any errors.

4 Test the compatibility

The final thing you should do when testing your rigs is to test the compatibility of your rig with your animation software. Compatibility is how well your rig can be imported, exported, and animated in different software platforms, such as Maya, Blender, or Unity. You should test the compatibility of your rig by exporting it in the appropriate format, such as FBX, OBJ, or DAE, and importing it in your animation software. You should look for any issues such as missing textures, corrupted files, or unsupported features. You can use the export settings or the import settings in your 3D software and your animation software to adjust the options and parameters of your rig, and ensure a smooth transition.

Testing your rigs before exporting them to animation software is a crucial step in your 3D production pipeline. It will help you avoid many potential problems and improve your animation quality and efficiency. By following these four simple methods and tools, you can test your rigs with confidence and ease.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?