About rigging
Rigging is a skill for planning character, mechanical, and prop rigs before animation. It covers skeletons, hierarchies, constraints, deformation checks, and an MCP-oriented workflow for Blender asset creators.
Key features
- 01Plan bone naming and hierarchy
- 02Choose IK, FK, and constraints
- 03Clean weights and limit bone influences
- 04Test deformation in extreme poses
- 05Design facial or mechanical rigs by asset type
Use cases
- 01Build a character rig before animation
- 02Set constraints and motion ranges for mechanical parts
- 03Check joint deformation in extreme poses
MCP support
The workflow describes using MCP to create armatures, parent meshes, inspect bone hierarchies, validate weight groups, and export rigged assets.
Install
Copy the command and run it in a terminal.
npx skills add https:/After installing, type/riggingin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.
Bundled filesreferences/humanoid-rig.mdreferences/mechanical-rig.md
Details
From the project READMERigging
Functional rigs supporting intended motion. Clean deformation. Engine-compatible bone hierarchies.
When to Use
- Character/creature deformation rigs
- Mechanical constraint rigs
- Facial expression rigs
- Prop rigs (doors, vehicles, weapons)
- Before any animation work
Workflow
Skeleton Design → Bone Placement → Hierarchy → Constraints/IK
→ Weight Painting → Deformation Test → Export Prep
Armature Naming
Prefix: ARM_[AssetName]
Bones: [side]_[region]_[name] — e.g., L_arm_upper, spine_01, jaw
Bone Hierarchy
ARM_Character
├── root
├── spine_01 → spine_02 → spine_03
│ ├── L_clavicle → L_arm_upper → L_arm_lower → L_hand
│ └── R_clavicle → R_arm_upper → R_arm_lower → R_hand
├── L_leg_upper → L_leg_lower → L_foot → L_toe
└── R_leg_upper → R_leg_lower → R_foot → R_toe
IK vs FK
| Use IK | Use FK |
|---|---|
| Legs (ground contact) | Spine (flexible arc) |
| Arms (hand placement) | Shoulder overlap |
| Feet planting | Finger detail |
| Mechanical reach | Whip/tail motion |
Standard: IK legs, FK spine; switchable arms for game characters.
Constraints
| Constraint | Use |
|---|---|
| IK | Limb positioning |
| Copy Rotation | Mechanical sync |
| Limit Rotation | Joint ranges |
| Stretch To | Tentacles, pistons |
| Child Of | Weapon attach/detach |
| Shrinkwrap | Ground contact (use carefully) |
Weight Painting
1. Automatic weights as starting point only
2. Clean weights: normalize per vertex (max 4 influences)
3. Smooth problematic areas (shoulders, hips)
4. Test extreme poses: T-pose, arms up, crouch, jaw open
5. Gradient weights at joints — no hard 1.0/0.0 at bend center
Mechanical Rigs
- Empty objects as control handles
- Constraints instead of weight painting
- Hinge limits match real joint ranges
- Parent hierarchy mirrors mechanical assembly
Facial Rigs
| Approach | Use Case |
|---|---|
| Bone-based | Game characters |
| Shape keys | Cinematics, dialog |
| Hybrid | Hero game characters |
Minimum game facial: jaw open, blink L/R, brow up/down.
Drivers
- Gear rotation sync
- Auto eyelid blink
- Weapon reload mechanism
- Procedural antenna/wire motion
MCP Integration
- Create armature via MCP
- Parent mesh with automatic weights via MCP
- Query bone count and hierarchy
- Validate weight groups via MCP if supported
- Export armature with mesh via export-pipeline
Deformation Test Poses
- T-pose / A-pose (bind pose)
- Arms fully raised
- Deep crouch
- Neck rotation extremes
- Jaw wide open (characters)
Constraints
MUST DO
- Rig after retopology complete
- Name bones consistently
- Limit bone influences to 4 per vertex (game engines)
- Test deformation at extremes before animation
- Document control scheme for animators
MUST NOT DO
- Auto weights without cleanup (hero assets)
- Scale bones in bind pose
- Rig before topology validated
- Skip IK pole targets on limbs
- Mix multiple root bones without documentation
Reference Guide
| Topic | Reference | Load When |
|---|---|---|
| Humanoid rig | references/humanoid-rig.md | Characters |
| Mechanical rig | references/mechanical-rig.md | Props, vehicles |