FACIAL RIGGING
By MZ
mengz1@andrew.cmu.edu
This Demo Includes
• Elements and structure in a basic facial rigging
• Some workflow improvement
• Brow ( clusters, curves, paint weight skills);
• Eye ( IK, locators, Aim constrains, Controls)
• Blends shapes
Elements and structure in a basic facial rigging
• Find the circle center.
• Use Point contrain( second follow first)
• Pay attention to the eye.
brow
• Curves- clusters influence of the clusters to
the curveinfluence of the curves to the skin
• Select the surface, shift select the curves. Leave
use geometry checked on. If we use joint we’d
like to turn it down. Default weight zero.
• Curves and clusters underscore the upper jaw
Picture 1: Influence of the clusters to the curve
eye
Rig the eye IK handles take them underscored the upper jaw bone.
Front view Make curves center pivot snap at the IK handle drag to the
right place
 Freeze transformation rename  center control (control both curves)
 Point constrain  remove point constrain  rename and
freeze transformation take the side controls patrents To center control
Clean the attributes controls + Ik handles( choose ikRPsolver)  point
constrain
eye
• We want full control of the eye, so the eye’s control won’t be affected by other
• Animation controls.
• We want the orientation of the eyes targeting the center of the eye group
the side
• Control reset settings of aim constrain  set a world up vector to avoid
flipping.
eye
• Fleshy eye –when the eye balls rotates, the
eye lid moves a little bit to simulate real eyes.
• Shift the eye lip while the eye ball rotates.
• Create a locator in the center of the eye ball.
• Orient
• Surface selected > sculpt > match position of the
locator < parent the sculpt to the locator
Make it Blink:
[ Change orientation of the joints of the lip to make sure the two
joints moves in symmetry
Direction so that when we change the Z rotate value together, we
got the symmetry movement]
• ModifyAdd attributes( left_upper_lid, left_lower_lip, right_upper lip, right
_lower_lip) to the middle curve  Choose Keyable go to windows 
connection editor load the middle cure for the left, load the lip joints for the
right as showed in picture 2 match the attributes as picture 3:
Picture 2
Picture 3
Blendshape
• BaseObject duplicate  move aside
(targetObject)
• Change the shape of TargetObject( Don’t change
the topology)
 What would be the next?
• You may think: bind all the target object to the
base object.
• That is :
• shift+select the Target object in order, at last the
base the base object create blendshape
• The problem is: You can’t add more target after
binding since the head is always attached with
the body part. And sometimes you need to take a
reference.
A better way: Use the attribute attachment.
1. create a target object (T1)as the bridge of base object and
other target objects. Create a joint and bind
picture 4
• 2. select (T1), shift + Base Object + create deformers 
blend shape (make sure the deformation order is Front of
chain under the blend shape options), showed in picture 4
picture 5
To create more blend shapes, you just need to duplicate the T1.
Shift +select the Target object in order, at last the T1 create
blend shape. You may want to use the soft modification tool to
create the blend shapes. Showed in the picture 6.
picture 6: soft modification tool
• The next you may be interested in:
• Talking circle
• Set driven keys to make controls
•Thanks !
• Any questions, send me an Email:
mengz1@andrew.cmu.edu