What you'll learn

In this tutorial we will learn how to rig a sea creature in Maya. Throughout the tutorial we'll focus on setting our creature up with creative and intuitive controls. We'll learn how to set up Mel scripts to cut down time on repetitive tasks. We'll learn how to create a proficient vertebrae rig. We'll create an automated overlapping tail system that can be blended into an FK control rig. We'll also explore skinning techniques to reduce the time it takes to edit weights. By the end of this Maya tutorial, you'll have the knowledge you need to create your own aquatic creature rigs, with techniques that can be used on a wide variety of creatures and characters. Software required: Autodesk Maya 2012.