This is a quick post which will be updated soon with more detailed instruction on how to install this.  The process is the same as before except minor details listed in the included rig notes in the zip file below. 

I’ve updated the Saucy Rig for Hash Animation Master with an important technical change.  I’ve also created a few variants of the rig’s body controls based on some feedback and testing.

You can download the new rigs and a demonstration project that show the three rigs in a A:M project file from here:

Saucy Rig (v1.5) File size: 350 KB

Changes:

(Details of the changes are included in the rig notes that are in the zip file.)

Minor change to the geometry bone hierarchy.

My primary motivation for the update was to change the orientation and hierarchical layout of the bone  “GEOM Center Pelvis”.   The reason for that was to solve a potential problem that I overlooked when I initially set up the geometry bone structure of the rig.

The problem may only present itself if you are using this rig and decide to use one of Animation Master’s best features: SmartSkin.  To be more specific, the use of SmartSkin when correcting deformations involving the bones “GEOM Center Pelvis” and “GEOM Center Spine 1” in the Saucy Rig.

Briefly, SmartSkin is a feature that is designed to allow the animator or rigger to automate a predetermined change in a model based on the rotation of a specific bone.  There are a lot of uses for this feature but the most common reason to use it is to reshape part of the model’s mesh when one of its bones is rotated.

An example of this would be to automatically flex the bicep in a model’s arm when its forearm is rotated.

Anyway, this update eliminates the need to create two different sets of SmartSkins to correct mesh deformations in the model’s waist area when the bones “GEOM Center Pelvis” and “GEOM Center Spine 1” are rotated.

Fixed a problem with the IK legs.

I also fixed a problem with the IK legs which changed their orientation on their own when rotating the rig’s pelvis control.  That is no longer a problem in version 1.5 of this rig.

Added two extra rig types.

There are now three separate rig types.  The difference between the three is only related to the body (torso/ pelvis) controls.  Once you have installed one of the rigs then you can make a copy of your rigged model and swap in the new one.

Upgrading from version 1c or earlier…

If you have already install the Saucy Rig version 1c or earlier then you will need to update your rig’s geometry bone hierarchy to match the version 1.5 hierarchy.   This is not a difficult process.  Don’t worry, you will not need to re-rig your model. 

 

Quick directions to modify the existing pre 1.5 geometry bones to match the version 1.5 geometry bones:

Work with a copy of your rigged file to do this in case you need to go back to it in its unmodified state .

1.  In the Project Workspace select the bone “GEOM Center Pelvis” then select its child bone “SETUP Center Pelvis Scale Conform Target” and delete it (it is no longer needed for version 1.5 of the rig).
2. In the Project Workspace drag the bone “GEOM Center Spine 1” onto the “GEOM Center Pelvis” so that it becomes a child of the pelvis (make sure to keep the “GEOM Center Spine 1” as sibblings BUT above the “GEOM Right Upper Leg” and GEOM Left Upper Leg” hierarchies).
3. In the modeling window, switch to bones mode and select “GEOM Center Pelvis” bone frome the left or right view so that you don’t move the bone off center.  Switch the endpoints of the bone with one another and leave the roll handle pointed towards the rear of the skeleton.
4. Select the “GEOM Center Spine 1” bone and select the “Attach Bone” function. * Change the name of the “FOLDER Geom Bones (Drop-In Skeleton v1)” Null to “FOLDER Geom Bones (Drop-In Skeleton v1-5)” and save the file.

When you finish then you geometry bone hierarchy should look like this (you can ignore the character model since we are only working wth the bones here):

 

Once you finish that that step successfully the you can continue to upgrade to version 1.5

Upgrading to version 1.5 from version 1c or earlier:

1. Once you have manually updated your geometry bone hierarchy as outlined above, simply delete the entire hierarchy of the “FOLDER Set-ups for Saucy Rig (v1)” from your already rigged model.
2. Then delete all of the Saucy Rig relationships from the relationships folder in the project workspace.  If you have custom relationships that you added yourself them you can separate those and keep them.
3. With your rigged model selected, go to the Properties window and delete all of the Saucy Rig Folders that came with the Saucy Rig (these do not look like folders in the Properties window so just delete the entries).  Don’t delete you own custom entries if you made any.
4. Now, choose the version of the 1.5 rig that you want to use and bring it into your project workspace.  Drag the version 1.5’s relationship folder onto your model in the project workspace and also drag the “FOLDER Set-ups for Saucy Rig v1-5 (… Style)” hierarchy on the “Root” bone of the model that you are upgrading.
5. In the model that you are upgrading, go to the Properties window and right-click on each folder and select “Not Set”.  If you have not save this file by now then you can.
6. Open a new Action window for the model that you are upgrading and go to “Supplemental” tab of your “User Properties”.  Open the folder “Rig Installation Settings” then turn on the switch “Conform Rig Setups to Geometry Bones of Model” .
7. Export the model from the Action window and then bring in the newly exported file to you A:M project.  Set the “User Properties”.    Under the “Supplemental” tab right click on the “Rig Installation Settings” folder and select “Not Set” then turn the the “Rig Setups” switch to “On” then save your model.  Then model is now ready to use.

I will update this post with a video for this of the process soon.