Unit Three
In this unit, students take their completed, retopologized character model and prepare it for animation. They will build and test a simple rig in Blender, apply weights for deformation, and export the character for use in Unreal Engine. The focus is on creating a functional, clean, and game-ready rig.
Topics Covered
- Rigging basics: armatures, bones, and hierarchy
- Naming conventions for bones and meshes
- Applying parent/child relationships and bone constraints
- Weight painting and mesh deformation
- Testing basic movements (idle, walk, simple poses)
- Export settings for Unreal Engine
Assignments
Learning Report
Objectives
- Create and apply a basic rig to a humanoid character
- Use correct naming conventions for export to Unreal Engine
- Apply weight painting for natural mesh deformation
- Test rig with simple idle/walk cycles in Blender
- Export and upload game-ready character to portfolio
Materials
- Blender with Rigging tools enabled
- Completed retopologized character from Unit 2
- Unreal Engine for testing imports
- Digital notes/sketches for rig planning
Assessment
Students will be graded on whether their character can deform properly under rig control. Clean bone hierarchy, consistent naming, and a functional test animation (idle/walk) are required. File export and portfolio presentation must be complete.
Activities
Students create an armature in Blender, assign bones to mesh sections, and adjust weights to minimize deformation issues. They test rigs by posing and creating a simple cycle. Finally, they export their character and confirm functionality inside Unreal.
Education Standards
The following standards are drawn from the 2024 AME Industry Skills Framework:
- 4.3 — Use job-specific hardware/software for workflows and delivery
- 10.3 — Visualize ideas using sketches, turnarounds, and modeling
- 17.6 — Apply principles of rigging to a digital character
- 18.2 — Understand artist workflows for rigging and animation setup