Rigging
Rigging is the process of creating a digital skeleton (rig) for 3D models, enabling them to be animated by defining bones, joints, and controls that manipulate the model's geometry. It involves setting up deformation systems, constraints, and skinning to ensure realistic movement, commonly used in animation, gaming, and visual effects. This foundational step bridges modeling and animation, allowing characters and objects to move fluidly and expressively.
Developers should learn rigging when working in 3D animation pipelines, game development, or VFX projects to create dynamic, interactive characters and objects. It's essential for roles involving character animation, motion capture integration, or procedural animation systems, as it enables precise control over movement and reduces manual keyframing effort. For example, in game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine, rigging allows for real-time animations and physics-based interactions.