1. Creating Layers

Step 1

Start Maya and open the file which was saved in the last part of the tutorial.

Step 2

Create two layers for body and pant mesh and keep both layers in template mode for wire frame. 

2. Creating Leg IKs

Step 1

To start creating IKs, jump in the Animation mode. Go to Skeleton > IK Handle Tool and click on its option box.

Step 2

In the IK tool attributes panel, change the Current solver to ikRPsolver (Inverse Kinematic Rotate Plane solver).

Step 3

With ikRPsolver handle tool selected, click on L_Thigh_jnt01 joint and click on L_Heel_jnt01 joint. It creates the green colored IK as shown in the following image.

Step 4

With the IK tool selected, change the Current solver to ikSCsolver (Inverse Kinematic Single Chain solver).

Step 5

With the ikSCsolver handle tool selected, click on L_Heel_jnt01 joint and then click on L_Toe_jnt01. 

Repeat the process by clicking on L_Toe_jnt01 joint and then click on L_ToeTip_jnt01 joint. It creates two IKs. 

Turn off the visibility of pant and body layers to see the IKs clearly as shown in the following image.

Step 6

Rename the IKs as L_Ankle_IK01, L_Foot_IK01 and L_Toe_IK01 as shown in the following image.

Step 7

Following the same way, create the IKs for the right side also.

Step 8

With the ikRpsolver selected, first click on R_Thigh_jnt01 joint and then click on R_Heel_jnt01 joint.

Step 9

With ikSCsolver handle tool selected, first click on R_Heel_jnt01 joint and then click on R_Toe_jnt01. 

Again, click on R_Toe_jnt01 joint and then click on R_ToeTip_jnt01 joint.

Step 10

Rename the IKs as R_Ankle_IK01, R_Foot_IK01 and R_Toe_IK01.

3. Creating Spine IK

Step 1

Go to Skeleton > IK Spline Handle Tool.

Step 2

With the IK Spline Handle Tool selected, first click on Spine_jnt01 and then click on Neck_jnt01 to create spine IK as shown in the following image.

Step 3

Rename the IK as Spine_IK_01.

Step 4

It is to be noted that whenever you apply IK Spline Handle Tool, the spline is created with four control vertices.

4. Creating Hands IKs

Step 1

For creating clavicle IK, go to Skeleton > IK Handle Tool and click on the option box.

Step 2

In the IK tool attributes panel, set the Current solver to ikSCsolver (Inverse Kinematic Single Chain solver).

Step 3

With ikSCsolver selected, click on L_Clavicle_jnt01 and then click on L_Arm_jnt01 to create IK handle.

Step 4

Rename it as L_Clavicle_IK_01.

Step 5

Set the Current solver to ikRpsolver.

Step 6

With ikRPsolver selected, click on L_Arm_jnt01 and then click on L_wristTwist_jnt01.

Step 7

With the newly created IK handle selected, go to Window > Hypergraph:Hierarchy.   

Step 8

In the Hypergraph Input Output window, click on the Input and Output connections button to view all connected components as shown in the following image.

Step 9

Select effectors component of IK as highlighted in the following image.

Step 10

Turn on Snap to points button on the status bar and then with Move tool selected, hold down middle mouse button and drag it on the L_wrist_jnt01 to snap it as shown in the following image.

Step 11

In the Hypergraph Input Output window, select IK handle as shown in the following image.

Step 12

Rename the IK as L_Hand_IK_01.

Step 13

In the IK tool attributes panel, set the Current solver to ikSCsolver. 

Step 14

For applying another IK, set the Current solver to ikRPsolver.

Step 15

Following the same way, create hand IK for the right side hand as shown in the following image.

Step 16

With the IK handle selected, go to Window > Hypergraph:Hierarchy.   

Step 17

In the Hypergraph Input Output window, click on Input and Output connections button to view all connected components. After that, select effectors component as highlighted in the following image.

Step 18

Turn on Snap to points button on the status bar and then with Move tool selected, hold down middle mouse button and drag it on the R_wrist_jnt01 to snap it as shown in the following image.

Step 19

Turn off Snap to point button on the status button bar.

Step 20

Rename the IKs as R_Clavicle_IK_01 and R_Hand_IK_01.

5. Creating Head IKs

Step 1

For creating head IK, go to Skeleton > IK Handle Tool.

Step 2

With the IK Handle Tool selected, first click on Neck_jnt01 and then click on Head_jnt01.

Step 3

Rename the IK as Head_IK_01.

Step 4

In this way, creating IKs for all joints is completed.    

6. Applying Skin Modifier

Step 1

Now to apply the skin modifier. Turn on visibility of both mesh layers as shown in the following image.

Step 2

Select all meshes and the Root_jnt01 joint together as shown in the following image.

Step 3

Go to Skin > Bind Skin > Smooth Bind.

Step 4

Go to Shading menu in the panel menu bar and turn on Smooth Shade All and X-Ray joint options.

Step 5

To test the applied skin modifier, select and rotate the neck joint a little bit. You can see the head mesh is not deforming properly with hair mesh and eye balls.

Step 6

You need to parent the eye balls and hair mesh. Therefore, with the hair mesh selected, go to HeadTip_jnt and press P key to parent them as shown in the following image.

Step 7

Follow the same procedure with eye balls. With both eyes’ balls selected, hold down Shift key and then select Head_jnt01 and press P key to parent them.

Step 8

To test the skinning of the head, select and rotate the Head_jnt01 joint. This time both eye balls and head mesh rotate with the joint as shown in the following image.

Step 9

You can apply a temporary material on the eyes balls to look better. So, with both eyes balls meshes selected, do a right click and select Assign Favorite Material > Blinn as shown in the following image.

Step 10

Follow the same procedure for the pupils of the eye balls but apply the black color as shown in the following image.

Step 11

Now it looks like as shown in the following image.

Step 12

In this way, creating IKs and applying skin modifier have been completed. 

Conclusion

In the next part of the tutorial, I'll show you how to create various controls for animation.