Be it the Simpsons, Bugs Bunny, or Elsa from Frozen, don’t we all love animated characters?
Character animation videos are now one of the most popular video marketing strategies. Animated characters tend to stand out and attract attention; therefore, it is only natural to use character animation videos for marketing.
But have you ever wondered how character animations are made?
Creating an amazing animated character is not an easy task. A character animation creator will need a combination of several factors to produce beautiful and smooth character animation. They will need excellent character design, movement comprehension, precise keyframing, appropriate tools, and flawless rigging.
This blog will tell you how to rig a character with Duik Bassel in After Effects. After reading this, you can rig and animate characters like a master. Because rigging is an important part of character animation, you won’t have any trouble animating the character if your rigging is flawless.
So let’s work on some character rigging.
Rigging in Duik Bassel
Duik Bassel, a free character animation tool, is one of the most significant rigging tools for After Effects. Duik Bassel has a lot of tools that make animating characters in After Effects a lot simpler.
Firstly, to start with the rigging, you must create a character with proper joints and limbs. Imagine your character is a human being.
Now, you have to make the character’s joints accordingly. There should be a perfect joint between his hand and wrist, which helps smooth rotation.
The above image is a perfect example of how characters should be made and how each joint should be made. Making these types of characters will help you in smooth character animation.
Now that we have the character, let’s begin by rigging every body part of the character.
1. Hands
After importing the layers, adjust the anchor point of the layers in the middle of the circle formed at each joint.
Now go to the Duik Bassel window> select the rigging option from the top right panel> and select the arm structure provided there.
After selecting the arm structure, you will get structure in your composition. Now, you need to fix that structure according to the layers which you have imported.
Next, you need to parent and link the layers with the structures accordingly.
After selecting the arm structure, you will get structure in your composition. Now, you need to fix that structure according to the layers which you have imported.
Now again, you need to go to Duik Bassel window> Links and constraints> Select auto rig and ik.
After selecting the arm structure, you will get structure in your composition. Now, you need to fix that structure according to the layers which you have imported.
This will create a controller for the structure you have made and paired earlier.
By selecting the controller button, you can move the character’s hands how you want them to.
Legs
Import the layers and adjust the anchor point of the layers in the middle of the circle formed at each joint.
Now go to the Duik Bassel window> select the rigging option from the top right panel> and select the leg structure provided there.
After selecting the leg structure, you will get structure in your composition. Now you need to fix that structure according to the layers which you have imported.
Now you need to parent and link the layers with the structures accordingly.
Now again, you need to go to Duik Bassel window> Links and constraints> Select auto rig and ik
This will create a controller for the structure you have made and paired earlier.
By selecting the controller button, you can move the character’s legs as you want them to.
Spine/Body
Import the layers and adjust the anchor point of the layers.
Now go to the Duik Bassel window> select the rigging option from the top right panel> select the spine structure provided there.
After selecting the leg structure, you will get structure in your composition. Now, you need to fix that structure according to the layers which you have imported.
Now, you need to parent and link the layers with the structures accordingly.
By selecting all the structures formed, you need to go to Duik Bassel window> Links and constraints> Select auto rig and ik.
Now, by selecting the controller button, you can give movement to the character’s body.
This way, the character is fully rigged with the help of Duik Bassel. You can change some controls accordingly, like the Icon setting and Anchor setting.
You can select the right and left sides of the legs and hands. An important setting is the Ik setting, which will allow you to handle your parts in the most convenient way.
Rigging the whole body
Apart from this, you can also have a rig for the whole body at once. You don’t need to select different body parts if you want to have the whole body rigged. Below are the steps for the same:
Import the layers and adjust the anchor point of the layers.
Now go to the duik bassel window> select the rigging option from the top right panel> select the hominoid structure provided there.
After selecting the hominoid structure, you will get the whole body structure at once.
Now, you must fix the structure according to the layers you imported.
Parent the layers with the structures.
To select all the structures formed, you need to go to duik bassel window> Links and constraints> Select auto rig and ik.
It will give you a controller for each and everybody part separately, which allows you to have proper control over the movement of the character.
So Duik Bassel allows you to rig a character very easily, and you can also rig the character’s body parts separately and simultaneously.
Got a clear understanding of rigging a character in After Effects?
As businesses and brands try to stand out, character animation videos are one of the best ways to do so. One of the best things about character animation is that it can be used in many types of videos, including explainer videos. After reading this blog, we hope you will be able to get started with character animation using duik bassel.Â
Duik Bassel, a popular rigging and animation tool for After Effects, can have a learning curve, especially for beginners. However, it provides a comprehensive set of features and is known for its effectiveness once you become familiar with its interface and capabilities. With practice and tutorials, many animators find it manageable and valuable for character rigging and animation.
Duik Bassel is widely regarded as a good and powerful tool for character rigging and animation in After Effects. It offers a range of advanced features, including automatic rigging, inverse kinematics, and animation controls. Many animators appreciate its flexibility and efficiency for creating complex character animations.
Rigging an animated character involves creating a skeletal structure for the character, which allows you to control its movements. In software like Duik Bassel or Adobe Character Animator, you set up bones, joints, and controls for various parts of the character, such as limbs and facial features. The process also includes defining constraints, parenting relationships, and animating using keyframes to bring the character to life.
No, Duik Angela and Duik Bassel are not the same. Duik Bassel is a well-known character rigging and animation tool for After Effects. “Duik Angela” might be a reference to a specific character rig created using Duik Bassel, but it is not a separate software or version of Duik. Duik Bassel is the official name of the Duik plugin for After Effects.
Harshita Sethi is a motion graphic artist who specializes in animation techniques, visual effects, storyboarding, 3D modeling, and video editing. Through her writing, she shares insights into these creative processes, helping others explore new ways to tell stories visually. Harshita's passion for motion graphics inspires fellow artists and enthusiasts to enhance their skills and creativity in visual storytelling.
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