3D Toolkit: Creating Rigging Controls

When creating controllers for the Rig, Nurbs circles have been used. This is because Nurbs shapes do not show up in renders, allowing for the creation of a controller that can be physically moved whilst not obscuring the geometry of the model. When creating our own controller, we first created a nurbs circle and placed it around the foot. After we created this controller, it was important to freeze the transformations and delete the object's history, as this resets its world position to 0. As such, when we manipulate its position in the attributes menu, the position of the controller will be able to be reset to a neutral stance easily.



To add custom attributes for specific motions of the rig, click "add attribute" in the channel box's edit menu. This will add an attribute that is not keyed to any specific motion: to add this motion to the attribute, go into windows - general editors - connection editors. This shows the Connections between an attribute and what it controls. The left menu shows the output (the controlling attribute) and the right menu shows the group it commands. As such, select the controller and press the "reload left" button, placing it in the left menu, and press the controlled group and press the "reload right" button. This will place it in the right menu. These two attributes can than be linked together.
When linking an attribute to a group, the specific rotation / transformation axis that is being manipulated must be selected. For example, we created an attribute that alters the "rotate Y" component of the "Pirouette LR" group. When an attribute and a group component are selected, the names of both are italicised. 

This process of creating and assigning attributes to specific groups is repeated across the Heel Lift, Toe Lift and Pirouette motions, allowing for precise movement and easy resetting of each. The Foot Roll motion requires more intricacy.
The Foot Roll motion requires a "Driven Key", an embedded piece of animation, to function. This is because the nature of the motion is more complex than that of the others, incorporating elements of both translation and rotation. As such, in the Animation Toolbar, in the key manu, the "Set Driven Key" Menu is used. 
This shows how a Driver (what the modifier is) alters the Driven (what is changed). As such, load the Control into the Driver and set the Left Footroll and Right Footroll Groups as the Driven, with the history deleted and transformations frozen. 

To create the animation: select the Foot Roll Control as the Driver and the "Rotate Z" of the group as the driven. Press the "Key" button. Rotate the Left Group 30, and the Control Group -30. Key again. This creates one half of the animation. To complete the other half, select the opposing group and - when rotating the Right Group - set it to -30 and the Control Group to 30.

Knee Control: Create an arrow using the CV Tool. Like the Nurbs Controller, this will not show in renders. Freeze its Transformations and delete the history. Select the control, click the left leg IK, and click on the "Pole Vector" constraint. This makes it so that, when the knee control is moved left and right, the knee follows.