Kasper Larsson has been posting some really great tutorials as of late. This includes a free quadruped rigging course, and a look at creating an easy space switch for props. In his recent tutorial, Kasper covers how to create an advanced squash and stretch rig in Maya. The tutorial actually goes a little deeper than simply pushing buttons and following along. Kasper shares some of the mathematical concepts that go into creating a squash and stretch rig.

how to do a proper squash and stretch spline with power math

When it comes to rigging, there are many ways to hack something together to get the end result. Of course, some methods will be more efficient, or “proper” than others based on the situation at hand. The basis behind Kasper’s look into creating a squash and stretch rig, is to show how to do it the right way. For this to happen there needs to be an understanding of power math.

A rig like this can easily be used in a variety of situations, including character spines, tails, etc.