In Maya setting an FK control for a joint chain is simple. What if you have hundreds to create in a scene? That can become tedious, not mentioning that it would also take quite a bit of time. You do have some options though. You can script something through MEL, Maya’s embedded language. You can also automate the process using Python.
This is what one of The Mill’s Character TD / Animator Ahmed Elmatarawi shows in this short demonstration. Ahmed uses the example of rigging a tree, or lots of trees that each have many, many joint chains, so they will be able to move or sway in the wind.
In reality the tutorial is a class in dealing with hierarchies and the importance of using Python Dictionaries. Ahmed Elmatarawi says “The importance of this tutorial is to give some tips and tricks in dealing with hierarchy, naming conventions and the importance of dictionaries, through a demonstration of a simple FK setup.” Nonetheless, it is a good one to watch to see how things can be automated using Python in Maya.
