Animator Brian Horgan how FK animation automatically gives arcs for free.

A question that gets kicked around a lot by new animators is “when does one use IK versus FK?” Answering the question often leads to a discussion of the benefits of both IK and FK for certain situations. Experienced animators might say something like “With FK you get arcs for free.” – but what does that mean?

Check out this short video from animator and animation tools developer Brian Horgan as he explains how FK animation offers arcs for free. The demonstration is something covered in one of Horgan’s live Twitch broadcasts, and here he breaks down one of the benefits of using IK for animation. “I think I found a pretty good way to illustrate it in a quick and clear way,” Horgan says on the stream.

Tune in to watch Brian Horgan animate live in Maya here.