3D Character Rigging for Animation and VFX Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply industry-standard rigging techniques to create flexible and efficient character rigs.
• Design control systems that allow intuitive manipulation of 3D models for animation.
• Implement skinning and weight painting to ensure smooth deformation of geometry.
• Analyze joint hierarchies and constraints to achieve realistic movement.
• Evaluate rig performance and troubleshoot common deformation issues.
• Demonstrate proficiency in rigging tools within a 3D software environment.

Target Audience

3D artists, animators, and game developers seeking to advance their technical skills in character rigging for film, TV, or game production.

Prerequisites

Learners must have basic proficiency in 3D modelling and familiarity with a 3D software package (e.g., Maya, Blender, or 3ds Max).

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

Practical sessions form the core of this course, allowing learners to apply rigging theory hands-on using industry-standard software. Learners will build a complete biped character rig from scratch, including skeleton, controls, skinning, and facial rigging, culminating in a final project that integrates all skills.

Practical Activities

• Basic Joint Hierarchy and Skinning — Create a simple joint chain for a character arm and apply smooth skinning to a mesh, then test deformations. (4h)
• IK/FK Switching Rig — Build a complete leg rig with FK and IK controls, including a switch between the two modes using custom attributes. (4h)
• Weight Painting and Corrective Shapes — Refine skin weights on a character mesh and create corrective blend shapes for problem poses. (4h)
• Facial Rig and Mechanical Prop Rig — Rig a simple face using blend shapes and joints, and create a mechanical rig for a prop like a wheel or piston. (4h)
• Final Character Rig Project — Complete a full biped character rig including skeleton, IK/FK arms and legs, spine controls, facial rig, and skinning. Export the rig for animation. (4h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.