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When deciding how a rig should be created, when do you choose to use IK bones and MCH bones together like this?

Forum Archive › When deciding how a rig should be created, when do you choose to use IK bones and MCH bones together like this?

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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  • September 11, 2021 at 11:48 pm #14366
    Brandon Ruffin
    Participant

      I’m trying to understand the use case of IK and MCH bones.

      Am I correct in thinking that the IK bones are for a base movement and the MCH bones more for specific movements? Fleshed out details of movement?

      September 12, 2021 at 12:05 pm #70563
      Dwayne Savage
      Participant

        IK bone is the controller bone. the MCH are the mechanism bones that are used for calculating the inverse kinetics. More specific movements would be done through FK or forward kinetic control bones.

        September 16, 2021 at 9:21 am #70564
        Kent Trammell
        Participant

          Dwayne offers good insight. I don’t think my terminology is bullet-proof but I’ll try to clarify: IK is the constraint type rather than a bone type, technically speaking. IK constraints and MCH bones are both serving as mechanisms of the rig. They both ultimately affect how the DEF (deformation) bones move the model, where CTRL (control) bones are the interface for the animator to move the rig (with its mechanisms).

          So the heirarchy is essentially this: DEF bones <– MCH bones/constraints <– CTRL bones

          Hopefully that helps clarify. @waylow is the real rigging master.

          September 16, 2021 at 1:35 pm #70565
          Brandon Ruffin
          Participant

            Hi Dwayne! Thanks for getting  back so soon, and apologies on the late reply.

            Oh I think I see what you mean. The MCH bones are, in another way, touching up on how the IK works, because it’s very open ended by nature.

            And then FK for anything else that you may need. I think I’m understanding that correctly.

            September 16, 2021 at 1:47 pm #70566
            Brandon Ruffin
            Participant

              Hi Kent! Thanks for the clarification.

              Yeah I’m not familiar with the DEF, MCH, and CTRL bone terminology when it comes to rigging, so I found myself lost in understanding the use case of each in the process. First time I’m delving so deep in the process.

              It seems to me that there’s 3 main steps here, IK/MCH setups, and then there’s figuring out the FK setups for the more specific movements needed, and then how the CTRL bones control the rig. In a nutshell. All to the DEF bones of course.

              This helps a lot you two, thank you for the help!

              September 16, 2021 at 7:53 pm #70567
              Wayne Dixon
              Participant

                Hi Brandon,

                IK and FK are just names given to a specific type of control bone.

                Hopefully this video will help clarify things.
                https://cgcookie.com/lesson/rigging-concepts-made-simple

                Make sure you check out the rest of the course too.

                 

                September 17, 2021 at 1:34 am #70568
                Brandon Ruffin
                Participant

                  Awesome, thank you! The video really helps, I’ll be checking out the rest as well.

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