Advanced Body Rigging Workshop (Summer 2025)
Wed, Jun 25
|Recorded & Live Meet Sessions
6-week workshop focused on bringing 3D characters to life with high-quality standards for animated films
Time & Location
Jun 25, 2025, 7:00 p.m. PDT – Aug 06, 2025, 9:00 p.m. PDT
Recorded & Live Meet Sessions
About the event
Master the art of character rigging! By the end of this 7-week course, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to build a fully functional, animator-friendly character rig, meeting the high-quality standards required for TV shows and animated films.
The program includes recorded videos and live Google Meet sessions for weekly review and feedback.
The recorded lessons are presented in English, with the option of Spanish subtitles.
Live sessions can be conducted in either English or Spanish, depending on the preference of the student.
Live sessions are optional, reviews and feedback can be recorded.
Instructor
Hector Abraham Torres
Is a Character Rigger at Walt Disney Animation Studios with over 10 years of experience in the industry, he also worked at Sony Pictures Imageworks and other big animation studios.
Hector is also an international speaker and instructor which contributions have made him a respected figure in the animation community.
Projects worked:
- Tiana
- Moana 2
- Spider-Man Across the Spiderverse
- Monsters At Work
- Paw Patrol the Movie
- SpongeBob in the Run
- Max Stel Turbo
Overview / Syllabus
Week 0
Introduction and presentation
Live Session: Jun 25, 2025
Week 1
Body Anatomy (Muscles and Bone Structures)
Correct Topology for animation
Retopology tools in Maya
Marking Menus, Hotkeys, and Scripts.
Assignment: Model ready to start the rig.
Live Session: Jul 02, 2025
Week 2
Creation of joints and controls
IK Splines
Constraints, connections and utility nodes
Squash and Stretch
Assignment: Spine and neck rig
Live Session: Jul 09, 2025
Week 3
IK/FK Chains
Ribbons
Bend controls
Controls Automation
Assignment: Cartoony arm rig
Live Session: Jul 16, 2025
Week 4
IK/FK Chains in legs
Reverse foot control
Ribbons in legs
Assignment: Cartoony leg rig
Live Session: Jul 23, 2025
Week 5
Parent Switch Spaces
Mirroring
binding and weight painting
Testing
Assignment: Rig Assembling and Binding
Live Session: Jul 30, 2025
Week 6
Matrix Nodes
RBF Maya solver
Pose Editor
Sculpting Tools
Extra Add-ons
Assignment: Second layer of deformation
Live Session: August 06, 2025
Optional extension week to wrap up assignments ahead of final project submission.
Level
Intermediate to advanced
This workshop is not intended for complete beginners, but everyone is welcome to join.
We will cover all the fundamentals, but the workshop spends more time on intermediate and advanced concepts.
Requirements
Computer with an internet connection and a microphone for online classes
Autodesk Maya 2019 or later installed
Basic knowledge of Maya is required
The workshop is limited to only 10 students, so we recommend saving your spot in advance
If you have any questions or require alternative payment options, including installment plans,
please email us at contact@hatrigs.com
You can also reserve your spot with an initial payment by emailing us.
If there's enough interest, we may open up to two additional groups, one meeting on Tuesdays and the other on Wednesdays.