Custom Rig System Featuring Flexible Eyelid Modules

Robbie Reid shared about his approach.

As Robbie Reid explained, as a Senior Rigging TD, he needs to prioritize flexibility in his builds. Recently, he reworked his eyelid modules to support variable joint counts, giving animators more control over performance and complexity.

By leveraging a curve-based output system, Robbie can adjust the number of joints according to project requirements, using higher joint counts for increased fidelity and control, or fewer joints for simplicity and optimization. This also allows for quick iteration to find the ideal balance.

The eyelids automatically follow eye movement, and the main controls allow for precise positioning through translation, while curvature can be sculpted using rotation and scale. When joint density allows, secondary controls offer even finer detailing. Blinking can be handled manually by animating the controls or automatically by triggering a meet point between the posed lids for a clean seal.

"I've been using iterations of this system over my last few projects, both commercials and games. The core elements of this system have been floating around in my head since 2018, so it's been great to finally put it to the test", commented Robbie.

Check out this ZZZ animation by Axel Messey made with Robbie's Guardian, a free Maya-based rig perfect for testing body mechanics and attack combos, and see more of Robbie's rigging work below: