LogInAccording to its creator, the method can be used with any rig.
Shima, a Freelance Game CG Animator from Japan, has recently taken to Twitter to showcase a neat custom-made solution for Maya that many 3D Character Animators may find interesting. The function in question, as revealed through a series of posts and cool animations featuring Deadpool, can be used to eliminate IK stretching behavior in Maya by extracting the IK bending and stretching as a curve and reflecting the adjustments made.
"This function is not a function of a dedicated rig structure, it simply involves adding a dedicated attribute to the specified part of the rig on which you want to implement this function," commented Shima. "Therefore, it is assumed that it can be easily implemented on all rigs. Functions can be removed with the push of a button."
According to the creator, the advantages of this solution include maintaining normal joint length without stretching in the IK and directly reflecting the height changes in your 3D characters when their heels are raised, yielding the same result you would get when raising your heels without bending knees in real life.
As of now, the tool isn't commercially available and appears to have been designed for the artist's personal use only. We strongly encourage you to follow Shima on Twitter to learn more and explore the author's previous animation projects.
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