Koochy
05-11-2011, 09:45 PM
What is the correct way to mirror controls on a rig that when rotated with the same value (ie: rotateX=30) they move in mirrored fashion?
Example:
http://imageshack.us/m/607/7683/jointrotationctrl.jpg
As you can see, the joints are mirrored. Ignoring the two nurbs circles for a moment, if I was to rotate the R and L in positive Y, they would rotate to the center. When I create two controls for the arms and constrain them to the R and L joints, they now lose their mirror movements because the controls would have their transformations frozen.
In order to maintain the mirrored movements, I need to leave transformations on the groups above the controls to make the controls appear to be mirrored... yes? If I simply scaleX = -1 for R_Ctrl_Group and constrain it, the joint flips because of the negative scale value. But if I set rotateX = 180 on the group (effectively copying the joints upside down Local Rotation Axis) this keeps the joint in place and sets the joints up to move in a mirrored fashion.
I guess what I'm trying to ask is... am I doing this right? Giving the controls parent groups transform values so I can achieve a mirrored movement effect? Do the joints LRA even need to be mirrored? If a joint is constrained to a control, is it's Local Rotation Axis even important since the control now overides its orientation?
I think I answered my own question in this post... but I just want to make sure I'm doing things since I've never actually asked about it, heh.
Thanks!
Example:
http://imageshack.us/m/607/7683/jointrotationctrl.jpg
As you can see, the joints are mirrored. Ignoring the two nurbs circles for a moment, if I was to rotate the R and L in positive Y, they would rotate to the center. When I create two controls for the arms and constrain them to the R and L joints, they now lose their mirror movements because the controls would have their transformations frozen.
In order to maintain the mirrored movements, I need to leave transformations on the groups above the controls to make the controls appear to be mirrored... yes? If I simply scaleX = -1 for R_Ctrl_Group and constrain it, the joint flips because of the negative scale value. But if I set rotateX = 180 on the group (effectively copying the joints upside down Local Rotation Axis) this keeps the joint in place and sets the joints up to move in a mirrored fashion.
I guess what I'm trying to ask is... am I doing this right? Giving the controls parent groups transform values so I can achieve a mirrored movement effect? Do the joints LRA even need to be mirrored? If a joint is constrained to a control, is it's Local Rotation Axis even important since the control now overides its orientation?
I think I answered my own question in this post... but I just want to make sure I'm doing things since I've never actually asked about it, heh.
Thanks!