Robot Arm IK Rig - Multiple Pivots

#1

Edit Sorry if I posted in the wrong forum, I’ve added it to the Maya Forum instead, feel free to remove this if it dosen’t belong here. Sorry :blush:
If you have Awnsers/questions please go to this -->

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?p=7679706#post7679706

Hey Everyone!

Working on a little personal Robot project, but currently stuck in the rigging phase. :blush:

Unfortunately I can’t seem to find any solutions to my issue, but hopefully someone in here has the golden answer for my question :thumbsup:

I’m trying to rig the Robot IK Arm, but as illustrated in the pictures above, it has multiple pivot points in the arm.
The FK arm version works, but the IK arm solvers etc. a whole different story.
I’ve tried a bunch of different rigging methods, but the main problem seems to be the Rotation from the sockets around the shoulder don’t match.
So the Geometry don’t line up.

I’ve tried to create a Joint chain, so I have 3x Joints making the arm (Like a normal Arm) and added an IK solver, and that works fine. then I have 2 additional joints controlling the Rotatiiong from the Inner Shoulder Socket and the Arm Rotation (Picture Above: Little Cylinder and Long Cylinder in the Shoulder socket)
But would love if the IK solver could gets its (XYZ?) from the different joints, so that “X” is being controlled form the Inner Cylinder (Picture Above) and Z is controlling the rotation form the long Cylinder (Picture Above)
But I can’t seem to introduce the 2x extra joints into the IK solver without it making weird rotations etc…

So the main question is:
How can I create an IK Arm rig with multiple pivots?

Main thing is, I want to have 1 Control object for the IK Hand, but still have it rotate multiple places automatic.

I’m sorry if this makes no sense, :blush: please feel free to ask any questions, would love to figure this out =)
Thanks in advance. :thumbsup:

#2

Howdy,

Here is an offset IK setup I’ve used before.
http://www.cactus3d.com/OffsetLegIK_FBX.zip

The rig was created in Cinema 4D and exported to FBX. If you import it into Maya with Constraints enabled in the import options, then the example rig should be fully functional except you’d need to reattach the Pole Vector object with a Pole Vector constraint. Maya’s FBX file importer doesn’t seem reattach the Pole Vectors.

EDIT:
I also replied in your other thread in the Maya forum.

Adios,
Cactus Dan

#3

Thanks Cactus Dan! :bowdown: I wrote in the other thread to say how it went!

#4

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