Authoring Tool High Concept Doc
Authoring Tool Name: InstaRig
Team Members: David Li, Xiaonan Chen
SigGraph Paper(s):
"RigNet: Neural Rigging for Articulated Characters," Zhan Xu, Yang Zhou, Evangelos Kalogerakis, Chris Landreth, Karan Singh, ACM Trans. Graph. 39, 4, Article 58 (2020).
Summary:
Main Concept and Need for the Tool:
InstaRig delivers instant, AI-driven rigging for 3D characters, transforming raw meshes into animation-ready skeletons and skin weights in seconds. Designed to eliminate tedious manual adjustments, it ensures anatomically plausible joint placements and deformation even for non-humanoid or stylized characters, meeting the demand for rapid iteration in fast-paced industries like games and film.
Type of User:
- Animators and 3D Artists needing quick rigs for prototypes or complex creatures.
- Technical Directors (TDs) streamlining pipelines for episodic content or large-scale asset libraries.
- Indie Creators lacking rigging expertise but requiring professional-quality results.
Typical Applications:
- Rigging characters for real-time engines (Unity, Unreal) or cinematic pipelines.
- Batch-processing crowds, creatures, or mechanical models with consistent quality.
- Rapid prototyping for pitch decks or pre-visualization.
Output:
- Editable rigs with joint hierarchies and optimized skin weights, compatible with Maya, Blender, and other DCC tools.
- Granularity control via a slider to adjust skeleton complexity (e.g., simplified rigs for background characters).
- Cross-format export (FBX, GLTF) for seamless integration into production workflows.
Key Innovations:
- One-click automation: Generates rigs directly from mesh data, bypassing voxelization or rigid templates.
- Adaptive learning: Retains surface details (e.g., elbow/knee geometry) critical for accurate joint placement.
- Artist-first design: Minimalist UI with real-time previews and intuitive sliders for quick refinement.
Why "InstaRig"?
The name combines "instant" (speed) and "rig" (core function), evoking tools like Instagram/Instacart that prioritize accessibility and efficiency. It avoids platform-specific branding while emphasizing AI-driven agility, aligning with modern creator workflows.