Demo Video: https://youtu.be/YVEt-CpLxZE
Rig System Overview
The deer includes a fully structured quadruped rig designed with a clear separation of technical and animator layers.
The system was tested in a full walk cycle animation where all control layers were actively used.
The rig is divided into four logical groups:
DEF – Deformation Bones
Directly deform the mesh
Clean hierarchy
Used for baking and export
Present in runtime files (.glb / .fbx)
This layer guarantees stable deformation in production and real-time environments.
MCH – Mechanism Bones
Internal mechanical system
Handles IK/FK logic
Maintains limb stability
Supports rig behavior consistency
Hidden from the animator and used only for technical computation.
CTRL – Animator Controls
Main animation layer
Custom-shaped controls
Color-coded for clarity
Designed for blocking and polishing
All posing and animation is performed through CTRL bones.
UI – Interface Bones
The UI layer contains special interface bones that store animation properties.
These bones:
Have star-shaped custom visuals
Do not directly deform the mesh
Serve as property holders and control interface
IK / FK Switching
Each leg supports IK and FK modes.
4 independent switches (one per leg)
IK and FK are switched, not blended
Stable transition logic
Clear control state separation
The system is designed for workflow flexibility without interpolation blending between modes.
Custom Properties
All switching and additional parameters are stored as Custom Properties on dedicated UI bones (star-shaped controls).
Total custom parameters: 5
4 IK/FK switches (one per leg)
1 Head control group containing:
Rotation Inheritance Toggle
Mouth Close Factor
This keeps the control interface centralized and clean.
Head Functionality
The head control system includes:
Optional rotation inheritance from parent
Adjustable mouth closing factor
This allows expressive posing without overcomplicating the rig structure.
Rig Behavior & Structure
The rig is built with:
Clear visual separation of control layers
Structured hierarchy
Organized naming convention (DEF / MCH / CTRL / UI)
Non-destructive animation workflow
The system was fully tested on the included walk cycle animation, where all control layers and switching mechanisms were used in practice.
File Structure Overview
This product includes three distinct workflow files prepared for different use cases.
1️⃣ Original Blender File (.blend – Clean Rig Version)
Fully rigged model
Complete IK/FK system
DEF / MCH / CTRL / UI layers
Custom Properties (UI controls)
No baked animation included
This file contains the clean rig setup intended for animation production.
2️⃣ FBX File (.fbx – Loop Animation Version)
Deformation skeleton only
Baked walk cycle
Seamless loop
Engine-ready structure
This file is intended for runtime and real-time engine integration.
No advanced rig logic is included.
3️⃣ Additional Blender File (.blend – Source Animation Version)
Deformation bones
Non-looped walk animation
Editable timing and motion
Prepared for further refinement or custom looping
This file contains the original animation before loop finalization.
Recommended Usage
Use the original .blend for creating new animations or working with the full rig system.
Use the additional .blend to modify the original motion.
Use the .fbx file for engine or runtime implementation.