Easy install, open the maya file and click “ok” on the popup window. Done. You’ll see zooTools in your menu bar.
The installation simply creates a folder in the prefs called “zoo” use this folder if you wish to install manually on a network.
ZooTools
Animation and Rigging Environment
Zoo Tools by Hamish Mckenzie is a comprehensive set of rigging and animation tools…
– Autorigger called Skeleton Builder
– Animation clip library
– Trigger interface UI Builder
– Space switching tools
– Skinning tools
– Hotkeys and marking menus
– Camera Editor
– right Click functionality
– Mirroring tools
– Easy add dynamics with bake functions
– And more…
I’m joining Hamish to promote the rig and help to educate people on it’s use as an autorigger and suite of integrated tools.
Skeleton Builder the ZooTools Autorigger features a simple super fast biped rig and supports further fully modular capabilities. It’s best to think of Skeleton Builder as a rigging framework. We’re currently working on a fast biped rig with full optional twist controls. Though the toolset is still heavily in beta the autorigging framework has been used in multiple productions and has evolved out of Hamish’s last autorigger zooCST. Hamish and I are currently testing in newer versions of Maya. It’s our hope that this framework can help support other TDs in creating the rigs that suit their needs and tastes at their particular company or personal projects.
The intention is tool make this toolset commercial. This page is private invite only page for testing ZooTools and Skeleton Builder. Video Tutes and notes will be posted here and this will grow into a bigger resource.
-Andrew
*Skeleton Builder and zooTools is owned by Hamish McKenzie and should not be redistributed. This is for non commercial use but if you’d like to use on a job just let us know and it should be ok.
Hamish’s Website
MacaroniKazoo
Contents (1:47 hrs)
1.1 – Install
2.1 – Highlights
2.2 – Basic Overview
3.1 – Clip Library
4.1 – Right Click Functionality
4.2 – Space Switching
5.1 – Ik/Fk All Animation
6.1 – Skinning Tools
6.2 – Skinning Volumes
7.1 – Camera Editor
8.1 – Trigger Example
8.2 – Trigger Creation
9.1 – Selection Set Integration
10.1 – Skele Builder Code1
10.2 – Skele Builder Code1
11.1 – Dynamic Chains
Instructor
Hamish McKenzie
Andrew Silke
Install
1. Open File in Maya
2. Say Yes To Install
3. find Zoo Tools Menu
Last Updated
October 2015
1. One Click Installation (1:09 mins)
VIDEO 1.1 : INSTALL (1:09 mins)
| Information |
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| ZooTools is an easy install, open the maya file and click “ok” on the popup window. Done. You’ll see zooTools in your menu bar. The installation simply creates a folder in the prefs called “zoo” use this folder if you wish to install manually on a network. |
2. Skeleton Builder Autorigger – 10min Highlights Video (26 mins)
Andrew goes over the features of Skeleton Builder the ZooTools Autorigger in the first video. The second is Hamish’s original Skele Builder demo for Andrew. Hamish goes into more details on how it’s expandable with code.
VIDEO 2.1 : SKELE BUILDER 10 MIN VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS (10 mins)
| Information |
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| Andrew demos a 10 min video overview of the current zooTools autorigger “Skeleton Builder”. This is in beta but gives a good overview of some of the current features. |
VIDEO 2.2 : SKELETON BUILDER BASIC OVERVIEW (15 mins)
| Information |
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| This video shows Hamish Demoing “Skeleton Builder” for Andrew. It’s a good introduction to the autorigger and gives a brief overview on how it’s expandable. |
3. Clip Library for Poses, and Animation (7:58 mins)
ZooTools comes with a full animation library tool for poses, facial, aniamtion cycles and saving animation. A full anim ready library for your pipeline whether big or small.
VIDEO 3.1 : CLIP LIBRARY FOR POSES AND ANIMATION (7:58 mins)
| Information |
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| Full easy to use anim library with Hamish’s propriatary anim save and import tool. |
4. Right Click Functionality and Space Switching (4:44 mins)
Full space switching is built into zooTools with easy setup and right click menus that can be applied to rigs and controls. One of the main features of Skeleton Builder is the way that all body parts are tracked in world space. This makes space switching very easy, it comes setup by default with skeleton builder but it’s also easy to add to any objects, characters or props.
VIDEO 4.1 : RIGHT CLICK FUNCTIONALITY AND SPACE SWITCHING ON SKELETON BUILDER RIGS (41 sec)
| Information |
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| The skele builder rig comes setup with right click functionality with loads of features such as easy space switching. There’s a further space switching tool for setting up custom space switchers too. |
VIDEO 4.2 : SPACE SWITCHING (4:03 mins)
| Information |
|---|
| Full space switching is built into zooTools with easy setup and right click menus that can be applied to rigs and controls. One of the main features of Skeleton Builder is the way that all body parts are tracked in world space. This makes space switching very easy, it comes setup by default with skeleton builder but it’s also easy to add to any objects, characters or props. |
5. Ik/Fk Switching for Entire Animation (2:48 mins)
Not only do Skeleton Builder Rigs come with a right click Ik/Fk snap switch. They also have an option for entire animation instant switching. Pose your entire animation in Ik then right click to switch all keys to fk across the whole animation timeline.
VIDEO 5.1 : IK/FK SWITCHING FOR ENTIRE ANIMATION (2:48 mins)
| Information |
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| Not only do Skeleton Builder Rigs come with a right click Ik/Fk snap switch. They also have an option for entire animation instant switching. Pose your entire animation in Ik then right click to switch all keys to fk across the whole animation timeline. |
6. Skinning Tools (12 mins)
Zootools comes with neat skinning tools. Import Export skin weights in global space which supports topology changes, easy disable of skinning to reposition pivots. A skin volume tool that sets up 100% weight very fast and transfer skinning tools.
The tools also comes with a feature that can send skinning from a referenced rig back onto the original file.
VIDEO 6.1 : SKINNING TOOLS (7:52 mins)
| Information |
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| Zootools comes with neat skinning tools. Import Export skin weights in global space which supports topology changes, easy disable of skinning to reposition pivots. A skin volume tool that sets up 100% weight very fast and transfer skinning tools. |
VIDEO 6.2 : SKINNING VOLUMES (4:14 mins)
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| Skin Volumes allow us to achieve solid skin weighting super fast. With the great selection of skinning techniques available to us it’s still important to weight 100% skin weighting fast. This simple innovative technique speeds workflow considerably. |
7. Camera Switcher and Editor: ZooShots (3:01 mins)
ZooShots is the ZooTools camera editor. By far the easiest tool for editing cameras, super fast intuative setup to get camera switching happening simply and fast inside of Maya.
VIDEO 7.1 : CAMERA SWITCHER AND EDITOR: ZOOSHOTS (3:01 mins)
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| * Please note the “sync to viewport” is now fixed from version v106. ZooShots is ZooTools camera editor. By far the easiest tool for editing cameras, super fast intuative setup to get camera switching happening simply and fast inside of Maya. |
8. Trigger UI – Creation and Selection (14 mins)
Triggers are a way of linking the selection of a 3d object to another. They can be used for creating UI’s and as selectors for other objects which may ordinarily be difficult to select. Here we’ve got two videos, the first with Andrew demonstrating a UI created with triggers and the other with Hamish showing how to create triggers.
VIDEO 8.1 : A TRIGGER UI EXAMPLE (5:59 mins)
| Information |
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| Triggers are a way of linking the selection of a 3d object to another. They can be used for creating UI’s and as selectors for other objects which may ordinarily be difficult to select. Here Andrew demonstrates a UI created with triggers. |
VIDEO 8.2 : TRIGGER UI CREATION AND SELECTION (8:30 mins)
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| Triggers are a way of linking the selection of a 3d object to another. They can be used for creating UI’s and as selectors for other objects which may ordinarily be difficult to select. Here Hamish shows how to create triggers. |
9. Full Selection Set Integration (3:48 mins)
A fully integrated Selection Set UI and marking menu makes organising rig parts and models a breeze and super fast. ZooTools features an intuitive interface for selecting objects and groups of objects powerfully.
VIDEO 9.1 : FULL SELECTION SET INTEGRATION (3:48 mins)
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| A fully integrated Selection Set UI and marking menu makes organising rig parts and models a breeze and super fast. ZooTools features an intuitive interface for selecting objects and groups of objects powerfully. |
10. Skeleton Builder Autorigger – Code Demos (28 mins)
Skeleton Builder has been designed for python TDs to add rigging parts easily. In this section we look at how rigging parts can be added to skeleton builder in code.
VIDEO 10.1 : SKELETON BUILDER – CODE DEMO 1 (11 mins)
| Information |
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| Skeleton Builder has been designed for python TDs to add rigging parts easily. In this section we look at how rigging parts can be added to skeleton builder in code. |
VIDEO 10.2 : SKELETON BUILDER – CODE DEMO 2 (17 mins)
| Information |
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| Skeleton Builder has been designed for python TDs to add rigging parts easily. In this section we look at how rigging parts can be added to skeleton builder in code. |
11. Dynamic Chains (2:46 mins)
A dynamics feature that can be added to any fk chain at anytime, independent of rigs. Perfect for hair, tails, ropes any floppy dynamics.
For performance the dynamic chain/s aren’t embedded in the rig, simply bake the keys back onto the fk to remove the dynamics and continue to tweak animation.
VIDEO 11.1 : DYNAMIC CHAINS (2:46 mins)
| Information |
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| A dynamics feature that can be added to any fk chain at anytime, independent of rigs. Perfect for hair, tails, ropes any floppy dynamics. For performance the dynamic chain/s aren’t embedded in the rig, simply bake the keys back onto the fk to remove the dynamics and continue to tweak animation. This is a coming soon feature. |