What is an IK Rig?
IK stands for Inverse Kinematics, as opposed to Forward Kinematics (FK). Both techniques are used in the process of character animation. Let me explain FK first.
To animate a character using FK, animators manually manipulate the joint angles or positions over time to create a desired motion. For example, if animating a character holding a ball, an animator would adjust the positions and rotations of the shoulder and then the elbow in each frame to simulate the movement.
FK allows for intuitive control and direct manipulation of a character’s movements, as animators have direct control over each joint’s position and orientation. However, it can become cumbersome and time-consuming when animating complex movements or interactions between different body parts.
To address this limitation, IK is often used in combination with FK in character animation. IK enables animators to specify the position of an end effector (such as a character’s...
