Scripting and Tools
Besides creating great rigs for characters, creatures, and props, I am also proficient in Python. I have used this language to create short scripts to automate repetitive tasks while rigging and to create tools that I have used everywhere I have worked. This page is dedicated to showing off some of those tools. This page will be regularly updated as my collection of tools grows, so come back here often to see what's new!
Joe's Utilities (JUT)
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I have a collection of tools I've used through my career so far, but I have only used them in code form, or created a button in Maya for the tools. I have never made a UI for my tools. Recently, I decided that needed to change, so I dove into "Qt Designer" to learn how to put together a PyQt interface for my tools.
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This video shows off my current iteration of this interface. Right now, the only tools it has is my "select hierarchy" tool that simply allows me to select either all descendants of an object, or just the objects of type 'transform'. Then there is a tool I call my "Super Select" tool. It allows me to store several selections and then use those stored selections in more intricate ways including adding to the selection, removing from the selection, selecting all items inverse of the selection, and more. This tool works on the object level and the component level. Watch the video for a full demonstration!
Auto-Rigging Script
MFA Project -- Auto-Rigging Script
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I'm putting this video here as well as the rigging page because I did a lot of programming for this little guy. It's a very simple auto-rigging program that builds a body FK skeleton based on locators placed by the user. The end result is a set of controls with generic shapes and colors for a body rig. It is not modular, and does not enable editing of joint placement once the rig has been built, but this is the project that taught me how to use Python. So, it's here too.