Control Rig

Overview

Every grab point will probably need their own Grab Animation and Relative Transform to lerp it smoothly. We included an editor script and a Control Rig for finding the transform and speeding up animation creation.

Control Rig is only available for 4.26.

Pro Tip: If you don't want to upgrade to 4.26, you can create a separate project to create animations and export those anims from editor as FBX.

Using Control Rig

Beginner Level

We strongly recommend you to try out Advanced Level. Its a much better workflow.

Right click and select Scripted Actions > Start Creating Anim on any static mesh or skeletal mesh that you want to use. This will;

1. Open Map_Setup map

2. Spawn the selected Static Mesh into level

3. Parent SM to Hand
4. Open LS_ControlRig

Previous works in the map will be lost if you run this script! Open Map_Setup manually to return to previous work. Have a look at the Reverse Control Rig to edit exported animations.

Follow these steps to create animation and find the transform.

1. Find the most natural transform for hand to hold the object and place the fingers. Turn on auto key in LS so you don’t lose progress. Use this transform as Relative Transform R. Ignore object’s scale, which will be 1,333 (or 1,0 if its Absolute Scale).
2. Place the fingers properly, save the animation by right clicking on MannequinHand_Right and clicking Create Anim Seq. Animations should be 1 frame and the hand’s transform must be 0,0,0 0,0,0 1,1,1.

Some objects will need different transform for left hand. Use Relative Transform L for this.

Sometimes the pivot of a control point will jump to 0,0,0 and moving it will move the hand as well. This is an engine bug. Workaround: Reselect the control point from Animation tab.

Advanced Level

Repeat these steps for every animation. Even if the animation is for the same mesh.

1. Open Map_Setup map

2. Delete everything other than BP_Env.

3. Create a Level Sequence.

4. Drag and drop the MannequinHand_Right and the mesh you want into the Level Sequence. Its important that you drop it into the LS. This will turn them to a spawnable. It should look like this.
5. Animation frames could be as long as you want. But if you are creating it for Grab Anim, you should set it to 1 frame. Since it only uses the first frame for grab animation.

6. Add the Control Rig to the hand.
7. Make sure to save the LS. This LS is now self-contained. Meaning, these meshes will be spawned on LS is opened and destroyed on LS is closed. You can now use this LS to edit this anim in the future.

8. Follow next steps to create animation and find the transform. Keep the object at 0,0,0 0,0,0 1,1,1 but move the hand(the hand scale has to be 0.75). (Yes, opposite of what I showed in the tutorial.)

9. Find the most natural transform for hand to hold the object and place the fingers. Turn on auto key in LS so you don’t lose progress. Save your progress.

10. Place the fingers properly, save the animation by right clicking on MannequinHand_Right and clicking Create Anim Seq. Save!
11. DON'T SAVE LS FOR THIS STEP. Attach the object to the hand. Use this transform as Relative Transform R. Ignore object’s scale, which will be 1,333 (or 1,0 if its Absolute Scale). Close the LS and DON'T save.

Some objects will need different transform for left hand. Use Relative Transform L for this.

Sometimes the pivot of a control point will jump to 0,0,0 and moving it will move the hand as well. This is an engine bug. Workaround: Reselect the control point from Animation tab.

Bake To Control Rig

This is a new feature that allows you to edit exported animations. If you are coming from earlier versions, you can use this to edit your exported animations.

1. Open any animation.

2. Edit in Sequencer.

3. Bake To Control Rig.

4. CR_MannequinHand_Right.
5. Don't reduce keys!