🔸 I also spent time realigning all off-angle parts, and recalculated all Pivot Points of each mesh to their respective areas of prospective motion (based on my research). 🔸 Following the initial outline and planning stages, I began work on separating the model's meshes/parts into folders within Blender's Outliner. 🔸 The rig also needed to have a range movement that allowed for some potential 'stylized' animations for entertainment/attention grabbing purposes (see suspension flexibility test in the attached video). This rig was developed for educational video purposes, but only required a basic overview of the rover's functions. 🔸 After analyzing the real-life references for the rover, I outlined which areas I would make animatable for the rig.
🔸 I began by researching the Mars Curiosity Rover to see which areas/parts were mobile on the real-life vehicle. This rig took within the span of a week to complete.
This means I had to make sure I spent ample time preparing the model for the rigging process (see breakdown below). The creation of this rig was a unique challenge, as I didn't have direct communication with the modeler of the asset. The rig contains a variety of Custom Shape Controllers, Drivers, and Constraints. 🔦 This is a custom Robotic Vehicle Rig that I developed almost two years ago, using NASA's 'Mars Curiosity Rover' model from their 3D library for educational video purposes.
