3D Toolkit - Rigging the Spine (24/02/25)

To start off with, we can create a new layer to put the legs in so we don't accidentally select them. Select the legs and then right click on the layer and add the selected objects. Turn the layer into a reference layer by clicking on the third box twice.

Creating the Spine Joint

Make sure your in the side view in Maya

Skeleton > Create Joints, snap them to the grid using x

Place the joints and name them in this order:

• Pelvis 
• Lumbar 1
• Lumbar 2
• Chest
• Neck base

Creating the Spine Controls

Create > NURBS Primitives > Circle to create the control curve, snap it to the pelvis joint using v

Rotate the control 90 degrees to align with the spine

Make sure to delete the history and freeze transformations

Duplicate these controls for each joint

Constraining Controls

Apply the point and orient constraints with the option maintain offset ticked

Repeat this for all the joints

Then parent the controls in this order

• Chest to Lumbar 2
• Lumbar 2 to Lumbar 1
• Lumbar 1 to Pelvis

Rigging the Head

Skeleton > Create joint for the head

Create > NURBS Primitives > Circle and snap the joint to the head using V

Scale it around the head

Make sure to delete the history and freeze the transformations

Use the Orient Constraint and parent the head to the neck

Jaw Control

Create a separate jaw control and use orient constraint