3D animation and rigging terms
How 3D things move: the skeletons and controls that let a model be posed, the keyframes and curves that time the motion, and the simulations that handle physics.
Beginner 3D animation and rigging terms
- 12 principles of animationTwelve classic guidelines that make motion feel alive and believable
- 3D animationMoving 3D models and cameras over time to tell a story
- Auto-riggingSoftware that fits a skeleton and skin weights to a character for you
- BoneOne rigid piece of a 3D skeleton that moves the mesh around it
- Dope sheetAn animation editor that shows every keyframe as a mark on a timeline grid
- EasingSpeeding up or slowing down motion so it feels natural
- Frame rangeThe first and last frame of a scene’s animation, which set what plays and renders
- KeyframeA saved pose or value at a point in time; software fills the gaps
- Onion skinningSeeing faded neighbor frames while you animate
- Pose modeThe mode for moving and keying a rig’s bones to pose a character
- RiggingGiving a model a skeleton and controls so it can be posed
- Rigid body simulationPhysics for solid objects that fall, collide and stack without bending
- SkeletonThe full set of linked bones that decides how a 3D model can bend
- TweeningGenerating the frames between two keyframes
- Walk cycleA looping animation of two steps that can repeat forever
Intermediate 3D animation and rigging terms
- Animation curveA line on a graph showing how a value changes over time
- Animation retargetingCopying motion from one skeleton onto a different character
- Blend shapeA saved, reshaped copy of a mesh you can fade in, like a smile
- Cloth simulationMaking a mesh fold, drape and flap like real fabric
- ConstraintA rule that makes one object follow, copy or limit another
- Control rigThe handles animators grab to pose a character without touching bones
- Forward kinematicsPosing a limb one joint at a time, from the shoulder down
- Gimbal lockWhen two rotation axes line up and an object loses a direction of spin
- Graph editorAn animation editor that draws each animated value as a curve you can reshape
- Hair and furThousands of thin strands grown on a mesh, then combed and styled
- InterpolationHow software fills in the values between two keyframes
- Inverse kinematicsPosing a limb by moving its end, like dragging a hand into place
- Motion captureRecording a real performer’s movement to drive a 3D character
- Nonlinear animationArranging whole animations as clips you can reorder, loop and blend
- Particle systemA tool that sprays and steers many small points for sparks, rain and dust
- Physics simulationLetting the software work out motion from gravity, forces and collisions
- Skeletal animationAnimating a model by moving the bones inside it
- SkinningAttaching a mesh to its skeleton so the surface bends with the bones
- Weight paintingBrushing on a mesh to set how strongly each bone moves each area
Advanced 3D animation and rigging terms
More 3D glossary topics
3D animation and rigging terms FAQ
What is the difference between rigging and animation?
Rigging builds the skeleton and controls inside a model. Animation uses those controls to pose it over time. A character is rigged once; it is animated for every shot.
What is the difference between FK and IK?
With forward kinematics you rotate each joint in turn, which suits swinging motion. With inverse kinematics you move the end of a limb and the joints follow, which suits feet on the ground and hands on objects.
Do I need to learn rigging to animate?
Not at first. Many characters come already rigged, and auto-rigging tools can rig a humanoid in minutes. Learn to animate with an existing rig, then learn rigging when you build your own characters.