Ep.4 — Controller Creation · Biped Shape · Mirror & Naming

Overview

After Figure Mode, in the Controller tab: adjusting Biped controller shape, NURBS Curve scale, left/right mirror, custom controller creation (Origin/Selected/Offset), and setting naming prefix and suffix.

Prerequisites

• Build + Figure Mode (Init) completed
• Joint positions re-aligned in Figure Mode if necessary

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Controller Tab Overview

• This is the phase of refining controller position and shape after Build.
• If the controller display (flags) becomes misaligned after changing positions in Figure Mode, they can be re-aligned in the Controller tab.

2. Biped Shape Editing

1. Enter Biped Shape edit mode.
2. Move vertices to adjust the controller size and form.
3. Press Update to apply the changed shape.
4. For the other side: switch to Flip mode for editing → use the R key to find the matching Left/Right name and confirm that the other side changes as well.

3. NURBS Curve Bulk Scale

1. NURBS Curve controllers have their source, curves, and points bundled together, so scaling them only in Max can slow things down.
2. Adjust size using bulk scale in the Controller tab.
3. Apply the same to the other side after Flip.

4. Custom Controller Shape

• You can create a custom shape in any form you want (detailed in the latter part of the video).

5. Controller Creation Modes

1. Hiding the character first and pressing the button allows testing like creating in an empty scene.
2. The Selected + Offset option combination also enables group-level placement and rotation.

6. Naming (Prefix · Suffix)

1. Use Prefix / Suffix to align controller naming conventions.
2. Symmetric option — both side names are automatically changed according to rules like Left/Right.
3. Changing only the prefix triggers a bulk rename on both sides.

Recommended Rules

• Things that animators directly interact with → add a prefix meaning "controller" at the front of the name (varies by team, e.g., Ctrl_).
• Check team guidelines to avoid conflicts with Biped's default root names.

Concept Reinforcement

• The Controller tab is the "polish visuals + team naming" phase — the rigging functionality itself has already been determined in Build/Figure.
• It is common to alternate between re-adjusting joint positions in Figure Mode and refining shapes in the Controller tab.

Notes

• Don't forget to Update after editing Biped Shape.
• Modifying only one side without Flip mode will cause left/right shapes to differ.
• Naming rules must match production standards for Picker, Mirror, and export to be consistent.