BipedPlus

Ep.10 — Seed · Node Rename · Layer

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Overview

Covers Seed·Rigging Info Update and Layer organization that keep BipedPlus Picker·Mirror·Reset working even after renaming bones and controllers to match your team's naming convention.

Seed — In Simple Terms

Think of it like a phone book.

  • In Max, you can rename bones from LeftArmCtrl_L_Arm and so on.
  • BipedPlus stores in the Seed "what this bone originally was."
  • After renaming, simply hit Update and Picker·Mirror·Reset reconnect with the new names.

If you skip Update: Mirror·Reset·Picker may only work partially or show up in the Missing list.

Free Node Rename — Renaming

  1. Change names only to match team conventions (Left/Right, Ctrl prefix, etc.).
  2. Keep the parent–child hierarchy intact.
  3. In Rigging Info, do Scan → Update (or Picker Scan).

Rigging Info — Update · Missing From Seed

Steps

  1. Open the Rigging Info panel (near the Skin tab, etc. — check location per UI version).
  2. Scan / Load — read the current scene's rig structure.
  3. Update — apply changed names and newly added controllers.
  4. Missing From Seed — items in the Seed but missing from registration → resolve with Add + Update.

When Update is Needed

Situation Action
Rename bone/controller Update
Add custom controller Add → Update (Ep.13)
Change Build options and rebuild Scan → Update
Picker / Mirror not working Check Missing list

Layer — Layer Organization

BipedPlus uses Max Layers to categorize (names can be changed to match your team).

Layer (example) Contents
Controller Controllers that animators move
Skin Skin bones for weighting and export
System Housekeeping nodes like Space Groups — invisible

Why it matters: If you put controllers in the Skin Layer, unnecessary bones can end up exported via FBX (Ep.11).

Tips

  • Naming and Layer organization is half of rigging — do it incrementally to save time later.
  • Save the scene (backup) before running Update.

Need more help?

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