Rigging Info Part 2 — Biped Settings & Mirroring
Rigging Info Part 2 — Biped Settings & Mirroring
📺 Tutorial Video: Rigging Info Part 2 | Biped Settings & Mirroring Principles
Prerequisites for the Pose Reset & Mirror Pose functions in BipedPlus Ani Utils
⚠️ Prerequisite: To fully understand this document, first study the Local Matrix & Hierarchy concept.
→ 3dsMax Rigging Tutorial | Local Matrix & Hierarchy
2.1 Biped Settings Overview
Biped Settings is an option that saves Biped's basic information and mirroring rules into the Rigging Info node.
| Tool | Usage |
|---|---|
| Fast-Ref | Rarely used |
| BipedPlus Ani Utils | Required — Used for Reset All / Mirror Pose functions |
Biped Settings data must be saved for the Reset All and Mirror Pose functions in Ani Utils to work correctly.
2.2 Pose Reset
Restores controllers to their initial state based on the default pose stored in the Rigging Info node.
How to Save
- Set the character to its default pose (A-Pose or T-Pose).
- Execute [Save Update] in the Biped Settings section.
- The default pose is saved to the node.
Usage
- Ani Utils → Reset All restores to the saved default pose.
- Instantly resets even when the pose is in a distorted state.
2.3 Mirroring Principles
BipedPlus controller mirroring works using the Local Pose Value × Pose Factor method.
Mirror Result = Source Controller's Local Pose Value × Pose Factor
Pose Factor Example
| Axis | Factor Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| X | +1 | Same direction |
| Y | +1 | Same direction |
| Z | -1 | Inverted |
Why is full automation difficult?
Every rigger and character TA has different conventions for which axis faces forward (X or Y) and how Z is oriented.
These differences make it extremely difficult to fully automate mirror scripts.
Manually setting the Pose Factor and Rotation Factor is currently the most stable approach.
2.4 BipedPlus Default Settings
Rigs built with BipedPlus have Pose Factor and Rotation Factor automatically set to default values.
No manual adjustment is needed — only modify in exceptional cases.
2.5 Mirror Exclusion
Specific controllers can be excluded from mirroring.
Example: Excluding an auxiliary sleeve controller from mirroring
- Select the target controller.
- Uncheck the mirroring option in Biped Settings.
- Execute [Save Update].
- That controller will be excluded from Mirror Pose operations going forward.
2.6 Center Controller Settings
Center controllers without left/right distinction (e.g., spine, head, COM) can also be configured to flip left-right during mirroring.
- Designating a controller as a Center controller applies a left-right flip when Mirror Pose is executed.
- Source and target can be specified by position even without naming conventions (
_L/_R).
2.7 Settings Export / Import
The configured mirroring rules (Pose Factor, Rotation Factor, exclusion list) can be exported to or imported from a file.
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| Export | Save current settings to an external file |
| Import | Load and apply a saved settings file |
Tip: If your project uses the same axis settings, share the exported file to apply identical settings across your entire team.
2.8 Save & Apply
After completing all settings, you must execute [Save Update] for changes to be reflected in the Rigging Info node.
Post-Save Checklist
- If
ResetandMirrorlabels appear in the Ani Utils Status bar, the data has been saved successfully. - If the labels are absent, data has not been saved — execute Save Update again.