maya-rigging

maya-rigging (Authoring stage)

Joint hierarchies, IK handles, constraints, skin clusters, skin-weight transfer, deformers, blend shapes, optional rig framework detection, control curves, and editable hair guide curves. Twenty-one scripts cover the typical rigging loop.

get_skin_weights reads an explicit bounded vertex subset (or the whole mesh when it fits the limit) and reports per-vertex totals plus an unnormalized_vertices count. It never silently truncates a large mesh. set_skin_weights accepts only complete normalized rows for known influences, clears omitted influence values on those vertices, and verifies every effective native value before reporting success. export_rig_state deterministically reports bounded joint hierarchy, constraints, NURBS controls, and per-skin normalization health. Large rigs fail closed instead of returning a partial snapshot.

create_guide_curve is the bounded guide-authoring contract: every open curve has one cluster ID, one solid RGB viewport color, root-to-tip CV order, arc length and cluster-median deviation metrics, and an optional measured root projection distance against an explicit scalp mesh. It accepts only named metadata fields (source_view and dominant_clump), never arbitrary script or metadata payloads. The general-purpose create_curve contract remains unchanged.

Joint Placement and Orientation

Treat joint orientation as the design of a local coordinate frame, not as a cosmetic cleanup operation. Keep these concepts separate:

• Position places the pivot where rotation should occur.
• Aim points one chosen local axis toward the primary child.
• Roll rotates the remaining two axes around the aim axis and determines the bend plane.
• jointOrient stores the rest orientation; animation normally belongs in rotate. Non-zero jointOrient values are expected and are not an error.
• The rotate manipulator's World or Object display mode is not evidence of the joint's local rotation axes.