Technical Animation
overview
Technical Animation
We provide technical animation support that connects creative intent with production efficiency, developing rigs, deformation systems, and tools that keep animation pipelines stable and scalable.
Developing Character Rigs and Deformation Systems
Custom rigs are designed and implemented to support complex motion, facial performance, and efficient animation workflows across production pipelines.
Skinning and Character Preparation
Character meshes are weighted and prepared for animation to ensure stable deformation, precise control, and reliable results in-engine.
Creating Tools and Automation for Animation Teams
In-house tools and automation systems and scritps can be developed to accelerate repetitive tasks, maintain consistency, and streamline animation production.
faqs
popular questions
What is “Technical Animation”?
Technical animation is the bridge between art, animation and the game engine. It covers everything that makes a character usable in production: skeletons, rigging, skinning, deformation setup, retargeting, constraints and control rigs, plus the practical integration of those characters into your engine. The goal is not just to make a model look good in a pose, but to make it behave predictably and efficiently across different animations and gameplay scenarios.
What kind of Technical Animation services do you offer?
Technical animation support is most useful when you want game ready characters that are easy to animate and implement, or when your current rigs and skeletons are causing problems. Typical use cases include preparing production rigs for a new project, stabilising retargeting for multiple characters, improving low quality deformations in extreme poses, and properly rigging the skeletons so gameplay and animation teams can work without fighting the setup.
Which types of characters can you rig and skin, only bipeds or also creatures?
We can rig and skin a wide range of characters, from standard bipeds to stylised heroes, quadrupeds and creatures. The key factor is clarity of the intended motion and deformation range. If you share concept art, reference animations or previous titles as examples, we can tailor the rig complexity to exactly what your characters need rather than overbuilding a generic solution.
Can one rig be reused across multiple characters, or do you create a unique rig for each model?
For most projects it is efficient to have one or a few shared base rigs that are reused across multiple characters. We usually recommend a standardised skeleton and rig for each main body type, then skin individual meshes to that structure. This keeps animation reuse and retargeting simple, and avoids a situation where every character is a one off that needs bespoke work for every change.
Can you work with our existing rigs and skeletons, or do you only build new ones?
We can either work with what you already have or build fresh setups. If you have existing rigs and skeletons, we can analyse them, fix and extend them where needed, trying to preserve as much of your current work as possible. If you prefer to start from scratch, we can propose a clean base skeleton and rig profile tailored to your project and keep it consistent as the project grows.
What do you need from us to start a Technical Animation task?
For rigging and skinning, we need your meshes in a neutral pose, any existing skeletons, and information about the range of motion and style you expect. For retargeting and engine integration, we need your source and target skeletons, sample animations, engine version and any constraints coming from your code or gameplay setup. The clearer the input, the more accurate the estimate and the fewer surprises later.
Can you help fix issues in our current animation pipeline?
Yes. If you are dealing with unstable retargeting, skeleton changes that keep breaking animations, bad deformation in key poses, or naming and hierarchy inconsistencies that cause engine issues, we can review your current setup, identify the main problems and propose concrete, realistic fixes that respect your existing project and deadlines. Engaging us in early stages of development can save a lot of time later, when delivering the project.
Do you also create tools and automation for Technical Animation?
Where it makes sense, yes. If you have repetitive tasks such as batch retargeting, preparing exports, renaming, or simple rig publishing steps, we can build lightweight scripts or tools to automate them. The goal is to reduce manual work for your team and make your existing pipeline faster and more reliable without forcing a complete rebuild.
