The core philosophy behind this pack is the mastery of "body mechanics"—the foundation upon which all great animation is built. Whether it's a subtle weight shift or an explosive leap, these rigs provide the necessary range of motion and anatomical accuracy to bring characters to life authentically.
Built with tools similar to the industry-standard "Andy" and "Morpheus" rigs, offering features like IK/FK snapping and "follow" attributes that can be changed on the fly via right-click menus.
Created by seasoned animator Joe Daniels, this pack is a curated collection of specialized characters geared towards studying, practicing, and showcasing body mechanics—the fundamental movements of a character, such as walking, jumping, lifting, and running. Key Features of the Pack:
Robust hip and chest controls let you store and release kinetic energy realistically.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) – Essential for any serious body mechanics reel. The core philosophy behind this pack is the
Unlike feature film rigs designed for complex facial expressions and acting, these rigs focus on anatomy, weight distribution, and control, making them ideal for performance tests and exercises.
If you want to maximize the educational value of this pack, challenge yourself with these progressive animation exercises:
If the rigs are the engine, the is the steering wheel. Released in 2013, the AnimSchool Picker is a free Maya plugin that provides a customizable GUI for selecting rig controls. Over 30,000 users and studios have used this tool worldwide.
Lightweight files that maintain high framerates (FPS) during real-time playback in Maya. Key Features of the Mega Pack 1. AnimSchool Picker Integration Created by seasoned animator Joe Daniels, this pack
Joe Daniels specifically designed this pack with education in mind. Instructors looking to purchase the pack for a classroom can select the option on Gumroad, which allows for multiple seats. The pack comes with a single-user license agreement, but educational volume options are available upon purchase.
If you are an AnimSchool student in Body Mechanics classes (BM1, BM2, or Advanced Acting), the faculty often recommends Joe Daniels’ rigs. Here is why:
Select entire character hierarchies or mirror selections with a single click.
The with the Animschool Picker is a textbook example of a tool that respects the animator’s time. Unlike feature film rigs designed for complex facial
: Open a fresh Maya scene. Go to File > Reference Editor , and create a reference to your chosen .ma or .mb character file. Never animate directly in the source asset file.
Using Joe Daniels' rigs allows you to practice the foundational : Animation Principle How This Pack Helps Squash and Stretch
The pack includes the following rigs, offering a range of male, female, and abstract characters:
That pack (Body Mechanics Rigs Mega Pack 11 + Joe Daniels' Picker) is a legendary student resource. The "picker" script is the real gem—it streamlines selecting controllers and often includes animation helper tools. Even in modern Maya (2024/2025), it should run via the Script Editor (File → Source Script). Don't just use the rigs; use the picker to work faster.