Softimage SDK Programmer's Guide > Customizing Softimage using the SDK > Character Development Kit >

# Building a Customized Rig

Based on Softimage's default proportional guides or on guides of your own, you can build a customized rig to make any configuration of creature you want. Each of the commands lets you set options for your creature's body parts.

## Available Commands

### Body Parts

- MakeHead—see Head and Neck.

- MakeTorso—see Chest and Spine.

- MakeBelly—see Belly and Hips.

- MakeHip—see Belly and Hips.

- MakeTail—see Tail.

- MakeArm—see Arms, Hands, and Fingers.

- MakeHand—see Arms, Hands, and Fingers.

- MakeForearmRoll—see Arms, Hands, and Fingers.

- MakeBicepRoll—see Arms, Hands, and Fingers.

- MakeLeg—see Legs and Feet.

- MakeDogLeg—see Legs and Feet.

- MakeFoot—see Legs and Feet.

- MakeJointCompression—see Skin.

- Make2PointSlide—see Skin.

- MakeThighSlide—see Skin.

### Other Commands

- MakeRigIcon: Allows you set the kind of icon you want use for the control objects in your rig.

- MakeShadowChain and MakeShadowSpine: Lets you create shadow rigs separately from the main rig component commands.

- MakeSpine: Equivalent to the Create Spine option in the Animate Toolbar, which creates a quaternion spine.

- MakeControlSplines: Equivalent to the Create Control Splines option in the Animate Toolbar. Control splines are used for facial setups where you want to simulate skin sliding by using a network of curves to simulate where the flow lines of deformation are on your character's face.

Most of the commands share these common features:

- Guide objects: Each component requires guide objects to position the controls relative to your character's topology. You can use the default guides, or create your own.

- Parent objects: You specify which component is parented to which other component in the rig. Each command returns a JScript object containing the data members it creates.

- Prefixes for objects: You can easily supply a prefix to identify left and right body parts where appropriate.

- Shadow rigs: Optional parameters for each rig component let you specify the type of shadow rig you'd like to create. There are also commands that allow you to create shadow rigs separately from the component commands.

- Return Objects: Each command returns a JScript object which contains the components of the rig, as well as envelope groups and hidden object groups where appropriate.

The following provides an overview to building the various components of your rig. For details about each of the commands, see Commands and Scripting Reference.