It’s frustrating when you encounter rig generation errors in Blender, especially after meticulously setting up your armature. You might find yourself staring at a distorted mess, a digital equivalent of a ‘cat in a blender’ – a mangled form that’s far from your intended creation. One common culprit behind these rigging nightmares is subtle bone misalignment, often so minor you might miss it.
Even Blender’s default Wolf Metarig isn’t immune to these tiny imperfections. For instance, the Teeth and Tongue bones are positioned at 0.004 on the X-axis instead of a perfect 0.000. While these built-in errors in non-mirrored bones might not always trigger immediate problems, they highlight how easily these issues can creep in.
To prevent your rig from resembling a ‘cat in a blender’, the first crucial step is ensuring the central bones of your armature – spine, head, jaw, chin, and so on – are perfectly aligned at 0 on the X-axis. Think of these central bones as the backbone of your rig; if they’re off, the entire structure can become unstable and lead to unpredictable results, much like the chaotic image of a ‘cat in a blender’. Refer to the detailed guide on fixing bone alignment in a Cat Rig HERE for step-by-step instructions. This guide provides essential techniques to straighten out those central bones and avoid a ‘Cat In Blender’ scenario.
If you’ve diligently followed those steps and still face rig generation errors, the problem might lie in the subtle misalignment of your center lip bones. These smaller bones, if slightly off-center, can contribute to the overall ‘blended’ or distorted look you’re trying to avoid in your rig – the dreaded ‘cat in blender’ effect.
To rectify this, switch to Front Orthographic View for a clear, head-on perspective. Activate Vertex Snapping to ensure precise bone placement. Crucially, enable X-Symmetry, located beside the Options dropdown in Edit Mode. This will mirror your adjustments across the X-axis, saving you time and ensuring symmetry – vital for avoiding a lopsided, ‘cat in blender’ outcome.
Now, select the end of the bone named “lip.B.L”. Press “G” to initiate movement, then “X” to constrain the movement strictly to the X-axis. Snap the bone end to one of your perfectly centered central bones – spine, jaw, or chin. This anchors the lip bone to the correct central axis, preventing further ‘cat in blender’ distortions. Repeat this snapping process for the “lip.T.L” bone.
If, after meticulously following all these steps and the detailed Cat Rig example, you are still plagued by rig generation errors, it’s time to seek external assistance. Upload your rig to the blenderartists forum thread dedicated to face rigging help: https://blenderartists.org/t/help-needed-rigify-new-face-rig-blender-3-0/1353310/4. The community there can offer fresh eyes and expert advice to help you untangle the knots in your rig and finally escape the ‘cat in blender’ scenario, achieving the clean, functional rig you envisioned.
