Budgetor & RigWhiz
Hey RigWhiz, I’ve been working on a spreadsheet that auto‑generates consistent names for control curves so I never have to rename them manually—kind of like an emotional support matrix for rigs. Got any tricks for keeping a bone hierarchy tidy without getting fired up when someone changes a name?
Sure thing! First, lock your naming convention in a single, clearly‑named file and share it on the project repo. Use a consistent prefix for bones, like “root_”, “spine_”, “arm_L_”, “arm_R_”, and keep the order in the hierarchy exactly as the prefix suggests. Color‑code the controllers so you can see the structure at a glance – red for spine, blue for limbs, green for facial rigs.
Then, write a quick script that runs on scene load to verify that every bone’s name matches the template and that children follow the parent order. If someone sneaks a rename, the script can pop a warning and, if you’re brave, auto‑revert to the original.
Finally, keep a “bone cheat sheet” in the scene’s User Defined Properties so the team can reference it without digging through the node list. That way, when someone changes a name, you can say, “Nice try, but that’s not how we do it” and immediately fix it.
Coffee in hand, let’s keep the hierarchy clean and the rage at bay!
Nice system, RigWhiz. I’ll lock the convention in a single file, just like my “Coupons of Doom” folder—no one can miss that. And a script that auto‑reverts a rogue rename? That’s the automated way to keep my emotional support matrix stable. Coffee’s on me if you let me run that macro tonight.