Learning how to rig a character in After Effects is the biggest upgrade you can make to your animation workflow. A rig lets you pose a character with a few controllers instead of hand-keying dozens of layers. This guide uses the free Duik Bassel 2 panel.
Why rig at all?
Without a rig, every bend and turn means keyframing each body part separately. A rig connects the parts into a controllable skeleton, so edits take seconds and motion stays consistent.
Step 1 — Prepare your layers
Separate your character into named layers (upper arm, lower arm, hand, and so on) and place each anchor point at its joint.
Step 2 — Add the structure
Create the skeleton that matches your character — biped, quadruped or custom.
Step 3 — Link and auto-rig
Attach each artwork layer to its bone, then run automatic rigging to generate IK/FK controllers and constraints.
Step 4 — Pose and animate
Drag the controllers to pose, keyframe the controllers only, and add dynamics for automatic follow-through.
The free tool for the job
Everything here runs on Duik Bassel 2, free on NexTools.
FAQ
Can I rig a character for free?
Yes, Duik Bassel 2 builds professional rigs at no cost.
How long does rigging take?
With clean layered artwork, a simple biped can be rigged in well under an hour.
