Quick Select Sets

Quick Select Sets are normally used during rigging setup of a character. However it is very useful as sort of a replacement of character sets. Like I said in the character sets tutorial – I'm not a big fan of character sets. They have their functions and can be very useful. I don't think that Autodesk should get rid of them, but they're not my thing.

Before we begin, let's talk about what a Quick Select Set is. A Quick Select Set is normally helpful for technical artists to create a character rig. They are used when the technical artist have many objects in the scene and needs to group them in without actually grouping. Basically it's a way to select one or more objects quickly and then do whatever you need to from there.

So how does this help the animator. As said before Quick Select Sets can be considered as a “replacement” for Character Sets. The reason we would even want to replace Character Sets is because that they can cause some confusion for the animator if not used properly. Read this tutorial more about Character Sets. Also Quick Select Sets are helpful for animators because they are easier to use and modify.

To create a Quick Select Set do the following:

1. Select the controllers that you want to belong to a Quick Select Set. Note: Make sure to select one controller at a time while holding shift. Do not make a selection by clicking and dragging a square selection over the controllers. Because if you are using FK controllers you might not select all the controllers

2. Go to Edit > Sets > Quick Select Sets

3. A small window will appear where you can name the Quick Select Set. Once you name it click on “Add to Shelf”.

4. An icon will be added to your shelf. This is your new Quick Select Set. You can now change the icon image to your own custom image.

You can make as many Quick Select Sets as you want. I normally recommend to do one for the whole body. This way you can animate and pose your character, then click on the Quick Select Set and set a key. This can greatly keep your time line clean from too many key ticks. Or if you make a Quick Select Set for the torso, arms, legs,...etc, then you can organize the key ticks and manipulate them separately. Similar to the Character Sets.

And that's it! It's very simple but it's a great tool for animation. Normally the best tools are the simple ones!

See you later animators!