Mechanical Setup Mini Class by Puppeteer Lounge

Forget bendy elbows — this one is all hard surfaces, clanks, and constraints. You will build a mechanical robot rig that actually moves like a machine, with solid articulation and parts that react correctly.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Set up proper mechanical articulation for hard-surface parts
• Build a clean armature structure for a robotic character
• Create piston and hydraulics setups that stretch and aim correctly
• Build automated turret firing with driven controls
• Keep your mechanical rig stable, clean, and animator-friendly

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Basic understanding of rigging concepts and 3D transforms
• Tools: Autodesk Maya
• Hardware: Computer capable of running Maya, 3-button mouse

📝 Description

This is a 5-class mini workshop, short and to the point. No long theory lectures — you jump straight into building a mechanical rig that holds together when animated.

We start with what makes robots tricky: they don’t deform, they collide. So you will learn how to place pivots, lock axes, and plan articulation so plates and gears don’t intersect. It’s practical stuff you will reuse on any hard-surface rig.

Then we get into the fun mechanical bits. You will wire up pistons and hydraulics that extend and aim between two points without flipping or popping. Same idea for the turret — you will set up automated firing and rotation so the animator just aims and the rig does the rest.

Everything is shown in Autodesk Maya using a straightforward node and constraint approach. By the end you will have a repeatable workflow for robots, vehicles, props, and any other thing made of metal.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Riggers who know the basics and want to tackle hard-surface and robots
• 3D artists and animators who need functional mechanical setups for portfolio work

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

This mini class is presented by the team at Puppeteer Lounge, a school focused on character rigging and production workflows. Their instructors work through real Maya rigging problems in short workshop formats, with an emphasis on clean, animator-ready controls.

🏁 Final Result

• A finished, animated mechanical robot rig with working armature, piston and hydraulics systems, and an automated firing turret — ready to show as a rig demo.