Custom Rocket Engine Rig Solution

Building a rocket engine rig that animators could actually use without fighting the system was the main challenge here. The goal was creating something that expanded and contracted convincingly while staying predictable to work with. The solution ended up being pretty straightforward once the approach was clear.

The process requires careful alignment of the axes and not overthinking the setup. While taking the easy route with a single control using the scale function was tempting, the push/pull method made more sense. Why? Because it's way more engaging to work with and gives animators actual control over the final result instead of wrestling with some janky scaling system.

The end result feels responsive and intuitive, which was exactly the target. Sometimes doing things the right way upfront instead of the quick and dirty approach saves you from wanting to rebuild the whole damn thing later. The extra effort in the beginning pays off when animators can actually focus on their work instead of fighting the rig.

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