Is Bao Bones the king of Character rigs? [After Effects 2021 Comparison]

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

What's your go-to character rigging tool? Do we have any Bao Bones users out there?

[@mreclecticguy]

I love Duik, but had to literally laugh out loud when you said "I'm looking at you Duik." That is soooooo true.

[@leftclot]

finally a video that breaks it down so well. Thank u for taking time to learn it for yourself, then taking more time to put this video together!

[@PedaleandoBuenosAires]

Hi John! I love your channel. I run an animated series for Asia. We used Puppet Tools 3 until I discovered Bao Bones. One of the advantages, that you didn't consider in your video, is the possibility to swap rigged assets. In PT or Duik when you change, for example, an arm, if they don't have the same dimensions the rig breaks. With Bao Bones you can exchange assets of any size and modify the controllers without breaking the rig. I agree that Pupeteer is useless, and the method of separate controllers is much more efficient.

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Ah you are right, I hadn't really considered that but it makes sense. I suppose that for an animated series where you're dealing with a lot of character animation, the ability to repurpose rigs might trump some of the other compromises of this tool.

[@priyamsoor8812]

Can anyone tell me what is the other scripts that JOHN have installed in the After Effect with the name Take Shape. Check the Video At 5:52

[@OFGAnimationStudio]

Hi John, First of all, this video was very helpful to see the comparison of them. I am using Duik. As far as understand from this video, boa bones can be helpful for beginners. Boe bones may be beneficial for basic character rigging. It looks like it is easy to use boe bones. However, if designers gets used to duik, they probably will not prefer boe bones. Thank you again for this video.

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

In some ways it's ideal for beginners if you're just talking about setting up a single limb...But when using it with puppeteer and trying to rig up an entire character all on one layer, it's not for beginners at all. I'd think you're better off with Rubberhose or Limber as a beginner. But if you kind of know your way around character rigging and you just need something that can bend a single layer than Bao Bones is the quickest/simplest option. But the price is hefty.

[@priyamsoor8812]

Can anyone tell me what is the other scripts that JOHN have installed in the After Effect with the name Take Shape.? Check the Video At 5:52

[@GaryMayesArt]

HI and thanks for the video about Bao Bones. Personally, I like the plug-in. On occasion, I need to rig characters and it allows me to do this without much hassle. The distortion is great and when first using it, I was able to get going pretty quickly. I too have an issue with the puppeteer beyond your descriptor about keyframing and lack of control. It simply didn't work for me...at all! In search of a solution, I even sent the project to the developer and it did exactly the same for him. So no go on the puppeteer part and I won't even try it again. Thanks again for such a clear assessment of the tool, and now I had better watch your 'first' video about the other rigging systems!

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Yeah, oddly enough I got the puppeteer working to a certain degree, but it was not without so finagling and definitely wasn't as straight forward as they make it appear in their short tutorials. In fact, in my original cut of this tutorial I was going to say the exact same thing as you, that puppeteer just doesn't work. But alas, I got it to work. But I still didn't like it.

[@priyamsoor8812]

Can anyone tell me what is the other scripts that JOHN have installed in the After Effect with the name Take Shape. Check the Video At 5:52

[@armanrabii5984]

It was great John ... Thanks for this good comparison ... It was very helpful.

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

My pleasure!

[@Zaz_Prod]

Merci pour le tuto mais comment obtenir le pluging svp?

[@seancusson72]

Man if it wasn't for the price I would have grabbed this as well. I currently own Limber, DUIK and PuppetTools and I find each one has it's place. I love Boa Bones seems to be great for quick and dirty stuff. Especially if someone has given you artwork that's already posed. There are times where I just need a close up shot with an arm waving or something and this would be perfect but, considering that I've already paid for the others (even DUIK) it's hard to justify $99 for something that'll make my life a bit easier. I'll be keeping my eye on this one in case it goes on sale.

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Yeah I agree. That's really the only situation in which I would proactively choose Bao Bones over DUIK or Limber. And that is exactly the project I ended up using it on. I had a whole bunch of character animations I need to do and the artwork was such that each layer had the outline layer and fill layer that didn't match up. That was the art style they went with...so Bones was perfect for that project and saved me so much time that the $99 was paid for many times over.

[@seancusson72]

@@TheKeyframeAcademy I just noticed this reply now. I've since moved on to Dekay Tool which has replaced Limber for me but I still suffer from "new and shiny" syndrome.

[@priyamsoor8812]

Can anyone tell me what is the other scripts that JOHN have installed in the After Effect with the name Take Shape. Check the Video At 5:52

[@shubhendrapatel]

Thanks 👍 5:30 Take_shape script looks useful, Is this aescripts product?

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

It's my own little script that I am working on currently.

[@vodkaru5907]

Mate looking forward to you reviewing deekay tool

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

It's coming!

[@damnfeeble2762]

Thanks for a great info. You sounds so much like Jimmy McGill from Better Call Saul.

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Wow, thanks

[@rowandg]

Bones is so much faster than the other tools. Love it. And it does have auto stretch: IK > Clamp max size!

[@CrazyYashi]

Thank you so much you deserve million

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Happy to help

[@geethugeorge4742]

Thanks for this tutorial. Can you make more videos about bao bones?

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Sure thing!

[@fieldsondeer7567]

Thank you

[@redarl1296]

Thanks you so much

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Most welcome

[@drueadcock1496]

Keep it up mate

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Thanks, will do!

[@rosezif]

Thank you so much!! i am looking for a tool for animating characters :)

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

No problem! Make sure you watch my other comparison video. Link in the description

[@CarlosArandia]

Do you need to have Bao Bones installed on every machine you use a rig made with the tool? Given it's an effect I'm afraid you have to, just wanted to know anyway, this would be a killer :(

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Yes, I believe you would since it is a plugin. Though I have not personally tested this.

[@CarlosArandia]

@@TheKeyframeAcademy Hey mate, yeah I tested it a couple days ago and you need to have it installed on any other computer using a rig made with it Bao Bones :(

[@jyoshiki]

thank you very much more tutorial pls

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

More to come!

[@createdaley]

Can you apply these tools to photo cutouts?

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Yes, absolutely!

[@hari1500]

Bao bones, duik or limber..which should i choose..

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

I think it depeneds on your needs.

[@oma.tutorials]

i think bao bones good enough for simple movment it means not for all situation.

[@voodoomotion5855]

Very helpful video. Does BAO Bones continuously rasterize the shape layer? I often need to zoom in and find the resolution isn't enough, unless you can continuously rasterize :) thanks

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Bao bones is an "effect" that you apply to a layer that distorts the layer. So I assume that as long as the layer can be continuously rasterized then yes.

[@voodoomotion5855]

@@TheKeyframeAcademy thanks for replying. I'll give it a try :)

[@HAIRGROW]

I found myself searching for Take Shape. 😅

[@kelvinchuks8914]

Great Video, just found your channel, Awesome content. Please do a video on deekay tool, deekay tool is insane, it allows you save entire character rig as presset plus it comes with an animation library, How awesome

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Noted

[@priyamsoor8812]

Can anyone tell me what is the other scripts that JOHN have installed in the After Effect with the name Take Shape. Check the Video At 5:52

[@akarshs9552]

Toon boom vs after effects rigging?

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Eh depends. I don't have much experience personally with Toon Boom. But if you find yourself also needing to do a lot of frame by frame animation, then toon boom for sure.

[@FantasyFlix777]

i got X marks when using BAO bones. do you know how to fix it?

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Sounds like you need to purchase a license

[@FantasyFlix777]

@@TheKeyframeAcademy done. but why the object become blurred when i used it?

[@kinzakazmi4229]

I'm getting these weird lines after I rig and animate with bao bones Help please!

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

I'm not sure what you're talking about

[@cidietrich]

Me too, are you using the free source?

[@rustammuhammadi9110]

this plugin dosent work in mac os do you know why????????????

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

No, I suggest you contact Bao Bones. Also I've heard of issues with plugins on M1 macs. So if you are using an M1 mac that might be worth looking into.

[@rustammuhammadi9110]

@@TheKeyframeAcademy ok brother i will check it out, thanks for being responsible to my comment.

[@xmotion-ir]

nice nice

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Thanks

[@azizakhmedov]

I wish one day Adobe will buy Moho Pro or create an own similar character rigging tool. Since you've learned Moho Pro you'll never come back to shitty plugins for character rigging and animation inside AE.

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

oh no no. Lets hope Adobe never gets their hands on Moho!

[@formxshape]

Review Moho?

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

I've tinkered around in Moho, and I think it's really got good potential for serious animators. However, the process of bringing in vector artwork from a program like Adobe is atrocious pain in the ass. If all you do is animate characters, then it might be worth the $500 dollars. But if you're a motion designers who occasionally does character animation, best to just stick with After Effects.

[@yonlaycabrera4431]

For me all that just is a waste of money. Just buy Moho for the same price of all those together and spend ONE WEEK of testing and getting use to it. That's it. You already have a perfect balanced tool for any kind of character animation with all the functionalities and an incredible performance.

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Haha learn Moho in one week. That was good. Hey, I mean if you've got the money and time for Moho, I say go for it. Nobody is stopping you.

[@yonlaycabrera4431]

@@TheKeyframeAcademy Well, maybe not at expert level, but you can get the fundamentals and start doing stuff in one week more or less. But don't take me wrong, I was not attacking you, I am just angry about the $99, that is twice the cost of the others giving more of the same. But your work is perfect as we can get an informed decision if it worth the money or not (it does not in my opinion). Anyway, thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@noobedition9109]

Hello :)

[@dandinzin]

Olá

[@TheKeyframeAcademy]

Hola

[@lettertosohan]

Bao Bones is nothing in front of other plugins.

[@kiran12437]

Please provide us (Take_Shape) it really helps tweaking shape paths

[@TweTerry-l7g]

stupid intro

[@fieldsondeer7567]

thank you