When is the proper time to orient joints?

A length of bones. Say you make a spine with 4 bones. When your done, pic the base bone (the one you started with) and use the orient joint tool to align the axes.
 
@ Zoo,Yes using the orient tool. How else is it done?
I thought you meant posing joints. You see I don't use the Joint Tool, I use the
Joint Object from the Scene Object menu so I don't need the Orient Joint Tool.
That way my bones are always properly oriented and zeroed.
 
I thought you meant posing joints. You see I don't use the Joint Tool, I use the
Joint Object from the Scene Object menu so I don't need the Orient Joint Tool.
That way my bones are always properly oriented and zeroed.
How do you orient the joints using the Joint object tool? or is it automatic?
Why do you choose to use the joint object over the joint tool?
 
First you need one joint, set the color and type on this
first joint because you're going to copy and paste it.

You can use snap to grid if you want, but the trick is to keep bones horizontal or vertical.
The exception is the root joint connector, I don't care if it's not aligned.
It's the one that disappears when you switch a joint to Root usually for the hip and shoulder

Copy paste, shove it in the previous joint, then move it.
Copy and past again, shove again, move again.
Keep it up until you have an aligned rig.

Put a pose tag on it, deselect "S" and "P" for scale and position,
This way you're only posing rotation. Then save the pose and name it. I call this pose "Zero".

Then I slightly bend the limbs that will get IK handles, and then add them to the ankles.
Then I may set a more natural, at rest pose, and save that in the pose tag as "Set".

I hope this is helpful.
 
Here's another tip you may already know, do one side.

Spine with one right arm and leg. Then copy and paste the top leg bone,
change it's position to the other side by changing negative to positive or visa versa.
 
Even easier, using the joint tool, make one bone then split it into as many bones as you need. Chain done! Then, orient, add controllers or IK.
 
I have to agree with Bob here the Joint Tool seems like a lot more work.
I'll ask you again Zoo Why do you choose to use the joint object over the joint tool?
 
I find rigging pretty personal. Everyone has their own methods and find what's comfortable for them.

Maybe we can have a rigging thread of have Martin make it a category in the forum. We're all in this together! lol
 
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