Blender 2.5 Character Animation Cookbook

Creating the jaw controller

The action of opening the mouth is defined by the jaw bone. Although at first it seems like a simple movement, a more careful look shows there's more to it. More than just rotating in one axis, the jaw moves towards the front, back, and to the sides as well, allowing us to make somewhat complex movements.

When creating the jaw controller, we should not only pay attention to its unique movements, but also to the hierarchy of bones, since we'll have controllers such as the lips and tongue that should follow its movements.

How to do it...

1. Open the file 004-Jaw.blend from this book's support files. This file holds our character's head mesh along with some controllers for its eyes and facial expressions. You'll also see a visible ...