Day 22 / 38 – Moho
Whether you draw your character in Moho or bring it in from another program like Procreate or Photoshop, there comes a point where the drawing needs to move.
That’s where rigging comes in.
It’s the step that turns a static image into something more flexible—something you can actually animate. Moho gives you a few different ways to approach this, each with its own strengths, but they all serve the same purpose: helping your character move in a way that feels right.
Things to Know:
✔ Link Bones Method
✔ Bind Points Method
Method 1: Link Bones
How ?
On Frame _0
In Layers Panel: go to artwork that connects to the bone you are working on.
For example, R. Arm, select the bones that you want to connect to that artwork.
Then at the top click: Link Bones
The Link Bones method works especially well with PSD images brought into Moho. It’s a quick way to get a character up and moving without a lot of setup, which makes it a great starting point.
But it doesn’t take long to notice the limits. As you start posing the character, areas like the arms can begin to warp in ways that don’t feel quite right. That’s usually the point where you realize you’ll need something more—often adding a mesh to get better control over the deformation.
Link Bones are really about control—specifically, controlling who affects what.
Not how it deforms.
Method 2: Bind your Points
How?
On Frame _0
In Layers Panel: go to artwork that connects to the bone you are working on.
Choose the Bind Points tool, then select the points you want bound to that bone.
Then at the top click: Bind Points
Because I was going for a hand-drawn look, I ended up with points everywhere.
And I broke this rig… a lot.
Points wouldn’t follow the bones I thought I had assigned them to. Things drifted, slipped, or just didn’t behave the way I expected.
This method really only applies to vector drawings, where you actually have points to bind. If you’re working with a PSD, there aren’t any points to grab onto, unless you bring in a mesh or enable a Smart Mesh.
Method 3: Previous Binds
There are a few other binding methods we’ve touched on before. One of the more straightforward ones is binding an entire layer to a single bone. For example, if you have a drawing of a head, you can bind that whole layer directly to the head bone.
You can also build things out a bit more with techniques like creating a smooth joint pair—useful for something like an arm rig, where you want a cleaner bend at the elbow without too much distortion.
“Asking ‘What is life?’ is the same as asking ‘What is a carrot?’”
— Anton Chekhov
Of course, the best approach is usually a mix of methods, using whatever combination gets the job done. Different tools solve different problems, and in practice, most rigs end up being a hybrid of Link Bones, point binding, meshes, and everything in between.
That said… I’ll admit I didn’t always follow my own advice. I probably should have applied a mesh to my PSD carrot, but I didn’t quite care enough to go that far at the time. Sometimes the simplest solution wins, says the lazy person.
Day 22 — Afterthoughts
I actually learned quite a bit about what I haven’t learned yet. I still have a long way to go with vector layers, especially when it comes to understanding which binding methods work best when I’m working with hand-drawn characters.
I’m definitely getting more proficient working with PSD files in Moho, but that didn’t stop me from skipping the step of applying a Smart Warp Mesh—kind of like avoiding your vegetables at dinner. Don’t be me…
eat the veg 🥕 Nik
