---
I've handed off character models to riggers dozens of times. Early in my career, I'd deliver what I thought was a great model, only to get it back with a list of topology issues that needed fixing.
"The shoulder needs better edge loop support."
"The neck topology won't work with our rig."
"Can you rebuild the hand topology?"
I was frustrated. The models looked good. They subdivided cleanly. What was the problem?
The problem was that I was modeling for modeling. Riggers need you to model for rigging.
The Collaboration Nobody Explains
Here's what art schools don't teach: character modeling isn't a solo discipline. It's the first step in a pipeline.
You model the mesh. Someone else rigs it. Someone else animates it. Someone else lights and renders it.
If your mesh doesn't support the next steps, you've created a beautiful problem instead of a useful asset.
I learned this when I started working with the same rigger on multiple projects. After the third time rebuilding topology based on his feedback, I asked him to explain exactly what he needed.
What he told me changed how I model characters.
Edge Loop Requirements
Riggers need edge loops in specific places for specific reasons.
**Around every major joint:** shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles. These loops support deformation when the joint bends or rotates.
But it's not just about having loops there. It's about having the right number of loops with the right spacing.
Too few loops: the joint pinches and loses volume when it bends.
Too many loops: the joint becomes muddy and hard to control with weights.
The rigger I worked with had a rule: three to five edge loops per major joint, depending on the joint's complexity and how much it would deform.
Shoulders get five loops because they're complex joints with lots of rotation.
Elbows get three or four because they mostly bend in one direction.
Wrists get four because they need to support both rotation and bending.
Topology Flow Matters More Than Density
I used to think more polygons meant better quality. I'd build dense meshes with thousands of edge loops.
Riggers hated it.
Dense, random topology is harder to weight paint than sparse, organized topology. They'd rather have fewer loops in the right places than many loops in random places.
Edge loop flow matters more than edge loop count.
Loops should flow around joints in concentric circles. They should follow muscle groups down limbs. They should create clear deformation zones.
If your edge loops meander randomly across the mesh, riggers will struggle. Weight painting becomes a nightmare. Deformation becomes unpredictable.
The Pole Placement Rule
Poles—where more or fewer than four edges meet—are sometimes necessary. But their placement matters enormously to riggers.
**Never place poles in deformation zones.**
I broke this rule early in my career. I had a pole right at the shoulder joint because it was convenient for connecting the arm to the torso.
The rigger took one look and said, "That pole needs to move."
Why? Because poles create convergence points in the topology. When that area deforms, the convergence creates artifacts—pinching, pulling, weird highlights.
Poles belong in areas that don't deform much. The top of the head. The middle of the back. The center of the palm.
Not at shoulders. Not at elbows. Not at the waist or hips.
Muscle Group Edge Loops
Professional riggers often use muscle-based rigging systems. They need edge loops that follow anatomical muscle groups.
On the arm, loops should flow down the bicep and tricep. On the leg, they should follow the quadriceps and hamstrings. On the torso, they should support the pectorals and latissimus dorsi.
This isn't just for realism. It's for control.
When a rigger sets up muscle deformation or subtle secondary animation, they're using these edge loops as control regions. If the loops don't follow muscle anatomy, the system doesn't work.
I model all my base meshes now with muscle groups in mind, even for stylized characters. The anatomical reference might be simplified, but the edge loop flow still follows logical muscle patterns.
Face Topology is Its Own Beast
Facial rigging is complex. It requires specific topology patterns that I didn't understand for years.
Riggers need concentric edge loops around the eyes and mouth. These loops create natural deformation zones for expressions.
They need edge loops that follow the major facial muscles: the orbicularis oculi around the eyes, the orbicularis oris around the mouth, the frontalis on the forehead.
And they need poles placed very carefully. On the face, poles should be at natural convergence points: the inner corners of the eyes, sometimes the tip of the nose, the center of the upper lip.
Random face topology might look fine at rest. But when the rigger tries to create smile shapes or blink animations, the deformation will be wrong if the topology isn't right.
The Neck Connection
The neck is where a lot of models fail.
I used to just cylinder-model the neck—edge loops running horizontally around it. Looked fine, subdivided smoothly.
But necks don't just rotate. They bend forward and back. They tilt side to side. And they connect to the jaw, which opens and closes.
Riggers need neck topology that supports all of that.
That means edge loops that angle to support forward/back bending. It means careful connection to the head that allows jaw movement without destroying the neck deformation. It means enough loops to create smooth bending but not so many that weight painting becomes tedious.
One rigger told me: "The neck is the most challenging connection point in character rigging. Make it harder for me and I'll make you rebuild it."
I learned to model necks properly.
Hands Need Love
Hand rigging is incredibly complex. Fingers bend, spread, curl, twist. The palm flexes. The thumb opposes in ways other fingers don't.
Riggers need very specific hand topology.
Each finger needs three to four edge loops per segment. The knuckles need proper support. The webbing between fingers needs to be modeled to allow spreading.
The palm needs edge loops that support the metacarpal arch—the way the palm cups when you grip something.
And the thumb needs special attention because it has different range of motion than the other fingers.
I've had hands rejected by riggers more often than any other body part. Now I build hands with rigging in mind from the start, and I test finger poses before calling them done.
Edge Loop Continuity
Here's something that took me forever to understand: edge loops should flow continuously when possible.
If you have an edge loop going around the bicep, it should continue naturally into the torso rather than terminating abruptly.
Why? Because continuous loops make weight painting exponentially easier.
When riggers paint weights, they often paint along edge loops. Continuous loops mean they can paint smoothly from one area to another. Broken loops create seams and transitions that need manual adjustment.
This doesn't mean every loop has to circle the entire body. But major loops should have logical flow and connection.
Symmetric Topology (Usually)
Most rigs are symmetric—left side mirrors right side. If your topology isn't symmetric, riggers can't use symmetry tools during rigging and weight painting.
I model characters in symmetry mode and keep that symmetry throughout the base mesh.
Yes, real humans aren't perfectly symmetric. But the asymmetry is subtle detail, not structural. The base mesh should be symmetric so riggers can work efficiently.
Add asymmetry in the final model after rigging if the character needs it.
Quad-Based Is Non-Negotiable
Triangles cause problems during rigging and weight painting.
When riggers paint weights, they're painting per-vertex values. Quads have predictable four-corner interpolation. Triangles create three-corner interpolation that can produce unexpected results.
Subdivision modifiers on triangles create poles in unpredictable locations. During animation, these can cause artifacts.
I've never met a rigger who likes getting meshes with triangles in deformation zones. "All quads" isn't perfectionism—it's professional standard.
The Test Rig Workflow
The best workflow I've developed: create a basic test rig while modeling.
Just a simple skeleton with major joints. As I complete each body part, I bind it to the test rig and check basic deformation.
Arms up? Good.
Knee bend? Good.
Shoulder rotation? Needs work—rebuild that section.
This catches topology problems during modeling instead of during rigging when they're more expensive to fix.
Riggers love getting models that have been test-rigged. It means the modeler is thinking about deformation, not just surface appearance.
Communication
The best working relationship I have with a rigger started with a conversation.
I asked: "What do you need from me to make your job easier?"
He gave me a checklist. I followed it. Our projects got faster and better.
Now I ask every rigger I work with the same question. The answers vary slightly, but the core requirements are always similar.
If you're modeling for someone else to rig, talk to them before you start. Find out their specific needs. It'll save both of you time.
The Handoff Checklist
Before I hand off a character to rigging, I check:
- All quads in deformation zones
- Edge loops around all major joints
- Poles placed away from deformation areas
- Face topology follows expression patterns
- Hand topology supports finger articulation
- Symmetric topology
- Clean, continuous edge flow
- Tested with basic deformation poses
If everything checks out, the rigger can work efficiently. If not, I fix it before handoff.
What Riggers Don't Need
Riggers don't need:
- Excessive polygon density
- Multiple subdivision levels
- Pre-smoothed geometry
- Applied modifiers
- Complex shape keys
- Baked deformation
They need clean base meshes with proper topology. Everything else comes during rigging and animation.
I used to over-model characters, thinking more detail meant better quality. Riggers just had to strip it all back to the base mesh anyway.
Now I deliver what they actually need, not what I think looks impressive.
The Professional Impact
Understanding what riggers need has made me faster and better at character modeling.
I don't waste time on details that don't matter.
I don't create problems that need fixing later.
I deliver models that move smoothly through the pipeline.
This makes me more valuable to studios and easier to work with on teams.
Learning From Feedback
Every time a rigger asks for topology changes, I pay attention.
Why did they need this edge loop moved?
Why was this pole problematic?
Why did this topology pattern not work?
That feedback has taught me more about character modeling than any tutorial.
Riggers see your topology from a different perspective—the perspective of making it move. Listen to them. They're showing you how to model better.
---