This rig is a part of my Maya camera rig creation project. If you want to learn more about the rigs I have made you can see the whole project here. All rigs are available to download and are free to use.
This rig uses an extended arm to move smoothly in all directions. These rigs can be used to create shots that highlight motion.
There are many different types of crane/jib rigs, but these are the controls I decided that the rig I made would need.
I am going to base this rig specifically on the Proaim Alphabet 21ft Jib Crane because like any other camera rig there are many different variations that may look slightly different. This crane/jib rig is 21 feet long.
To create this rig I first decided to focus on the crane and getting it to move correctly because while the crane is moving the camera needs to stay stable.
After modeling and rigging the main part of the crane, I focused on the camera. I created two different types of controls for the camera. One is two different controls that let the camera be rotated in all directions and the other is an aim control that forces the camera to focus on a fixed point regardless of it being moved.
After creating the crane it was time to make the tripod that it would be attached to. It took a lot of trial and error to not only get the tripod to look correct, but also to move properly since its height can be adjusted.
When I finally finished the rig this is what it ended up looking like. It has a total of eight controls.
https://www.loom.com/embed/687a5afc3db041f2bdebe377c1e16b49
This control is used to translate, rotate, scale, and turn on and off the visibility of the rig. It’s also where the camera controls can be changed. By default, the camera will be controlled by simple transform controls, but when the aim control in the top right part of the image is changed to true, it will switch to a control that allows the camera to focus on a specific point. The aim controls visibility can also be changed separately with this control.