# From Static Mesh to Animated Character, Automatically

> Auto-rig 3D characters with A-pose or T-pose skeletons, then apply AI animation to the rigged mesh. Segmentation-ready, engine-ready. Free to start on Layer.

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A modeled character is only halfway to the game. Before it can walk, attack, or emote, someone has to build a skeleton, place joints, paint weights, and wire up a rig — specialized, time-consuming work that becomes a bottleneck the moment a project has more characters than riggers. And until the rig exists, animators can't even start.

Layer's Rig & Animate removes that bottleneck. Auto-generate a skeleton and rig for any character mesh — choosing an A-pose or T-pose bind — then apply or generate animation on the rigged model directly. Mesh segmentation splits a model into articulable parts first, so even meshes that started as a single generated shell become characters that move.

## Key Capabilities

**Automatic Skeleton Generation**
Generate a complete skeleton and rig for your character mesh in one step — no manual joint placement or weight painting required to get a mesh moving.

**A-Pose or T-Pose Selection**
Choose the bind pose that matches your pipeline's conventions, so auto-rigged characters slot into your existing animation and retargeting workflows.

**Animation on the Rig**
Apply or generate animation directly on the rigged mesh. Preview motion immediately and iterate on the character and its movement in the same place.

**Mesh Segmentation**
Split a model into parts for articulation, choosing a character or general target and low, medium, or high granularity — the foundation for rigging generated meshes and for part-level work like attachments and damage states.

**Engine-Ready Export**
Export in standard formats including OBJ and GLTF, and continue in Blender, Maya, or your game engine.

## How It Works

**Prepare the mesh**
Start with any character model — hand-built or generated. Run segmentation if the mesh needs to be split into parts, picking the target type and granularity that fits.

**Generate the rig**
Auto-generate the skeleton with your choice of A-pose or T-pose. Layer builds the rig so the mesh is immediately ready to animate.

**Animate and export**
Apply or generate animation on the rigged character, review the motion, and export for your DCC tool or engine.

## Built for Game Production

**Character Rosters**
Live-service games ship characters constantly. Auto-rigging means every new hero, enemy, and NPC gets a working skeleton in minutes, so roster growth isn't gated on rigging capacity.

**Prototyping and Previs**
Test how a character concept feels in motion before committing to full production. Generate a mesh, rig it, animate it, and evaluate it — all in the same session.

**Generated-Asset Pipelines**
Rig & Animate completes Layer's 3D pipeline: generate a mesh with Image to 3D, rebuild its topology with Remesh, then rig and animate the result — concept to moving character on one platform.

**Crowd and Background Characters**
Populate scenes with animated background characters without pulling senior riggers off hero work — segmentation and auto-rigging handle the volume tier of your character needs.

Trusted by 300+ game studios and entertainment brands including Zynga, SciPlay, Huuuge Games, and Machine Zone, Layer turns static models into living characters at production speed.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How does auto-rigging work on Layer?

Layer generates a skeleton and rig for your mesh automatically, with A-pose or T-pose selection so the bind pose matches your studio's animation conventions.

### Can I animate the rigged mesh directly on Layer?

Yes. Once a mesh is rigged, you can apply or generate animation on it directly — no round trip to another tool just to see your character move.

### What is mesh segmentation used for?

Segmentation splits a model into parts for articulation, with a character or general target and low, medium, or high granularity. It prepares meshes for rigging and part-level control.

### Do rigged and animated models work in my engine?

Yes. Layer exports in standard formats including OBJ and GLTF, so you can bring your work into Blender, Maya, or your game engine.

### What does rigging and animation cost?

Layer uses consumption-based Creative Units with no seat fees. Plans start at $10/month for 300 CUs with 10% rollover, and you can start free without a credit card.

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Get your characters moving today. Rig and animate your first mesh free on Layer — no credit card required.

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