3D Creature Production: Rigging, Animation, CFX - Course by Nav Singh & 80 Level

This Digital Art course covers creature animation from start to finish, including rigging and CFX. Experienced Animator Nav Singh will guide you through all the steps and details of creating a realistic moving mammoth in Maya, explaining the thought process behind it.

What does this course offer?

✨ Create advanced creature rigs with complete facial control.

✨ Understand the logic & thinking process behind animals' behaviour for realistic animation.

✨ Explore the concept of cycle animation and experiment with various workflows.

✨ See an in-depth analysis of muscle, fat, and skin simulation.

✨ Learn how to attach muscle rigs to existing rigs & combine animation with the muscle simulation.

✨ Discover new plugins and learn how to naturally implement them into animation, rigging, and CFX to speed up your workflow.

What’s included in the course?

• 40+ hours of narrated content
• Lifetime access
• A complete, single-hierarchy game-ready creature rig
• A fully functional muscle, fat, and skin simulation rig for you to study and use
• All other project files used throughout the course
• FREE access to ZOO TOOLS (Plugin for Rigging) as an exclusive bonus for our students
• Expert tips & tricks 
• Access to a closed Discord channel to connect with other students
• Access to the 80 Level Talent platform

Required Software

To follow along with the course easily, please use the following software and plugins:

• Autodesk Maya (2025.3 recommended)This is the primary software used for all rigging, animation, and Creature FX lessons. Use version 2025.3 to get the full interface match with the tutorials.
• ZOO TOOLS (plugin for rigging)
  Free access to this powerful rigging toolset is provided with your course purchase.
• NG Skin Tools (skinning plugin)
  You will need to install this free plugin to follow the character skinning lessons.
• Animbot (plugin for animation)
  This tool is highly recommended to animate more efficiently. A 30-day free trial is available, which is sufficient to get through the animation module of the course.
• Ragdoll Dynamics (plugin for animation)
  We will use this plugin to create dynamic secondary motion. A 30-day free trial is also available.
• Adonis FX (plugin for Creature FX)
  This plugin is required for the lessons on muscle, fat, and skin simulation. You can follow along using the available 30-day free trial.

Meet your mentor

Nav Singh has been in the VFX industry since 2016, working at ILM and Folks VFX in the past. Currently, he serves as a Lead Animator at Pixomondo Toronto and an Animation Instructor at Seneca College.

Over the past decade, Nav has worked on numerous famous projects, including The House of the Dragon, Loki, and The Mandalorian. He is exceptionally proud of all the shows he's contributed to, as well as the courses he released on his website, Creature Station. 

Nav has been teaching animation to students from diverse backgrounds, skill levels, and ages for the last 5 years. Being able to help people around the world by sharing his skills is his most significant accomplishment and a new purpose in life.

Full course outline

3D Creature Production for Animation includes over 40 hours of video lectures, covering the entire creation process, from the initial skeleton to advanced, animator-friendly controls. The mammoth model used in the course was prepared by Fernando Usabiaga Bustos.

First, you will create a creature rig using Zoo Tools, aiming to make a game-ready single-hierarchy joints rig, compatible with AdonisFX. You will add many advanced features, like multi-layered IK/FK limbs, a shoulder lock, and jiggle controllers that move with the limbs. Then, you will skin the mammoth using ngSkinTools.

After, you will move on to creating a walk cycle, focusing on realistic creature behavior animation to prepare the rig for muscle simulation. Finally, you will create a comprehensive muscle, fat, and skin simulation setup in Maya using AdonisFX and integrate the muscle simulation with animation.

Is this course the right fit for you?

“3D Creature Production for Animation” course is suitable for 3D artists of all levels, from Beginner to Advanced. 

For Beginners:
If you're only starting your digital art journey, you will need a basic understanding of 3D beforehand to follow along with the course. You can learn Maya fundamentals from this free YouTube series.

For Experienced Artists:
The course also includes many advanced techniques, tips & tricks, so you won’t be bored and will definitely learn something new.

Important legal disclaimer

There is no time limit on your access to the course and its content once you purchase it. Feel free to complete it at your own pace.

When you purchase or access 80 Level courses or content, you’re getting a license to use it, not ownership. You can use the content for personal learning, but you don’t own it or its materials.

• You may use the content for personal, non-commercial purposes only. 
• No reselling, redistributing, or using the course content for your business.
• No modifying or copying content to share with others
• No cheating, hacking, or using bots
• No abusive behavior in forums or chats

Using Your Course Artwork for Portfolio
Good news! You can share the artwork you create during the course in your personal online portfolio (only for non-commercial, personal showcasing purposes), as long as:

• You credit “80 Level” and Nav Singh
• You include a link to the course page
• The final artwork is created by you, not derived from the course

Contact Info

If you have any questions or comments about the course, please contact us via courses@80.lv 

Connect with your course mentor, Nav Singh

Website  | Youtube |  LinkedIn  |  Instagram

Special credit to Fernando Usabiaga Bustos for modelling the mammoth that you will see in the course.

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