Hoses are the foundation for everything in Rubberhose and this is the quickest way to create a hose. Click to create a hose group with 3 layers:

• End controller

• Start controller

• Hose

The new hose will be created using the values in the Settings area.

New in v3.2.0

Create as many hoses as you want (4 by default), with preset names by holding SHIFT when you click New Rubberhose.

Set up the number of hoses and their names under Settings.

In addition to creating a new hose at the center of the comp, it is also possible to convert a path drawn with shape layers into a hose, or transferred a vector art path from Illustrator with Overlord.

Inaccuracies

Rubberhose approximates the shape of the path using hose math. Curves probably won’t be perfect, S-curves will be a little off, and a realism value of < 100% means the bend position will be a little less sharp. After converting a path, adjust it to taste.

Starting in v3.1.2, new hose rigs will be set to 100% Realism.

While it is possible to draw a bendy line using only 2 points and long tangents it is important to draw your path with 3 points. Rubberhose is designed to look for that middle point.

Rig a set of 3+ layers quickly by parenting them in a chain, select the final layer (a hand, foot, etc), then click. Rubberhose will math up the positions of each layer’s anchor point in order to:

1. create a hose with bend points for each layer

2. create bones between each bend point

3. parent each of the art layers to the bones

The way we communicate to Rubberhose where to set controls and bend points is by first creating a forward kinematics rig where the end of a limb is parented to the next segment, which is then parented to the next segment all the way back up to the root of the limb.

├── Upper arm
│   ├── Lower arm
│   │   ├── Hand

3 layers are required to define at least a start, bend point and end controller.

New in v3.1.0 RubberPins is more intuitive than ever before. Simply add pins to a footage layer or precomp (not a shape layer) and click the button.

Rubberhose will then:

1. Create a hose and controller group using your settings

2. This new hose will be a guide layers that will not render (it is only used to position all the pins)

3. The pins will be parented to the new hose starting with the first pin that is set

Puppet pins use a fixed coordinate on the layer to know how to best deform the art. Footage and precomp layers are raster based and have solid coordinates to draw with, while Shape layers are vector based and are constantly redrawing themselves to be infinitely scalable –the same thing happens if you have Continuously Rasterize (☀) turned on.

→ If you are using pins, do not use shape layers.
→ If you are using pins, do not use Continuously Rasterize.

If you want to start with a shape layer or need extra resolution

Precomp your layer (CMD/Ctrl+SHIFT+C)

• Double click the new precomp layer to go inside of it

• Scale the layer up and make note of the factor you are scaling by

  • 200% is a scale factor of 2

  • 500% is a scale factor of 5

• Open the comp settings (CMD+Ctrl+K)

• Multiply the comp width and height by the scale factor

  • If your width is 1080 and your scale factor is 2, you could do the math, or just type 1080 * 2 to update the width to 2160

  • Do the same for the height or enable Lock aspect ratio

• Exit back out to your work comp

• Scale the precomp down to a usable size

• Add pins like usually

• Start rigging

There are several pin types now available, but not all of them may be linked to a hose.

1. ✅ Legacy

2. ✅ Advanced > Position

3. ❌ Advanced > Starch

4. ❌ Advanced > Bend

5. ✅ Advanced > Advanced

• Starch and Bend will be skipped

• When rigging with Advanced > Advanced pins the position and rotation properties will both be linked to the hose