The Modular Control Rig system in Unreal Engine makes it easy to build animation controls for a skeletal character without creating an entire control rig from scratch
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create a Modular Control Rig and quickly configure it for your own character
Step 1: Create a Modular Control Rig
In the Content Browser, navigate to the folder where you’d like to store your control rig
- Right-click inside the Content Browser
- Select Animation → Control Rig
- Choose Modular Rig
- Click Create
- Give the asset a descriptive name
- Double-click the new asset to open the Control Rig Editor
At this point, you’ll see an empty Modular Control Rig waiting to be assigned to a character
Step 2: Assign Your Character
Before you can build the rig, you need to select the skeletal mesh that the control rig will use
- Open the Preview panel
- Locate the Preview Mesh setting
- Choose your skeletal mesh
For this example, I will be using the Mixamo character I rigged in a previous tutorial, but any compatible skeletal mesh can be selected
Once the mesh loads, you’ll notice a small socket located around the pelvis area
This is the starting point for assembling the Modular Control Rig
Step 3: Add the Spine Module
The sockets indicate where different rig modules should be placed
Hovering over a socket displays the type of module it expects
Open the Module Assets panel
To avoid confusion, click on Biped so you only see the controls for a humanoid
Locate the Spine module and drag it onto the Spine socket
Once the module is added, Unreal Engine generates new sockets for the hips, shoulders, and neck, allowing you to continue constructing the character rig
Step 4: Add the Leg Modules
Each thigh socket requires its own Leg module
Simply drag the Leg module onto each thigh
Both legs are now equipped with their own animation controls
Step 5: Add the Neck Module
Locate the Neck socket at the top of the spine
Drag the Neck module onto the socket
This creates controls for the neck and head
Step 6: Add the Shoulder Modules
Next, locate the shoulder sockets
Drag a Shoulder module onto each shoulder
The shoulder modules prepare the skeleton for the arm controls
Step 7: Add the Arm Modules
Each shoulder now exposes an Arm socket
Drag an Arm module onto each arm separately
The arm controls are automatically connected to the rest of the modular rig
Step 8: Add Finger Modules
After adding the arms, sockets appear for each finger
Instead of assigning them individually, you can add multiple finger modules at once
- Hold Shift
- Select every finger socket on one hand
- Drag the Finger module onto the selected sockets
Unreal Engine automatically creates a Finger module for every selected finger
Repeat the process for the opposite hand
This is much faster than assigning each finger individually
Step 9: Review the Completed Rig
Once every required module has been assigned, your Modular Control Rig is complete
The character should now include controls for:
- Spine
- Neck
- Head
- Shoulders
- Arms
- Legs
- Fingers
Because each section is modular, the rig is assembled automatically without requiring manual setup of constraints or control hierarchies
Step 10: Test the Control Rig
To begin posing the character, hide the placement sockets
Press the Y-key to hide the module sockets and display only the animation controls
With the sockets hidden, you can:
- Select any control
- Move, rotate, or pose the character
- Test the full range of motion
- Verify that each module behaves correctly
This provides a clean workspace for animating and adjusting poses
Conclusion Using the Modular Control Rig workflow in Unreal Engine, you can build a fully functional character rig in just a few minutes. By assembling pre-built modules for the spine, limbs, neck, shoulders, and fingers, you avoid the complexity of creating a traditional Control Rig from scratch while still gaining a powerful set of animation controls for posing, keyframing, and gameplay animation.