How to Create a 3D Tiger IP: From Concept to Animation

01 Project Overview

Creating an IP has become a trend; the tiger character symbolizes good luck and enhances brand image. This article shares the production process and experience of the "Tiger Jiji" IP.

02 Tiger Jiji Concept Design

Research identified five common wishes: luck tiger, vitality tiger, wisdom tiger, wealth tiger, and peach‑blossom tiger. Designs reflect these wishes: the luck tiger uses a red Tang suit for Chinese New Year, the vitality tiger is depicted as a basketball player, the peach‑blossom tiger features pink colors for romance, the wisdom tiger adopts a futuristic look, and the wealth tiger draws inspiration from a rap artist.

03 Basic 3D Nude Model Creation

Based on the concept art, a basic nude model of Tiger Jiji was created to ensure consistency across departments.

Key modeling guidelines:

Unify units.

Maintain even edge loops; avoid uneven topology and excessive triangles, especially around joints.

Adopt good naming and grouping practices for easier later modifications.

04 High‑Precision Model Production

Clothing creation starts with the luck tiger. The model and UV must be finalized in one step to avoid rework, as the model serves as the foundation for all downstream processes.

When crafting equipment, pay attention to details: model fine features, apply edge bevels, and ensure smooth curvature so that lighting and shading render correctly.

05 UV Unwrapping and Texturing

RizomUV is recommended for efficient UV layout, especially for complex organic models. It offers fast unfolding, Photoshop‑style alignment, automatic saving, and improved pixel‑density management.

Tips for UV layout:

Align UV islands to maximize space usage.

Allocate more UV area to large model parts to preserve detail.

Avoid gaps; fill the UV space as completely as possible.

06 Lighting and Rendering

After modeling, the scene is lit and rendered using the OC renderer, chosen for its real‑time feedback.

Workflow steps:

Fix the camera position and keep it unchanged.

Select a skybox as the main light source.

Add fill lights based on reference photos, using rim and accent lights to shape the subject.

Test the lighting setup.

Apply reusable material textures to ensure consistency across assets.

07 Animation Production

Animations were implemented with Lottie to ensure high fidelity. Five actions—idle, roar, bow, jump, and entrance—were created for the luck tiger and then applied to the other four variants using a unified skeleton and animation standards.

Conclusion

The Tiger Jiji IP was completed after a series of steps: reference collection, concept brainstorming, style definition, nude modeling, high‑precision modeling, UV unwrapping, texturing, lighting, rendering, and animation. The project provided valuable experience in character pipeline production.