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Character rig breakdown: a prompt for AI character parts for 2D rigging

This prompt breaks a 2D character into separate body parts on one sheet, spaced apart, in the character's original style and proportions. Use it when you're preparing a character for skeletal animation: you get a parts sheet in minutes instead of cutting parts by hand and painting the hidden areas.

Genie
By Avia Shavit, Product Lead, Genie LabsLast updated
A 2D game character separated into head, torso, arms, hands and legs on one sheet
Example output · character parts sheet

The prompt

Reference imageFill the brackets

Break down the attached character into separate parts for rigging — [list parts, e.g. head, torso, upper arm, lower arm, hand, upper leg, lower leg, foot] — each separated from each other with spacing, in one single image, keeping proportions and style consistent with the original character.

Short on time?Analyze this prompt guide and get the key conclusions

What to attach and fill in

PartWhat to useExample
The attached characterA clean T-pose or A-pose on a plain background.Your hero in an A-pose, arms away from the body
[list parts]Every part your rig needs, including accessories that move on their own."head, hair back, torso, upper arms, forearms, hands, thighs, shins, feet, cape"

When do you use it?

The moment a 2D character is approved and headed to animation. Splitting a flat illustration into parts by hand is slow, and the worst part is painting what was never drawn: the shoulder under the arm, the neck behind the hair. That's the work this prompt takes off the animator's plate.

What breaks, and how do you fix it?

Parts don't line up when you reassemble them. Hidden areas, like under the arm or behind the hair, come out missing. Proportions change from the original.

  • Start from a clean T-pose or A-pose on a plain background. Crossed limbs hide the areas you need.
  • List every part. Anything you don't name may stay attached to its neighbor.
  • Ask for overlap at the joints. Extra material at the shoulder, elbow and hip is what lets parts rotate without gaps.
  • Test a couple of models. Some fill hidden areas much better than others.

Which tool should you use?

Use Genie's agent for the full parts sheet. To pull out a single part from an existing image, use split to layers on the canvas.

Variations to try

Face rig

Break down the attached character's head into separate parts: face base, eyes, eyebrows, mouth, hair front, hair back, ears, with spacing.

Creature rig

Break down the attached creature into body, head, jaw, four legs, tail and wings, each separated, with overlap at every joint.

FAQ

Which animation tools is the sheet for?

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Any 2D skeletal animation tool that works with separate body-part images. The sheet is the art input; rigging happens in your animation tool.

Does it paint the hidden areas?

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That's the goal, and asking for overlap at the joints helps. Check under the arms and behind the hair before handing it off.

Can I get each part as its own file?

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The prompt returns one sheet. Use split to layers on the canvas to separate parts into their own layers.

Try it in Genie

One character in. A rig-ready parts sheet out.

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