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Creator
Yamal Rig, Stylised Character Rig for Maya
The Yamal rig is a stylised character rig for Maya, designed and rigged by Abdeldjalil Benaissa on the Advanced Skeleton autorig system. Squash and stretch runs through the limbs, body and head, the face is driven entirely by joints rather than blendshapes, and he comes with a cigar, a suitcase of cash, a hat and three hairstyles. Made for animators who want to push cartoon acting in Maya 2024 or newer.
- v1.67
- Version
- 17 Mar 2026
- Last updated
- 17 Mar 2026
- Released
- Works with
- Maya 2024+
- Licence
- Non-commercial, personal use
- File size
- 20.7 MB
- Rig framework
- Advanced Skeleton
- Facial rig
- Joint-based, no blendshapes
Maya 2024+
Instant download Vetted creator
Latest rig updates
Yamal Rig is out
Everything the rig ships with. What you get on day one:
Squash and stretch everywhere
Stretch and squash on the limbs, body and head, so you can push poses, timing and appeal without fighting the setup.
A face built from joints
No blendshapes: you shape each expression by hand, which pays off in acting and subtle performance work.
Props and hairstyles
A cigar, a suitcase full of money, a hat and three hairstyles give you variation between shots.
Advanced Skeleton on Maya 2024+
Built with the Advanced Skeleton autorig system for Maya 2024 and newer.
Watch it move
Yamal, rigged on Advanced Skeleton
The story behind Yamal
A Maya rig built for cartoon acting
Yamal is for animators who want to push stylised performance and explore personality in their work. Abdeldjalil Benaissa designed him specifically for cartoon-style animation, so exaggeration is part of the setup: you can push a pose hard and still keep control and clarity.
The facial rig is where Yamal stands apart. Instead of relying on blendshapes it is a fully joint-based system, which gives you direct control over the performance and makes it easier to craft expressions by hand.
Built on Advanced Skeleton for Maya 2024 and above, he fits a modern animation workflow and stays approachable whether you are learning or building a portfolio.
Inside the rig
What you get with the Yamal rig
Yamal character rig
The Maya rig file with textures, built with Advanced Skeleton.
Presentation lighting
The lighting setup used in the promotional presentation.
Cigar and suitcase
A cigar and a suitcase filled with cash for staging shots.
Three hairstyles and a hat
Swap looks to explore different character ideas.
Great for
What the Yamal rig is great for
- Stylised character animation
- Cartoon-style acting shots
- Animation showreels
- Learning squash and stretch techniques
- Animators working in Maya pipelines
Additional information
The details
- Software
- Autodesk Maya 2024+
- Rig type
- Stylised cartoon character
- Rig framework
- Advanced Skeleton
- Facial controls
- Joint-based, no blendshapes
- Props
- Cigar, suitcase, hat, 3 hairstyles
Requirements
Maya 2024 or newer
- Autodesk Maya 2024 or newer
- Runs on Windows and macOS
Credits
Designed and rigged by one artist
- Design and rigging: Abdeldjalil Benaissa
See more of his work on ArtStation: https://www.artstation.com/benaissa_djalil
Licence terms
Personal, non-commercial use
Yamal is for non-commercial, personal use only. For educational or professional use, contact the creator first.
What animators say
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Vetted
Every rig on Animworks is checked by our team before it goes live.
Supported
Questions and bug reports go straight to Abdel Benaissa, or email support@anim.works.
Yours to keep
It lands in your downloads the moment you check out, and stays there.
Community
Share your feedback on the rig
Animating with Yamal Rig, Stylised Character Rig for Maya? Post your shots in the Discord, ask Abdel Benaissa a question, or tell us what you would want in the next version.
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