About this book

Workflow summary

Using skeletons

Skinning

Using constraints

Using characters

Deformer workflow overview

Deformers and their deformation effects

Deformable objects and their control points

Deformer handles and manipulators

Influence objects

Intermediate objects

Deformer sets and partitions

Tweaks

Deformer attributes and channels

Deformation history, order, and chains

Deformer placement

Double transform deformation effects

Nonlinear deformers

Dependency graph nodes

Editing deformer set memberships

Setting exclusive deformer set memberships

Direct picking with the edit membership tool

Editing set listings with the Relationship Editor

Painting deformer set membership

Pruning deformer set membership

Point tweaking on objects being deformed

Displaying and hiding intermediate objects

Changing an object's deformation order

Showing and hiding all deformers

Changing dependency graph evaluation performance

Changing deformer performance settings

Editing advanced deformer creation options

Editing node behavior to improve performance

Understanding node behavior attributes

Editing node behavior

Editing parallel blender attributes and channels

Deforming one object with multiple deformers

Modeling with deformers

Setup and animation with deformers

Creating shearing effects with shear channels

Point On Curve

Workflow summary

Target and base objects

Target shapes, base shapes, and blend shapes

Targets

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating blend shape deformers

Setting creation options

Creating a blend shape deformer

Editing blend shape deformation effects

Using the Blend Shape editor

Editing blend shape deformer channels

Editing blend shape deformer attributes

Scaling influence of all targets

Matching position, rotation, and scaling of targets

Blending objects with different topologies

Deleting a target's object

Setting target weights

Setting keys for blend shapes

Saving a blend shape as a new target

Selecting a blend shape deformer node

Creating a new blend shape deformer

Adding target object shapes

Setting add options

Adding a target object shape

Removing target object shapes

Setting remove options

Removing a target shape

Swapping target object shapes

Setting swap options

Swapping two target shapes

Deleting blend shape deformers

Lattices

Influence lattice and base lattice

Lattices as deformable objects

Lattice deformers and lattice flexors

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating lattice deformers

Setting creation options

Creating a lattice deformer

Editing lattice deformation effects

Editing the influence lattice

Editing lattice deformer channels

Editing lattice deformer attributes

Editing influence lattice shape channels

Editing influence lattice shape attributes

Reseting influence lattice shape and location

Reseting influence lattice points and removing tweaks

Editing lattice deformer sets

Pruning lattice deformer sets

Changing influence lattice resolution

Toggling lattice shape handle (L icon)

Toggling display of lattice points

Showing and hiding all lattice deformers

Weighting lattice points to alter their influence

Sculpting the influence lattice

Freezing the lattice deformation mapping

Editing the base lattice

Grouping base and influence lattices

Parenting lattices to objects being deformed

Deforming a lattice with other deformers

Assuring a smooth deformation through the base lattice

Improving performance

Changing lattice resolution performance settings

Deleting lattice deformers

Skinning with lattice deformers

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating cluster deformers

Setting creation options

Creating a cluster deformer

Editing cluster deformation effects

Manipulating the cluster handle (C icon)

Editing cluster deformer channels

Editing cluster attributes

Editing cluster deformer sets

Pruning cluster deformer sets

Editing cluster weights

Painting cluster weights

Setting the cluster relative to the parent transform

Controlling the deformation percentage of the entire cluster

Using weighted nodes

Setting the location of the cluster handle

Deleting cluster deformers

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating bend deformers

Setting creation options

Creating a bend deformer

Editing bend deformation effects

Manipulating bend deformer handles

Editing bend deformer channels

Editing bend deformer attributes

Deleting a bend deformer

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating flare deformers

Setting creation options

Creating a flare deformer

Editing flare deformation effects

Manipulating flare deformer handles

Editing flare deformer channels

Editing flare deformer attributes

Deleting flare deformers

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating sine deformers

Setting creation options

Creating a sine deformer

Editing sine deformation effects

Manipulating sine deformer handles

Editing sine deformer channels

Editing sine deformer attributes

Deleting sine deformers

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating squash deformers

Setting creation options

Creating a squash deformer

Editing squash deformation effects

Manipulating squash deformer handles

Editing squash deformer channels

Editing squash deformer attributes

Deleting squash deformers

Examples

Squashing a sphere onto the ground

Bouncing ball setup

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating twist deformers

Setting creation options

Creating a twist deformer

Editing twist deformation effects

Manipulating twist deformer handles

Editing twist deformer channels

Editing twist deformer attributes

Deleting twist deformers

Example

Spiral staircase modeling

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating wave deformers

Setting creation options

Creating a wave deformer

Editing wave deformation effects

Manipulating wave deformer handles

Editing wave deformer channels

Editing wave deformer attributes

Deleting wave deformers

Example

Ripple animation

Sculpt sphere

Flip mode

Project mode

Stretch mode

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating sculpt deformers

Setting creation options

Creating a sculpt deformer

Editing sculpt deformation effects

Manipulating the sculpt sphere

Manipulating the stretch origin locator

Editing sculpt deformer channels

Editing sculpt deformer attributes

Editing sculpt deformer sets

Pruning sculpt deformer sets

Deleting sculpt deformers

Influence wires and base wire

Holders

Wire dropoff locators

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating wire deformers

Specifying Wire Tool's tool settings

Creating a wire deformer without holders

Creating a wire deformer with holders

Editing wire deformation effects

Moving, rotating, and scaling influence wires

Moving, rotating, and scaling deformable objects

Editing the shape of influence wires

Moving, rotating, and scaling base wires

Adding influence wires

Removing influence wires

Controlling the effects of crossed influence wires

Resetting influence wires

Creating wires groups that parent influence wires to base wires

Editing wire deformer channels

Editing wire deformer attributes

Using wire dropoff locators for localized deformation effects

Smoothing jagged effects

Limiting the wire deformation region

Adding and removing holders

Moving, rotating, scaling holders

Editing the shape of holders

Editing wire deformer sets

Pruning wire deformer sets

Deleting wire deformers

Radial wrinkle deformers

Tangential wrinkle deformers

Custom wrinkle deformers

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating wrinkle deformers

Specifying Wrinkle Tool's tool settings

Creating a wrinkle deformer

Editing wrinkle deformation effects

Manipulating the wrinkle deformer's cluster deformer handle

Moving, rotating, and scaling the influence wires

Editing the wrinkle deformer's cluster deformer

Editing the wrinkle deformer's wire deformers

Deleting wrinkle deformers

Deformable objects

Wrap influence objects and wrap base objects

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating wrap deformers

Creating objects to use as wrap influence objects

Creating a wrap deformer

Editing wrap deformation effects

Moving, rotating, or scaling wrap influence objects

Manipulating wrap influence object points

Moving, rotating, or scaling deformed object

Editing wrap influence object channels

Editing wrap deformer channels

Editing wrap deformer attributes

Adding and removing wrap influence objects

Improving performance

Deleting wrap deformers

Skinning with wrap deformers

Examples

Deforming high-res sphere with low-res sphere

Deforming plane with five cones

Editing node behavior to improve performance

Understanding node behavior attributes

Editing node behavior

Workflow summary

Joints and bones

Joint chains

Limbs

Skeleton hierarchy

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating joint chains and limbs

Specifying Joint Tool's tool settings

Creating a joint chain

Creating a limb

Editing joints

Editing joint attributes

Displaying a joint's local axis

Orienting a joint's local axis

Moving, rotating, or scaling a joint and its bone

Editing joint chains, limbs, and skeletons

Viewing skeleton hierarchy

Selecting joints and navigating the skeleton's hierarchy

Displaying all the local axes in a limb or skeleton

Reorienting all local axes in limb or skeleton

Inserting a joint

Removing a joint

Disconnecting joints to create new skeletons

Connecting joints to combine two skeletons

Mirroring limbs or skeletons

Rerooting a skeleton

Setting display size of all joints

Setting and assuming preferred angles

Forward kinematics (FK)

Inverse kinematics (IK)

IK handles and IK chains

IK solvers and systems

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Posing with forward kinematics (FK)

Posing with inverse kinematics (IK)

IK rotate plane handles and solvers

IK single chain handles and solvers

IK spline handles and solvers

Using IK solvers and systems

Creating IK solvers

Editing IK system attributes

Disabling and enabling all IK solver nodes

Switching between IK and FK posing

Switching one joint chain controlled by an IK handle

Switching all joint chains controlled by IK handles

Start and end joints

Handle position control gnomon

End effector

Handle wire

Handle vector

Rotation disc

Joint chain plane

Joint chain plane indicator

Twist disc

Reference plane

Pole vector

Reference plane indicator

Twist indicator

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Understanding IK rotate plane solver behavior

Creating IK rotate plane handles

Specifying IK Handle Tool's tool settings

Creating an IK rotate plane handle

Posing IK rotate plane handles

Moving the handle

Manipulating the pole vector

Manipulating the twist disc

Controlling joint chain flipping

Editing IK rotate plane handles

Editing IK rotate plane handle channels

Editing IK rotate plane handle attributes

Editing IK rotate plane solver attributes

Deleting IK rotate plane handles

Start and end joints

Handle position and orientation control gnomon

End effector

Handle wire

Handle vector

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Understanding IK single chain solver behavior

Creating IK single chain handles

Specifying IK single chain handle tool settings

Creating an IK single chain handle

Posing IK single chain handles

Moving the handle

Rotating the handle

Editing IK single chain handles

Editing IK single chain handle channels

Editing IK single chain handle attributes

Editing IK single chain solver attributes

Deleting IK single chain handles

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating IK spline handles

Animating the joint chain

Setting options before creating the IK spline handle

Setting attributes after creating the IK spline handle

Preventing unwanted start joint flipping

Working with soft body curves

Tips for working with IK spline handles

Working with human skeletons

Working with animal skeletons

Working with sinuous motion on skeletons

Deformable objects and skinned objects

Direct skinning methods

Indirect skinning methods

Bind pose

Editing skin point set memberships

Changing a skinned object's deformation order

Point tweaking skinned objects

Editing node behavior to improve performance

Understanding node behavior attributes

Editing node behavior

Workflow summary

Smooth skin objects and points

Smooth skin point weights

Smooth skin point sets

Smooth skin influence objects

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Binding smooth skin

Setting smooth bind options

Checking the binding

Adjusting smooth skin behavior

Editing smooth skin

Going to the bind pose

Overcoming problems with reaching bind pose

Changing the bind pose

Editing maximum influences

Editing joint smooth skin attributes

Editing skin cluster channels

Editing skin cluster attributes

Editing skin point weights

Painting skin point weights

Reseting skin point weights to default weights

Detaching smooth skin

Using smooth skin influence objects

Adding an influence object

Removing an influence object

Editing influence object attributes

Examples

Skinning a cylinder by smooth skinning

Hand muscle bulge with influence object

Using influence objects to prevent unwanted deformation

Rigid skin objects and points

Rigid skin point weights

Rigid skin point sets

Flexors

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Binding rigid skin

Setting rigid bind options

Binding skin

Checking the binding

Adjusting rigid skin behavior

Editing rigid skin

Going to the bind pose

Overcoming problems with reaching the bind pose

Changing the bind pose

Editing joint cluster channels

Editing joint cluster attributes

Editing rigid skin point weights

Painting rigid skin point weights

Editing rigid skin point set memberships

Painting rigid skin point set memberships

Detaching rigid skin

Detaching and reattaching skeleton

Detaching and reattaching selected joints

Creating flexors

Creating all types of flexors

Editing joint lattice flexor effects

Manipulating the joint lattice flexor's influence lattice

Copying joint lattice flexors

Editing joint lattice flexor channels

Editing bone lattice flexor effects

Manipulating bone lattice flexor's influence lattice

Copying bone lattice flexors

Editing bone lattice flexor channels

Reassigning bone lattice flexor joints

Editing joint or bone sculpt flexor effects

Manipulating the sculpt sphere

Editing sculpt flexor channels

Editing joint cluster flexor effects

Editing with joint cluster flexor manipulators

Example

Skining a cylinder by rigid skinning

Point constraints

Aim constraints

Orient constraints

Scale constraints

Geometry constraints

Normal constraints

Tangent constraints

Pole vector constraints

Constraint node behavior

Understanding node behavior attributes

Editing node behavior

Enabling and disabling all constraint nodes

Workflow summary

Constrained and target objects

Target point

Target object weights

Constrained object's position

Locked channels

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating point constraints

Setting constraint options

Creating a point constraint

Editing point constraints

Editing point constraint channels

Editing point constraint attributes

Adding target objects

Removing target objects

Changing target object weights

Animating target object weights

Offsetting constrained object's position

Deleting point constraints

Constrained and target objects

Target point

Target object weights

Constrained object's orientation

Rolling effects

Motion history dependence effects

Locked channels

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating aim constraints

Setting constraint options

Creating an aim constraint

Editing aim constraints

Editing aim constraint channels

Editing aim constraint attributes

Adding target objects

Removing target objects

Changing target object weights

Preventing rolling effects

Controlling motion history dependence effects

Deleting aim constraints

Examples

Aiming a sphere at a sphere

Aiming a cone at a sphere

Constrained and target objects

Target orientation

Target object weights

Constrained object's orientation

Locked channels

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating orient constraints

Setting constraint options

Creating an orient constraint

Editing orient constraints

Editing orient constraint channels

Editing orient constraint attributes

Adding target objects

Removing target objects

Changing target object weights

Animating target object weights

Deleting orient constraints

Constrained and target objects

Target scale

Target object weights

Constrained object's scaling

Locked channels

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating scale constraints

Setting constraint options

Creating a scale constraint

Editing scale constraints

Editing scale constraint channels

Editing scale constraint attributes

Adding target objects

Removing target objects

Changing target object weights

Animating target object weights

Deleting scale constraints

Constrained and target objects

Target orientation

Target object weights

Constrained object's orientation

Motion history dependence

Locked channels

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating geometry constraints

Setting constraint options

Creating a geometry constraint

Editing geometry constraints

Editing geometry constraint channels

Editing geometry constraint attributes

Adding target objects

Removing target objects

Changing target object weights

Animating target object weights

Animating the constrained object

Using a point constraint with a geometry constraint

Deleting geometry constraints

Constrained and target objects

Target vector

Target object weights

Constrained object's orientation

Rolling effects

Motion history dependence effects

Locked channels

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating normal constraints

Setting constraint options

Creating a normal constraint

Editing normal constraints

Editing normal constraint channels

Editing normal constraint attributes

Adding target objects

Removing target objects

Changing target object weights

Preventing rolling effects

Controlling motion history dependence effects

Deleting normal constraints

Constrained and target objects

Target vector

Target object weights

Constrained object's orientation

Rolling effects

Motion history dependence effects

Locked channels

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating tangent constraints

Setting constraint options

Creating a tangent constraint

Editing tangent constraints

Editing tangent constraint channels

Editing tangent constraint attributes

Adding target objects

Removing target objects

Changing target object weights

Preventing rolling effects

Controlling motion history dependence effects

Deleting tangent constraints

Target objects

Target point

Target object weights

Constrained pole vector's end position

Locked channels

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating pole vector constraints

Setting constraint options

Creating a pole vector constraint

Editing pole vector constraints

Editing pole vector constraint channels

Editing pole vector constraint attributes

Adding target objects

Removing target objects

Changing target object weights

Offsetting constrained pole vector's end position

Deleting pole vector constraints

Character node behavior

Understanding node behavior attributes

Editing node behavior

Workflow summary

Related MEL commands

Dependency graph nodes

Creating characters

Setting creation options

Creating a character

Creating characters within characters

Editing characters

Selecting characters

Editing character channels

Editing character attributes

Editing a character set

Editing a character partition

Deleting characters

Setting the current character

Keyframing characters

Creating expressions for characters

Using motion capture for characters