Setting Up the Resting Position
Once you have a deformation chain created, you can optimize its positioning to fit the element it will deform. This task is done in the Setup mode.
A deformation rig has a resting position and an animated position. The resting position is the original pose the character is in when not animated with keyframes. You can always revert your animated character to its resting position to recover the initial scale, angle, and shape. You can revert the entire character or only certain deformation chains, such as the arm or leg. You must make sure your resting position is fully set before deploying the character in production.
The Bone, Curve and Articulation deformers have different sets of controllers.
How to set up a bone and articulation deformation chain
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In the Network view, select the Deformation group you want to set up. |
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In the Deformation toolbar, click the Show Selected Deformers and Hide All Others button to display the deformer controls in the Camera view. This also hides all the deformer controls that were displayed. |
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In the Deformation toolbar, click the Setup Modebutton. |
The chain turns from green to red. A green chain indicates the Setup mode is disabled. If so, click the button again to enable it.
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In the Tools toolbar, select the Transform tool. |
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In the Camera view, set up the deformation chain. |
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Use the Pivot rotation handle to change the angle of the chain. |
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Use the Pivot centre control point to reposition the entire chain. |
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Use the Articulation control point, the square at the bottom, to reposition the articulation. This will elongate, shorten or change the direction of the first bone. |
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Use the Articulation, top diamond-shaped, control point to change the size of the articulation. For quality purposes, it is recommended to have an articulation which fits the diameter of the part it controls. |
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(Optional) In the Deformation toolbar, deselect the Show Simplified Manipulators button to display all the manipulators. You can choose to work with the simplified deformers, but if you need more control, you can also access the full deformers. You will notice two extra square control points appearing in the middle of the articulation circle. Drag these up and down to modify the steepness (bias) of the articulation. |
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Repeat until all the articulations and bones of the chain are correctly aligned to the element it is linked to. |
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With the Deformation group still selected, click the Copy Resting Position to Current button. This will make sure to set the current resting position as the current frame one. |
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In the Deformation toolbar, click the Setup Mode button to turn off the mode. Then test your modifications using the Transform tool. For optimal results, make sure the size of the articulation is about the same size as the drawing. |