Pipeline 1 - Skinning: Parts 6 & 7

Part 6 - Adding Pose Space Deformers (Corrective Blend Shapes) Upper Body

For some reason I cannot get blend shapes to work correctly with the shoulder, because of this instead of taking screenshots, I will be taking notes to follow later.

To start creating blend shapes animate the appropriate joint, in this case the shoulder.
Animate:

• Neutral Frame (Frame 1)
• Swing up (Frame 10)
• Neutral Frame (Frame 20)
• Swing down (Frame 30)
• Neutral Frame (Frame 40)
• Swing back (Frame 50)
• Neutral Frame (Frame 60)
• Swing forward (Frame 70)
• Neutral Frame (Frame 80)
• Twist forward (Frame 90)
• Neutral Frame (Frame 100)
• Twist back (Frame 110)
• Neutral Frame (Frame 120)

With the animation, you will notice clipping and other abnormalities with the model, this is fixed with blend shapes.

To create a blend shape:

• Rigging Menu
• Deform
• Pose Space Deformation
• Pose Editor

This is the advanced mode of the Pose Editor, useful for checking that you are using the correct Twist Axis.

Creating Blend Shapes:

1. While the shoulder joint is selected and you are on frame one, press the "Create Pose Interpolator" button.
• This will create a neutral pose based on your model. (Specifically three neutral poses. A neutral swing & twist, a neutral swing and a neutral twist.)
2. Move to frame 10, which should be the up pose.
3. With the joint selected, press the "Add Pose" button.
• This will create a blend shape.
4. Now modify the geometry in the general area to correct any issues such as loss of volume, collapsing, clipping, etc.
• Remember to be careful when editing to not create something that looks unnatural or to make something (like the shoulder) too large.
5. Once you have finished editing the pose into something that works, scroll over to the next movement key-frame (In this case, frame 30 for the swing down) and press "Add Pose".
6. Once you have done that, begin editing the geometry.
7. Repeat this process for all swing poses.
8. When you start on the on the twist poses, be sure to set them to twist instead of swing in the Pose Editor
9. Then continue the fixing process for the twist poses.
10. Once you have finished with the twist here. Save and delete the animation.

Moving onto the elbow.

Added elbow blend shape

Annoyingly, the issue I've been having cropped back up when working on the wrist, so I haven’t finished that joint either, however I will still explain the process.

1. Since the issue with the wrist is that it keeps losing its size, firstly create 6 locators around it.
2. Animate the wrist swinging up, down, left and right.
3. The process of creating blend shapes is exactly the same as with the shoulder.

Locators surrounding the wrist.

I've noticed that my problem only occurs after 2 poses have been added. I have no idea if this information is helpful, but it's an observation.

Also I noticed that my mirroring went slightly wrong, I don't know if that's related to the same issue, or if I accidentally missed something.

Part 7 - Adding Pose Space Deformers (Corrective Blend Shapes) Lower Body

Once again, I'm having issues, so I'm just going to continue writing notes.

• Renamed "L_Leg_jnt" to "L_Hip_jnt" (Same for the right side)
• Animate hip
• Slightly out to the side
• Backwards
• Forwards
• Very slightly inwards
• Animate Knee
• Backwards
• Create Pose Interpolator for the Hip from the Pose Editor
• Be sure to be in a neutral pose
• Create pose for the first movement
• Make necessary adjustments
• Ensure that the adjustments made are not destructive and always compare with both the opposite side of the model and with normal human anatomy for reference
• Once complete, create a pose for the next shape
• Continue this process until all necessary blend shapes have been created and all errors have been corrected
• And repeat the process for the knee
• Once all blend shapes are created, mirror them across from the Pose Editor
• Double check that everything is working as intended

Knee blend shape

Skinning Complete (Mostly)