Weight Maps

Weight maps allow you to paint varying strengths on vertices to control how they respond to a joint rotation. You can either create an entirely new weight map, or combine existing deformers into a new weight map that completely replaces the spherical or capsule falloff zones.

When you choose to merge existing falloff zones into a Weight Map, existing falloff zones will remain, but will be ineffective unless or until the blending mode of the weight map is changed from Replace to Add or Multiply.

The File > Merge All Zones to Weight Maps command is provided in Poser to automatically convert all existing falloff zones to weight maps in a single operation. All existing falloff zones will remain, and the new weight map will be set to Replace..You will then be able to use the Joint Editor to refine the weight maps using the weight painting tools.

If you are going to be rigging a character from scratch, the easiest workflow is to rig it first the “old fashioned” way … by using spherical and capsule falloff zones as described in the previous sections in this chapter. After you get that done, you can collapse the falloff zones down into weight maps.

The recommended workflow is as follows:

• Set up your spherical and capsule falloff zones in the joint, and test them to make sure they move the joint as expected. See Creating and Using Falloff Zones.
• Add affected actors in areas where the rotation of a joint could extend to more than one body part, and adjust the falloff zones to include the affected actors. See Adding Affected Actors.
• Collapse the falloff zones into a weight map. See Adding a Weight Map.
• Refine the weight map further with weight map painting. See Painting Weights.

A shoulder joint showing its capsule falloff zones.

• Adding a Weight Map
• Deleting Weight Maps
• Activating and Deactivating Weight Maps
• Painting Weights
• Restricting Painting by Groups or Materials
• Painting Bulge Maps
• Smoothing Scale Zones
• Smooth Translation Bending
• Weight Painting Tips