12-24-2025, 04:28 PM
I'm an intermediate 3D animator trying to build a better foundation by learning character rigging for my own simple humanoid models, but I'm consistently running into issues with deformation around the shoulders and knees during poses. I understand the basics of joint placement and skin weighting, but my weights always seem to have subtle errors that cause pinching or loss of volume, especially in flexed positions. For riggers who are self-taught, what is a methodical process for painting and testing weights to achieve clean deformations, and are there specific tools or scripts within Blender or Maya that you consider essential for streamlining this tedious part of the pipeline? I'm working on a stylized character for a personal short film.