The current joint setup just throws a region around the geometry with falloff within the region. This is the old way of weighting bones - most 3D systems with rigging capabilities have moved on. It is not very exact and requires that one be careful with region placement. Poser avoids some of this by only weighting the body part and parent with the body part's region (as specified in the Joint Editor). Weighting using vertex maps is a newer system (and there are systems beyond this one, but it should suffice). Using vertex maps, one can set weights point-by-point or polygon-by-polygon to exact precision. No worry about regions intersecting unwanted polygons. So, why keep adding more and more types of geometric regions when the answer is simple: vertex maps are the wave of the future - ten years ago! ;)

C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot. C++ makes it harder, but when you do, you blow your whole leg off.

 -- Bjarne Stroustrup

Contact Me | Kuroyume's DevelopmentZone