I want to make a puffin that doesn't require two models, like many other bird models - one for flying and one for wings in.  I know it is possible.  The wings should fold in - the outer end folds in and under, the middle folds a little over - and all in to the body.  

And the vertex model needs to be adjusted for correct folding and bending once I apply bones.
I'm thinking aloud - don't intend someone to do all this for me - just sharing the model for anyone interested in playing with it.

I'll work on a texture later and then add the bones.

The feathers on the wings are another issue  - I always struggle with real physical feathers or a texture map.  Most people use a texture map. 
R

The wings my pose more of a challenge.

 Good idea.  

There is a tute for Carrara somewhere about feathers. Was it using Anything Grows?
Just can not find it---tooooo many tutes saved! (Pretty sure it was at Pollyloop originally--but can not see)
However, I am positive there are feather images (clear background); which you could utilise using the Surface Replicator.
Will come back if I find more.

If anyone can help -

http://forums.polyloop.net/carrara-eng/9738-fur-using-carrara-particles.html#post109344

Here's the "Tute" I was thinking about. Further in to it is some stuff and zip files about feathers.

Another link. Using feathers with surfce replicator:

http://forums.polyloop.net/carrara-eng/7491-feathers.html#post88411

There's a link on the post with the .car file too. Be my guest to download it, if you like. ;)

This is as far as I'm going on this for now.  It doesn't have bones in the legs or head, tail, or beak yet so I have a lot of work left.  Setting it all up with weight zones takes hours.

The wings don't fold perfectly, but it works as a model for setting up my painting.  Thanks for help.

You're welcome, OP. But I can't see the image.

I'm developing a wing tutorial, in portuguese (for now, hosted at my good friend GKDantas's Carrara Forum) about bat/dragon wings. They fold and unfold perfectly. You can see it in action at my YouTube page:

Noviski's Carrara3DWorld

I'm trying to create the same with feathered wings, but it's a hard thing. You need a complex bones behavior or a delicate morph on it, moving feather by feather. Anyway, let's join our fantastic brains together and solve this crap. ;)

Cheers!

(P.S. The English version of the complete tutorial we will post at the DAZ ArtZone very soon...)

 I think you're way ahead of me on this one.  Every time I think I get the wings to fold, I need to go back and adjust the weights and make morphs for them to look good.  The bird wings could almost use joints instead of bones - with the joints, the wings wouldn't deform.  And to move it feather by feather - lots of work.

The bat wing videos look great - did you use morphs on the pair of wings?

No, no morphs at the bat wings. Just bones. ;)
I see the Noggin's 'Real Makaw' Bird Model from DAZD, and I like the way as the wings fold and unfold. I'm pretty sure they're using more morphs instead bones at this one. Btw, nice model! :)

Very cool scene, OP! I love the underwater enviroment. Did you use the fog primitive or clouds to create de atmosphere? I suggest some caustics map at the light cones gel. ;)

Here's the first try with the bird wings:

Bird Wing - Round 01

The wing has 3 morphs, at three sections of feathers: tip, middle and shoulder. I see some overlaping on the feathers, but I thiks it looks ok. I'll try with the arm, now. Let's see what I get. :)

Congratulations again for your nice job!

 Looking good.  I do like the way it folds over - I'm also impressed with the alpha channel.  My feathers still have a white and gray fuz around the edges, like it is not taking out all the white.  I just used the image twice - instead of making an alpha channel in photoshop.

Not long ago I had a chance to investigate a bird wing from a little one that died hitting our window.  I wish I still had it to look at.

There are sever different light cones in the Misc Tab of the Browser that may help understanding.
Like that latest effort. Great.

I agree with Brian, this last one is much better!

Well, I found an interesting site, maybe this one could help us to understand the fold/unfold wing system without touching dead birds... ;)

Cheers!

I read somewhere that the wing of a bird is much like our arm - shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers - The site you found is very interesting. I also found one that detailed how a designer was using his program and complex math to assign movement to the outer feathers depending on how it bent - way too much for me. I played around with morphs last night some - not a bad way to go since the bones deform the feathers - but one could take the feathers out of the bond influence, but then they wouldn't move with the wing tip.

I made another animation, now with the arm. The feathers overlaping still bothering me, but I think we are on the right path. ;)

Check it out this site. Sweet! :D

 Noviski, it looks great!  I like the overlap.  It is very realistic.  Are each feather an object or is is a map over one object?  Did you say it is a morph or bones?  Looks good to me.

 Okay, 3 morphs - I don't think the macaw goes from flying to folding as it has 2 models.  Looking at eagle paintings by Robert Bateman, I see the middle section of the wing folds over the outer section when it folds up.

I've got to give the internet a break  : )
I have report cards to finish for school next week.  Keep working at it !