I would like to add something else to a general misconception about weight mapping a figure.

2D weight mapping, like in Poser, can not replace JCM's. That isn't possible. Let me explain a bit.

Like I mentioned in my previous post, the only difference between sphere joint rigging and weight mapped joint rigging, is exposing the vertex weights to the UI. That's it....

With sphere mapping, you assign an inner and outer region, and the weights are calculated from that. So it is basically just a falloff curve based on distance, nothing more.

With the map exposed to the UI, then it is weight map-able. Which means it no longer has to follow a falloff curve like a sphere joint. The weights can be anything you want them to be, on any vertex that is mapped.

Since it is still using the same way of bending the joint as a sphere joint, (in 2d) all you can do is assign a weight, that is basically just a percentage of how far it moves when the joint moves.

To give a good example, if a joint is bent 90 degrees and the weight is 50% on all the vertices, they only go 45 degrees around the joint center now. Literally, that is it.... It bent 45 degrees when you dialed in 90...

The bulge maps work the same way, and can only move the vertex out, or in, from the joint center. Following the same percentage thing, with a max distance setting.

Notice that you can't move anything on the 3rd dimension. Simply because it is the same program handling as a sphere joint. If you need to move a vertex on that 3rd dimension you only have a few options.

One is scrapping scaling and pulling your hair out to do it that way. Another is to use a ghost bone. A Magnet works. Or a jcm.

Magnets and jcm's can move on all three axis's, unlike joints.

If you want a figure to bend like we do, things have to move in 3 dimensions when the joint bends. Just like things on us move when joints bend. There is no way around the 2d rigging limitation to get 3D joints unless you use something for the 3rd axis.

That something, is usually jcm's.

---

Some things are easy to explain, other things are not........ <- Store ->   <-Freebies->