Deformation groups for bones.
Sometimes I prefer not to add many bones in a rig, so I don't have to weigh them. Too many influences is a mess.
Bendy Bones generates multiple bones from the original bone and its weight is automatic, you don't have to worry about each bone segment individually. I think it would be great to export this system to something more general. A group of bones should be able to act under the same vertex group, and that their weight be common. On the one hand they would act as a single deformator, and on the other they should be able to move and control individually, automatically deforming the mesh. In this way many control bones could be added to the rig without having to suffer the weighted from each of them.
The image I upload of reference is a bit extreme, since it groups all the bones of the spine, but in other cases I think this would help to better control the deformation of the shoulders, elbows and other joints, as well as adding inertia or volume to the muscles or fat.
2 Comments
No. That's why there is the option to have non-deforming bones, the option to use Multi-paint (and the upcoming Lock-Relative mode ) in weight-painting. And then you can also use multiple armature modifiers.
It seems to me that maintaining an organized rig prevents this from becoming a problem.
I think a bigger problem in weight-painting is the tedious UX since 2.8, when trying to select an object and armature (in weight-paint and pose mode, respectively).
* @Josephbburg * It has not yet been implemented and I should try it, but on paper I think you're right. Lock-Relative mode in Weight Paint, I think it solves the conflict of influences when doing the weighing, and you also retain control. When I can test it I will understand it better.
Anyway, I think that for lazy riggers my idea is not bad XD. Thanks you.