rookie question...What is "weighting"?

[Wigaru Wiyamoto]

When you bind a skeleton to a mesh the CVs/verts are influenced by the bones, you need to adjust the weights (as in, the influence of the bones) so that the mesh deforms properly.

Say a vert is controlled 40% by bone1, and 60% by bone2. Maybe the result doesn't look like so you'll have to adjust the weights to say 10% bone1 and 90% bone2.

The actual adjusting varies from software package. In some you may use a "sphere of influence" for each bone (Max) or use your mouse/tablet to "paint weights" (Maya). Additionally in Maya you can paint the weighting of just about any attribute, not just binding.

Sorry if this is incoherant. :p

[PeaceOfMind]

ooh, i see, so its not a specific function its just the term for setting the bone influences. I just didn't know the term..thanks a lot.

[Nemises]

Not only Bone's though..

Weighting , is really a generic term that means roughly "percentage effect".

ie. take two vertices, add to a cluster (Maya), edit the "weighting" (in componant editor, or paint cluster weights tool) of one to be 1 (100%) and the other .5 (50%). However you move that cluster, Vertice #1 will translate in exactly the same way , but Vertice #2 will only translate/scale/rotate at 50% of the value you change the cluster by.

Can be very useful to get nice smooth effects like Page turning on a book, or whatever..

Also used a lot in Facial animation to get nice gradiation of muscle effects.

[PeaceOfMind]

aaah..thanks man, that's a lot of help

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