DQ, Linear and Blend Weights

So Papa's back bendy legs don't work properly when using the Dual Quaternion weight method. This method is usually better than classic linear because it tries to preserve volume during deformations like elbows and knees.  Papa has a lot of skin to him, so this is ideal especially in his shoulder area. I don't know why papa's back legs freak out when DQ'd, but I figure it might be the thickness of the leg or the placements of the bones not being exactly centered around the mass.

I found out there is a way to use a combination of both. It is called Blend Skin Weights.  This allows you to paint on a map signaling the mesh to use either DQ or Classic Linear binding methods.  Make sure to click below to learn the way you can use it.

Blend Skin Weights in Maya Help

When you mirror skin weights, it also mirrors the Blend Weights map. So no need to worry about symmetry.

Pixar Style Pickables

GREAT NEWS

Some really smart people have found ways to create an equivalent to Pixar's Pickable system in Maya. Often, too many controls floating around on a character can distract from the overall acting and can be annoying to grab and handle. Less visual complexity gives animators a better idea of the silhouettes the face shapes are making.

These videos show how we can allow our controls literally be part of the mesh. Want to move the lip? Grab the characters lip. Simple as that. So simple and intuitive!

Maya - Creating Pixar Animation Controls Tutorial from Harry Houghton on Vimeo.

and this one

Tool Demo- Deformable controls from Raveen Rajadorai on Vimeo.

By the way, if you copy-paste the call instructions for the script, you may end up copying some unintentional spaces, which will give you a syntax error.  Simply delete the spaces to give python its valid syntax.