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Modeling > Modeling Characters > 2 bone limbs

2 bone limbs


A 2 Bone Limb creates a pair of bones, like the previously illustrated leg example, where the socket is the hip, the first bone the femur and the second bone the shin.


The first bone is constrained to the socket with a ball joint constraint. Like an arm in a shoulder joint, the bone can rotate freely inside the socket.

The second bone is constrained to the first bone with a pin joint constraint. It rotates only in a hinge-like way around the end of the first bone. Like a shin in a knee joint, the bone can bend backwards, but not sideways or forward.


You can move the whole group by selecting the limb, or translate the second bone to take advantage of IK.

You can edit the parameters of the first bone, including the ball joint constraint parameters, and the second bone, including the pin point constraint parameters.

By default, the limb bends downwards. To make it bend in another direction, you rotate the whole limb group. In the following illustration, a limb was rotated 180 degrees on the X axis so that it could bend inwards.


Limb 2 Parameters

Ball joint home angles

Angle at which the first bone is at rest. This angle is the starting point for limb rotation.

Pin joint home angles

Angle at which the second bone is at rest.

Mode

Manipulation mode. Select IK to animate the character by manipulating the bone. Select FK to animate the character by manipulating the socket. select Home state to adjust the joints' home angles.


See also:

1 bone limbs

Using home state

Skin

Recording animation keys

Pin joint constraint

Ball joint constraint

Using groups

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