A quick question guys. Can we stack weight paint data on a single mesh? Like, we can add UV maps and have multiple different uv maps on the mesh right? Can we do the same with weight paint?
Yes, weight paint is assigned to vertex groups, if you want another set make a new vertex group (and assign the verts to it)
Think about bones, when you parent an armature with automatic weights, each bone gets its own vertex group that has its own weights painted on them, (and obviously you can assign the same vertices to more than one group if you want)
Yes, as mentioned by @DNorma; though not exactly in the same way as UV Maps (where there is a dedicated UV Map for each different set.
In the case of Weight Paint / Vertex Groups,
one approach would be to have, for example, 2 different Deform Bone Layers (actually, Bone Collections):
One for a default set of Vertex Groups, the other one for one alternative set of Vertex Groups; then, provide all of those Deform Bones for both Bone Collections are potentially Influencing Defor Bones on the Mesh
(i.e., they have exactly corresponding and unique Vertex Group Name, matching respectively their own Deform Bone Name --this correspondance usually occurs automatically when we start Weight-Painting from an Active Deform Bone on Weight Paint Mode provide there’s a working Armature Modifier),
then, by just Toggling the Deform Option of all the Deform Bones of one set (one set should have it Enabled, while the other one Disabled), that would immediately make the swap of a Vertex Groups ‘Map’, a bit like when we swap between UV Maps the default way.
This Deform Option Toggling, for a Multi-Selection of Bones, is totally Batchable, through [ Alt-Hold + LMB-Click ] or [ RMB+Click for Context Menu, Copy to Selected Operator ].
Thank you guys for the explanations. Pretty straight forward and explanatory.
)