Change "default" bone transformation?

Support Animation and Rigging
1

When posing bones in an armature, one can reset any transformation by selecting the bone(s) and pressing Alt+G, Alt+R or Alt+S to reset the location, rotation and scale respectively (disregarding animation keys for the moment).

Is there a way to change the the “default” location, rotation or scale. I know one can do it in the armature’s edit mode, but that does not achieve what I am after. If you already have a mesh parented to the armature and weight painted, transforming bones in edit mode does nothing to the mesh.

Let’s say I want to permanently shorten the legs of a person’s (mesh) body by scaling the leg bones (without editing the mesh). I may also want to rotate them slightly - also permanently. How can I apply these transformations permanently? (without using the lock in the transformation properties).

In other words: I want to be able to press Alt+S or Alt+R - and then I want the bones to return to this new, (permanently) modified scale and rotation.

Is it possible? (I.e. kind of a non-return “apply” of the transformation.)

One would typically use this when one makes various (non-detailed) characters off the same base character. One would obviously change the mesh around the face, but scaling body parts helps one to quickly make different versions. But if you accidentally select the wrong (or all) bones and you press Alt+S… BOOM! - there you have your base character’s body back (which you don’t want).

Thanks

2

I now found Ctrl+A (rest pose), but it does not work either, as the mesh does not stay deformed when applying this. It is similar to changing the bone’s transformation in Edit mode, which is not what I want.

3

Use the Pose Library functions under the Pose menu. Shift+L to replace the current one (named “pose”), the CTRL+L to bring it back as needed.

4

Thanks, that kind of helps. The problem is that - if you shortened the legs as a pose and you later press Alt-S (for example), it still reverts back to the original scale (long legs).

I added a comment above:
One would typically use this when one makes various (non-detailed) characters off the same base character. One would obviously change the mesh around the face, but scaling body parts helps one to quickly make different versions. But if you accidentally select the wrong (or all) bones and you press Alt+S… BOOM! - there you have your base character’s body back (which you don’t want).

5

Okay, how about this…

  • Pose the Armature in place as you want it when “rested”
  • Apply the Armature modifier (this will make your mesh stuck in-pose, and no longer moving with the Armature)
  • CTRL+A Apply pose as restpose (in pose mode) to reset the default bone position to this one.
  • Now add a new Armature modifier binding the model to the Armature afresh.

This should be non destructive to the weight paints etc.

6

Thanks Lancer, it sounds like what I’m looking for - as long as it does not mess up the weight painting.

I’ll try it a later.

7

GREAT! This has done the job for me! It seems so logical now, but I never thought about it. Probably because I usually parent the mesh to the armature, which is not a “real” modifier.

Thanks