perfect simetric rigging algorythm

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1

Hello everybody! I would like to discuss about rigging. I have some problems there.
First of all i am going to explain what do i want to do:
So i want to make human model (actualy i want to make some more human models using the first one as a basis).
My goals are:

  1. I want it to be allways symetric! This i can achieve by making one side of the mesh and add the mirror modifier then. In case i add some more details to one hand, those details should appear on the other hand!
  2. I want to have it rigged. All bones should control their vertex groups. I use an armature modifier to achieve this. Using “x-axis mirror edit” for bones i make my armature simetric.

And my problem is that i cant achieve these two goals at the same time anyhow…

http://members.lycos.co.uk/dezute/zmogus.png

Let’s think two scenarios:
A

  1. i make half of mesh and add mirror modifier to it. i edit mesh.
  2. i apply the mirror modifier.
  3. i add the bones.
  4. when i bend a bone, i get what i expected, the mesh deforms in the way that i want. Thays good.
  5. The negative side of this scenario is that when i add some detail to one side of the mesh, it doesnt automaticaly appear in another side. Thats bad.

B

  1. i add mirror and armature modifiers to my mesh. I don’t apply mirror just add it.
  2. when i add some detail to one side of my mesh, it is automaticaly mirrored. Thats good.
  3. i bend the bone in one side. The bone moves its wertex group. Unfurtunatelly deformation of this side is mirrored and i can see the mirrored side moving together with original one despite the bone created for mirrored side is not moved. Thats bad.

So is there amy way to get mesh mirrored but do not be affected by bones from other side?

2

Use the mirror modifier until you have finished the model, then do the rigging.

Make regular copies of the work, so you can apply the mirror modifier whenever you need to see the deformations.

You don’t really want to be adding much after you have rigged it.

Basically, if you use the mirror mod, then it will always be symmetrical. Thats what it is for. Just apply it when you are finished modelling. You can always delete one half of the model and redo the mirror mod it if you need to.

Ian