But is there an easier way to do this and are shape keys only used for animating or will it always deform that way when I move the armature. In other words is there a way to have it deform in the fashion I please via sculpting without having to insert keyframes, saving the deformation in real time also. Sorry for my wording but i hope you understand what im trying to say.
That’s alot of bones for just an arm. It’s easiest to limit yourself to the basic bones (shoulder, upper arm, forearm,…) and have shape keys handle the additional deformations. Those shape keys could be linked to the transformation of certain bones (eg. when forearm bone rotates 60degree on x-axis, a shape key kicks in).
There are ways to do it with multiple bones, but if you want to keep it simple, learn about shape keys and how to drive them with bones.
What are you trying to accomplish with all those bones? Muscle flex emulations? Unless you really understand rigging in some depth, take Sago’s advice and use the bones only for the basic large-scale deformations of the mesh like general limb movement. For small-scale muscle-flex details, you have a choice of methods but driven shape keys are probably the most understandable for first-time riggers, plus you can use your sculpting skills to determine the look you get.
Other method include using all bones (I like that approach & have done it with a number of rigs) but you need to understand rigging thoroughly to build that kind of armature, and even then it’s a major task; and actual muscle-sim rigs where objects under the mesh “skin” deform much as muscles do, and the skin rides over them all. But that requires both major rigging skills and an understanding of various modifier and constraint techniques, it’s the most complex of all the options imo.
Start simple, and build on the knowledge gained, otherwise you’ll develop major frustration that will be a roadblock to eventual mastery of the subject.
