Trying to Set final pose

[FXR]

As the title says, I’m trying to get a rigged model of the Sintel dragon posed into a final position for a scene - with wings flared and mouth open.

The Rest pose is with wings folded down, back bent over.

I worked the mesh into a flying state with wings wide spread flaring with feet forward. However, I’ve tried a dozen ways to try and set this position. So I can then my final modeling of the mesh.

I tried selecting all the posing bones and applying as “the rest” position.
I tried deleting each of the modifiers one at a time, as well as applying one at a time.
I tried copying the rig modifier and then deleting the upper one in the stack.
And so on …
I looked at you tube tutorials, I surfed for insight and answers.

But What I need is a somewhat detailed step by step guide on “How to set an animated mesh into a final pose”

Standing by for brilliance …

[FXR]

And here are some snaps of the modifier stack

[revolt_randy]

TBH, there could be so many things wrong here, it’s not even worth guessing at what is wrong. You will need to post up a .blend file for someone to take a look at.

Randy

[yogyog]

3 rig modifiers and an inactive Mesh Deform (but two use the same armature…??) … Displace, with a driver controlling the power followed by a multires… This is a strange and complicated rig, and will take a lot of unraveling.

[FXR]

first – its the dragon rig from the Sintel project. Without any changes from me. the animation, though is great.

However, what i did was disable each modifier one at a time, but … I applied the rig modifier, once i’;d achieved a hovering flaring pose. i didn’t try to apply pose to rest postion. That didn’t work. But siply “appying the rig.” set the mesh in the pose.

But for the tail rig modifier, not so easy. I had to create a cone, subdivided by using the loop cut tool a bunch and then shoved this modified cone over the dangling tail, adjusted it for rough fit. And then used the shrink modifier to conform it to original tail.

Then I cut off the existing dragon tail off, (as it kept deforming badly when I tried applying the tail rig) I then deleted the tail rig, and joined the new mesh to the body. Not too much work.

Attached is the new “rough” pose. As I have a lot of verts to pull to create more body horns, and I want to reshape the neck. plus other texture stuff …