Hi, I was wondering if this is correct:
If I was to make vertex groups and call them by bone names, and then apply the armature without automatic weights, would those pick up my previously created vertex groups or not?
Yes, the vertex group must match the bone name.
By
apply the armature
I assume you mean “assign an armature modifier”
I know it has to match it, but does it map it? I just tried it and it didn’t quite work, so can I premap the vertex groups for bones or no?
I don’t know what you mean by “bone groups”. Blender has a feature called Bone Groups, but it is NOT used to drive the mesh.
In Pose Mode… Mesh Objects that have Vertex Groups of specific names use Armature Objects made up of bones of EXACTLY the same names to affect said Vertex Groups.
So, if your OBJECT “cube”
Has an Armature OBJECT “armature” made up of BONES “bone1” and “bone2” as a MODIFIER with the “vertex” option checked, and OBJECT “cube” has Vertex Groups of > 0 weight assigned to VERTEX GROUPS “bone1” and “bone2”, any movement of the BONES “bone1” or “bone2” of Armature OBJECT “armature” in POSE MODE will affect the corresponding Vertex Group of the mesh of the OBJECT “cube” based on the weight of each vertex in the vertex groups.
Blender doesn’t care how those assignments were created.
I’ve attached a very simple example Blend.
Attachments
Vertex_bone.blend (460 KB)
What I mean is the following;
If you have your cube, and you make vertex groups (no armature yet this is just a cube) by going to object data, selecting 2 vertices and clicking assign and then naming that group “bone 1”, and then doing the same for the other side and naming it “bone 2”.
Then you make your bones (call them “bone 1” and “bone 2” and add the armature- my question is: will the bones override the vertex groups that you have previously created or will they create their own over the ones that you previously made?
O and by bone groups I meant (sorry for calling them that!!!) the vertex groups that bones made when the armature got assigned with the automatic weights.
Then you make your bones (call them “bone 1” and “bone 2” and add the armature- my question is: will the bones override the vertex groups that you have previously created or will they create their own over the ones that you previously made?
Yes, they will change the vertex groups weight assignments within the pre-named groups, but only IF you assign the Armature modifier through “ctrl” p and choose “automatic weights” from the assignment options.
The “ctrl” p assignment method is just a shortcut to assigning an Armature modifier NOT a requirement to setting it up.
You can always assign the Armature modifier directly within the modifier panel of the Mesh object. Heat weighting can be assigned either through the “shortcut” or directly in weight-paint mode on a per bone selection basis.
Again Blender does not care HOW you do this.
In my example, I did exactly as you are describing With no armature yet in existence I created the two vertex groups on the cube. I then created a new armature object with 2 bones and named the bones “bone1” and “bone2”. Then I added an Armature modifier to the Cube Object, and set it to use the Armature Object named “armature”
Keep in mind that this could have been done in ANY order. All that Blender needs to see is the Mesh Object with 1 or more Armature Objects(s) assigned as modifiers which then affect weighted Vertex Groups that have matching names to the bones of the assigned Armature Object(s)
That’s all there is to it.
Here’s a version of the Blend that used 2 different Armatures to deform all four side of the cube.
Attachments
Vertex_bone.blend (487 KB)