Isabella Flores
The Delta Mush deformer is a tool used in 3D modelling to fix folds and odd deformations in the skin of a character model. It is used after binding the geometry to the rig, and it can be turned on and off to see the difference it makes. To paint skin weights with a Delta Mush, you can use a Python script for Maya that converts the results of a Delta-Mush deformer to standard skin weights. This script uses mathematical optimization to determine the influence weights that minimize the total distance between the skinned vertex and its mushed partner, making the skinned model as similar as possible to the delta-mushed version. However, there are also manual methods for painting skin weights, such as using the Paint Weights Tool or the Component Editor to work with each vertex individually.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To fix folds and odd deformations in the skin of a 3D model |
| Process | Paint skin weights so that each part of the mesh is reasonably deformed, using a brush and a colour-coding system or numeric values (0-1) |
| Tools | Paint Weights Tool, Component Editor, dm2skin UI, Weight Hammer Tool |
| Tips | Make the brush smaller by holding the b key and dragging |
| Challenges | It can be challenging to export an FBX file with the skin weight result of the Delta Mush Deformer |
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What You'll Learn
Delta Mush deformer vs. per-joint weights
Delta Mush is a Voodoo deformer developed by Rhythm & Hues, which smooths arbitrary deformation of a polygonal mesh without smoothing the mesh itself. It is used to fix folds and odd deformations in the skin. It captures skin geometry to a SOP skeleton for use with Joint Deform and lets you paint capture weights directly onto the geometry. It also supports Joint Deform by assigning capture weights to points based on their distance from joints.
Delta Mush is a widely used geometric skinning approach that stores the per-vertex difference ("delta") between the original and smoothed versions of the rest state in local surface coordinates, and then applies these "deltas" to the smoothed deformed surface. This is in contrast to other geometric skinning methods that are efficient and simple to implement, but require considerable manual "rigging" effort involving trial-and-error weight painting and the addition of virtual helper bones.
The recently introduced Delta Mush algorithm largely solves the rig authoring problem, but its iterative computational approach has prevented direct adoption in real-time engines. Direct Delta Mush (DDM) is a novel skinning deformation technique that improves on the efficiency and control of Delta Mush while generalizing previous algorithms. DDM mathematically re-expresses the DM calculation into a per-frame direct form, analogous to the computation in traditional skeletal skinning models.
However, Delta Mush has been criticized for being heavy and causing problems and lag for animation and rendering. It is also very destructive if corrections are needed later. Additionally, Delta Mush does not handle non-rigid joint transformations correctly, limiting its application for most production environments.
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Baking Delta Mush into skin weights
To begin the process of baking Delta Mush into skin weights, users first need to paint the skin weights to ensure each part of the mesh deforms reasonably. This can be done by right-clicking on the deforming mesh, navigating to Paint > deltaMush > yourdeltamushnode - weights, and then painting the desired areas. It is important to note that these weights are for vertices and are not related to the joints on the mesh.
Once the desired areas are painted, users can then tweak the deltaMush deformer settings to achieve the desired results. This includes adjusting the Max Influences value, which determines the maximum number of influences used for the skin cluster. After finalising the settings, users can proceed by hitting "Transfer to Skin". The conversion process will vary in duration depending on the complexity of the mesh and the number of influences.
If the user is satisfied with the results, they can delete the mush and make any necessary tweaks to the weights. It is recommended to adjust the keyframed poses to improve the results of the skin transfer. For example, adding a twist to the upper arms in the poses can help optimise the weights for the shoulder and upper arm vertices.
While the process of baking Delta Mush into skin weights is useful for fine-tuning specific areas of a character model, it is important to note that there may be challenges when exporting the model to certain game engines or file formats, such as FBX. In such cases, additional scripts, plugins, or tools like the "Bake Deformer Tool" or "Deformation Learning Solver" may be required to successfully transfer the Delta Mush deformations to the skin weights.
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Delta Mush Paint Weights
Delta Mush is a deformer used in Autodesk Maya, the world's leading 3D software. It is used to paint skin weights and is accessible through the Paint Weights tool. The Paint Delta Mush Weights Tool allows users to paint Delta Mush weights on deformed geometry using a brush.
To access the Paint Delta Mush Weights Tool, users can go to Deform > Paint Weights > Delta Mush in the Modelling and Rigging menu set. Alternatively, they can go to Anim Deform > Open Full Deform Menu > Paint Weights > Delta Mush in the Animation menu set. With the tool, users can define hotkey combinations to modify settings without opening the Tool Settings editor.
The Delta Mush deformer weight is a single-channel attribute, so there is no need to change the Vector Index setting. Users can set the minimum and maximum weight values, with the default range being between 0 and 1. Negative values are useful for subtracting weight, while positive values are used as multipliers.
When using the Paint Delta Mush Weights Tool, it is important to select the appropriate Delta Mush weights name for the deformer node of the surface being painted. This ensures that the correct weights are being painted. Additionally, users can apply the brush settings to all weights on the target shape by clicking "Flood."
Some users have shared their experiences with Delta Mush on Reddit. One user mentioned that they manually painted the weights after removing Delta Mush from the hands and were happy with the results on the rest of their model. Another user suggested baking the delta mush back into the skin weights and then updating the fingers through normal painting. However, some users have cautioned against using Delta Mush due to potential problems with animation and rendering later in the process.
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Delta Mush deformer settings
Delta Mush is a deformer that smooths the mesh of a 3D model. It is used to improve the appearance of deformations by averaging the weights of the points around the selected area. The Delta Mush deformer settings can be adjusted to change the strength of the deformer and the smoothing steps.
To access the Delta Mush deformer settings in Maya, right-click on the deforming mesh and go to Paint > deltaMush > yourdeltamushnode - weights. Here, you can adjust the weights of the deformer to achieve the desired result. The weights are painted for each vertex, and are not related to the joints on the mesh.
One important setting to consider is the Max Influences value, which corresponds to the maximum number of influences that will be used for the skin cluster once the conversion is complete. A higher Max Influences value will result in a longer conversion process. It is recommended to set this value to at least 4 to achieve decent results.
Another setting to consider is the number of keyframed poses provided to the deformer. It is recommended to provide 4 to 5 poses that move and rotate the character's bones into a variety of positions that the character will need to achieve. The more information provided to the minimization algorithm, the better the results will be.
It is also possible to bake the Delta Mush deformer back into the skin weights and then update specific areas, such as the fingers, using normal painting techniques. This is a common approach when the Delta Mush deformer cannot be brought into game engines.
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Delta Mush for fixing skin deformations
Delta Mush is a powerful tool for fixing skin deformations and creating realistic avatars. It is a Voodoo deformer developed by Rhythm & Hues that smooths out polygonal mesh deformations without impacting the original model details. This is particularly useful when working with characters that have a lot of volume and movement around the shoulders and other areas, where binding can be challenging.
To use Delta Mush for fixing skin deformations, follow these steps:
Select the Geometry: Choose the area of the mesh you want to work on. This could be an area like the shoulders or elbows, where skin movement needs to be adjusted.
Adjust Settings: Go to the "Deform" option and select "Delta Mush" from the "Create" section. You can adjust the strength of the deformer by changing the attribute values in the "deltamush1 INPUT" node. Play around with the Smoothing Steps to find the right balance, as too much smoothing can negatively impact the results.
Bake the Deformer: If you're working with VR or Unity, you'll need to bake the deformer into your model. However, if you're using Maya for rendering, this step isn't necessary.
Paint Weights: The painting weights process determines which vertices move with each joint. You can use the Paint Weights Tool or work with each vertex individually in the Component Editor. Black indicates no influence, and you can paint the influence of each joint on various vertices to achieve the desired deformation.
Keyframe Poses: Create a set of keyframed poses to provide the algorithm with the necessary information. Ensure you move or rotate every bone in each pose. The algorithm optimizes the weights based on the poses you provide, so make sure to include a range of motions.
Convert to Skin Weights: Use a Python script like dm2skin to convert the results of the Delta-Mush deformer into standard skin weights. This script performs mathematical optimization to minimize the total distance between the skinned vertex and its mushed partner, making the skinned model similar to the delta-mushed version.
Tweak and Refine: Once you've converted to skin weights, you can delete the Delta Mush and make any necessary tweaks to the weights. You may need to adjust the keyframed poses or use the Weight Hammer Tool to fine-tune the deformation.
Remember that Delta Mush is an iterative process, and you may need to experiment with different settings and poses to achieve the desired results. Additionally, while Delta Mush can improve skin deformations, it may not work for all models or export to all file types without a script or plugin.
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Frequently asked questions
Delta Mush is a deformer that helps fix folds and odd deformations in the skin. It is a binding method that calculates the correct amount of "weight" or percentage to assign to each control vertex from each joint.
To paint skin weights with Delta Mush, you can use the Paint Weights Tool or the Component Editor to work with each vertex individually. You can also use a connection editor with numeric values (0-1) to determine which vertices move with each joint or control.
To export an FBX file with the skin weight result of the Delta Mush Deformer, you can use a script or plugin like the dm2skin UI or the Maya tool.
