walking mirage

Mesh Data Transfer. if, like me, you're starting with an existing model and working backwards to resculpt using a multiresolution modifier, here's a chain you can use to keep your shapekeys on a resculpted and remeshed mesh:

1. use shapekey helper menu to apply the multiresolution modifier at its highest resolution after sculpting, while keeping the shapekeys. this will give you a highpoly sculpted mesh with shapekeys
2. find whatever shapekey results in the least self-intersection and move it to the top of the list, making it the new basis. make the old basis shapekey relative to it, and make sure that setting it to 1 results in your mesh assuming its original shape
3. remesh. i use Quad Remesher because it's nice. now you will have a new mesh, in that shape, with no shapekeys but nice topology
4. use Mesh Data Transfer set to "closest" to transfer shapekeys
   4a. optional: create a UV map on the new mesh and transfer UV set as well
   4b. optional: and vertex groups
5. move old basis back up top
6. set every single other shapekey to be relative to the old basis

now you have a nicely sculpted and retopologied mesh that assumes the shapes of the old mesh properly. good job

i have discovered the secret to good weight painting at joints. turn on "show weight contours" in the weight painting overlays, then change your stroke setting to airbrush with a very low "rate" setting, and use it with weight set to 1 for add and 0 for subtract, and a very low brush strength.

this lets you hold down on the mouse button to slowly add more weight to whatever you're mousing over. move the bone into a flexed posture, and chase the contour lines around as you watch the vertices to get them in the right spot, switching between bones on one side of the joint and the other

before: lady who can stand on one foot, with significant geometry distortion at the hip

after: lady who can, as is appropriate for the second largest species in Cervidae, kick someone's skull in while both parties are standing up

i think it's time for bed but now i know how i can carefully sculpt the shapes around the joints to minimize or eliminate that distortion entirely, with a range of motion at least good enough to match what I can pull off with full-body tracking

(the eyes are weird because i'm using a Unity eyeball shader for 'em)

i have discovered the secret to good weight painting at joints. turn on "show weight contours" in the weight painting overlays, then change your stroke setting to airbrush with a very low "rate" setting, and use it with weight set to 1 for add and 0 for subtract, and a very low brush strength.

this lets you hold down on the mouse button to slowly add more weight to whatever you're mousing over. move the bone into a flexed posture, and chase the contour lines around as you watch the vertices to get them in the right spot, switching between bones on one side of the joint and the other

I adjusted my avatar's arm proportions to match mine, as previously they were too short, but there's something wrong with the shoulder. When my arms are straight over my head, the controller is further out than the avatar hands, and when my hands are straight down at my sides, the elbows are bent. I'm not experienced enough with this to visualize the rotations involved and where the problem might be.

If anyone's solved a similar issue before and has any tips, I'd love to hear 'em