1

I have created a hand model with an armature inside it so I can pose the fingers. I now wish to copy it so I have a pair of hands that I can describe gestures with. However, I am unsure how to move the hands to a different position, (not by using the finger posing armature).
Please can you give me some advice so I can pose the second hand and rotate them?

David
  • 49,291
  • 38
  • 159
  • 317
bryn123
  • 13
  • 4

1 Answers1

0

I believe what you are looking to do is duplicate your armature, invert it (to create the "other" hand) and have it available with the same bone structure. If so, select the parent bone in object mode:

enter image description here

Press Shift D to duplicate it. I pressed Shift D + x to move the second hand along the X axis only:

enter image description here

You now have the second hand, although although the 'thumb' may be pointing outward. If your armature was like mine, you now have two armatures: Armature and Armature.001; all of the bone names will be unchanged.

enter image description here

Now, still in Object mode, scale the armature by pressing S (to scale), X to scale only along the X axis (in this instance, that is what is needed for my armature), and then -1. This will invert the armature along the X axis:

enter image description here

Now you have the same two hands, but with the thumbs both facing inward. Scaling with a negative 1 scaling factor is a good way to create inverse versions of meshes and armatures.

Hope this is what you needed.

rcgauer
  • 2,247
  • 1
  • 15
  • 27
  • Thank you for your very helpful response. This is perfect for the armature duplication. However, my armature is inside of a model as displayed here. Is there a way I can do the adjustments you have suggested here with the model as well, or must I duplicate it separately then somehow attach the new armature to the new model? – bryn123 Dec 13 '16 at 23:00
  • Sorry... If the mesh is parented to the armature, it will be duplicated and scaled along with the armature... This assumes you made the armature the parent of the mesh... Also, duplicating it in this manner will transfer the weight painting, if you have completed that, as well. In a somewhat related note: Blender has good tools for managing and duplicating bone symmetries -- http://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/15062/how-to-mirror-a-bone – rcgauer Dec 13 '16 at 23:13