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Introduction

Lesson 2: Smooth skinning

Smooth binding a skeleton

 

Learning Resources > Tutorials > Getting Started with Maya > Character Setup > Lesson 2: Smooth skinning > 

Open the scene for the lesson

In this lesson, you work with a scene we created for your use. The scene contains a human character and skeleton. Each leg and arm of the skeleton has an IK handle that lets you pose the limbs conveniently. If you completed the prior lesson, the character, skeleton, and IK handles will be familiar.

1. Make sure you’ve done the steps in Preparing for the lessons.
2. Open the scene file named SmoothSkin.ma.

   This file can be found in the GettingStarted directory that you set as your Maya project:

   GettingStarted/CharSetup/SmoothSkin.ma

   The character in the scene, Jackie, is displayed in a transparent fashion so you can see the skeleton beneath the surface.

3. Select Window > Settings/Preferences > Preferences. In the Preferences window, click the Kinematics Category. Enter 0.4 for the Joint Size, then click the Save button.

   This displays the joints smaller. At the default size, 1.0, the large size of the joints obstructs the view of the skin.