Mischa Kolbe looks into creating better limb deformations using Bifrost to split a two bone chain.

Mischa Kolbe thought about a split joint setup for a while, an “unhealthy” amount of time, if you were to ask him. A new article shows that he’s come up with a satisfying solution that uses Bifrost and creates a mid-joint split in a two-bone joint chain.

The problem is that using two bones for organic limbs has an inherent flaw, according to Kolbe. “The area around the middle joint collapses.”

“Most noticeably at extreme angles, such as 180degrees: The two bones coincide, and your geometry completely crashes into itself.” Kolbe continues.

The article “Better limb deformation (Bifrost setup)” covers some pseudo-solutions but then dives into creating one using Maya’s Bifrost. There are also downloads and plenty of diagrams to check out, so make sure you see the article here.

https://twitter.com/mischakolbe/status/1384396045711339523?s=21

About Mischa Kolbe.

Mischa Kolbe is currently a Creature Lead at DNEG Vancouver.