Paint cluster deformer weights

You can use the Paint Cluster Weights Tool to paint cluster deformer weights. Refer also to the section About painting cluster weights in the topic Editing cluster deformation effects.

You can also use the Mirror Deformer Weights Options to mirror the cluster deformer weights. See Mirror deformer weights.

To paint weights on a cluster

1. Select the surface with the cluster you want to paint weights on.
2. Select Shading > Smooth Shade All or press the default hotkey 5 to switch to smooth shading mode.
3. In the Rigging menu set, select Deform > (Paint Weights) Cluster > to open the Paint Cluster Weights Tool settings.
   Note: The Paint Cluster Weights Tool automatically detects clusters on the surface and selects one for painting.
4. In the Display section, turn on Color Feedback. Color feedback helps you identify the weights on the surface by representing them as grayscale values (smaller values are darker, larger values are lighter).
   Tip:

   You can use the default hotkey Alt+c (Windows) or Option+c (Mac OS X) to turn Color Feedback on and off outside the Paint Attributes Tool.

5. Select the cluster you want to paint. In the Paint Attributes section of the Paint Attributes Tool, click the clustern.weights button and select the appropriate cluster weights name from the pop-up menu.

   Note that you can only paint weights on one cluster at a time. If you select more than one cluster, you can only paint weights on the active one (the one that provides color feedback).

   If the surface has only one cluster, you can select the surface alone.

   The selected cluster turns white, representing a weight value of 1, the default.

   Tip:

   If you are painting on a single surface, you can select the cluster without opening the Tool Settings window by right-clicking the surface and selecting the appropriate cluster weights name from the Paint command submenu.

6. Select a brush, paint operation, and value and define other settings as required.
7. Drag the brush across the cluster.
   Tip: You can quickly pick weight values from one cluster and paint them on another cluster or the same cluster using hotkeys.

   • Select the cluster with the weight values you want to pick.
   • Hold down the Pick Color Mode hotkey (default hotkey: /), click on the area of the cluster with the weight you want to pick, then release the hotkey.
   • If you are painting the picked weight on the same cluster, drag the brush across the cluster.

   If you are painting the picked weight on another cluster, select that cluster, then drag the brush across it.