Skin Tools quickstart tutorial

This tutorial introduces the basic workflow for using Skin Tools in Maya. It outlines the fundamental steps for initializing skin layers, painting weights, refining deformation, and working with layers and mirroring.

Before using Skin Tools, the mesh must have a skinCluster and the skin layers must be initialized.

You can launch Skin Tools using Skin > Skin Tools.

After initialization, choosing Skin > Paint Skin Weights opens the Skin Tools interface instead of the classic Maya Paint Skin Weights Tool.

Step 1: Initialize skin layers

If the mesh has multiple skinClusters, use the Skin menu in the Skin Tools menu bar to select the active skinCluster. The active skinCluster is marked with a checkmark.

Select a mesh that already has a skinCluster. If necessary, bind the mesh using Skin > Bind Skin.
Choose one of the following:
- Open Skin > Skin Tools and click Initialize Skin Layers, or
- Choose Skin > Initialize Skin Layers.

Select the mesh and the joints to bind.
Choose Skin > Bind Skin and open the options.
Enable Initialize Skin Layers (disabled by default).
Click Bind Skin.

Note: Resetting to default weights after initialization removes all existing layers and recreates a new base layer with default weights. Use Skin > Reset Default Weights. This operation deletes existing layers.

Step 2: Create and paint the base layer

After initializing skin layers:

Choose Skin > Paint Skin Weights. If the skinCluster is initialized, the Skin Tools interface opens automatically.
(Optional) To return to classic weight painting, delete the skin layers using Skin > Delete Skin Layers
In Skin Tools, create a new layer (for example, Torso_Base). You can:
- Right-click in the Layers section and choose Create Layer, or
- Use Layers > Create Layer in the Skin Tools interface.
Under the new layer, select the joints you want to use as influences.
Right-click the selected influence and choose Assign from Closest Joint, or open the Tools menu and choose Assign from Closest Joint, to create the initial skin weights for this layer.

Step 3: Refine weight painting

In the Skin Tools interface, click Paint
Paint weights using the available brushes.
Use the Replace and Smooth brushes to refine weights. Holding Shift activates smoothing while painting.

Under the Set Weights tab, use Smooth mode to smooth weights. Smoothing can be applied to selected vertices only.

Under the Effect tab, enable Prune Small Weights before writing to skin cluster to prevent unexpected small weight values. You can also use Maya's Skin > Prune Small Weights command.

To quickly switch influences while painting, select the influence joints you want to paint weights on.

Step 4: Paint and mask on secondary layers

Create a new layer (for example, L_Arm).
Paint initial weights for the layer.

To control where the layer affects the mesh:

In the Influences section, select Mask (typically listed first).
Paint the mask using the same painting methods and tools used for skin weights.

The mask functions as an alpha that controls the weight of the layer and where it affects the mesh.

Step 5: Mirror weights

To enable symmetrical painting:

In the Paint tab, turn on Interactive Mirror

This allows mirrored painting while editing one side of the mesh.

To mirror the entire character:

Switch to the Mirror tab.
Choose the appropriate mirror axis.
Click Mirror to transfer weights across the mesh.

This tutorial outlines the foundational Skin Tools workflow: initialize skin layers, create and paint base weights, refine deformation, add masked layers, and mirror results.