QUOTE(3bpms @ 02/09/07, 09:15 PM) [snapback]259440[/snapback]
...so what can use comparable to flexors in rigid bind?
Actually, I think you have more control with a smooth bind and it's associated weight maps. Weight maps enable you to associate vertices with the joints. The cool thing is that several joints can affect the same vertices to a variety of degrees by way of a greyscale bitmap. White is full strength and black is no effect. That bitmap can then be mirrored or exported on identical geometry (exact number of vertices). I think you have to have your UVs in order before you can export, though.
Explore "Paint Weight Maps" in Maya's help file. This will give you a better idea of how they work and how you achieve them.
"Influence Objects" are geometry that works with the weight maps to create various influences on the skinned mesh. The most commonly used example is that of shoulder muscles. Without an influence object you are most likely going to see a severe crease created in the shoulder when you try to raise the model's arm above a position parallel to the floor. You would then put a sphere at the shoulder joint whose scale was driven by the joints orientation. As the arm goes up the sphere would swell a little. Once you make the swelling sphere an 'influence object' on your mesh it would push out the crease that would normally result.
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TIP: Add influence objects before you spend too much time painting your weight maps as I have experienced that once you set the influence object it has a tendancy to shuffle your weight maps a bit.