Layer Binding with Multiple Bones

[11thIndian]

Ok, so I have a character with all the main body parts on different vector layers. I want this character to have very rubbery arms and legs (old school hose tube look). Now in order to specify the influence of the bones I know I can use Layer Binding, but what if I want a layer to be effected by multiple bones? I can't seem to shift-click on multiple bones that I want to influence a specific layer. How do I do this?

Thanks.

[Víctor Paredes]

Don't use Layer binding. Select the image and the bones you want to use for it and go to the menu Bone - Use Selected Bones for Flexi-Binding .

[sillyanimate]

You can only bind one layer to one bone.....
You should do point binding if you made the arms and legs in one layer....
If not, you should had a upper and lower layer for arms and legs if you did layer binding

[11thIndian]

Thanks very much guys. Need to revisit my Tutorials on Flexi Binding.

[Greenlaw]

Yes, what the guys above said, Use Selected Bones For Flexi Binding is the way to go for what you described.

Some additional info: You might use Layer Binding if you need to rigidly bind an element to a bone--like, say, a sword to a hand bone, or a hat to a head bone. Layer Binding is simple and direct but that's all it's really good for.

When I was first starting out, I might sometimes bind a Group Layer to a bone (like a 'head' group, with face and hair layers. to the head bone) but when I started doing more advanced setups I found this prevents you from separately binding any layers within the group (like bones for pupils, eyebrows, etc.,) Nowadays, I might still bind a Switch Layers group to a bone so I don't have to worry about binding the individual images/layers inside. (Although I've run into a few situations where individually binding the Switch Layer layers is necessary.)

As for Point Binding, I find this option useful when I need to lock a part of a vector layer to a bone but have the rest of the layer deform with other bones. For example, locking the shoulder part of an arm to the body so it doesn't 'roll in' when upper arm is raised. Not long ago, I had to rig a character that had no separation between the neck and head (i.e., it was all one layer), and I found Point Binding allowed me to fix the points at the base of the neck to the chest bone so they stayed 'locked' while the head bones freely moved the rest of the head. In this specific case, Point Binding worked surprisingly well because the neck points needed to be rigidly fixed in place. The rest of the character mostly used flexi binding.

Short version: Look to Flexi Binding first because it's probably appropriate for more than 90% of your binding needs, but keep the other binding modes in mind for special cases. (You'll know them when you run into them.)
G.

[sillyanimate]

You can use nested layer controls.....

[Danansmith]

Great work.Thanks very much guys. You guys are awesome.This helpes me a lot. Thanks.