SOFT WARE: NOMAD SCULPT

Barry Jacks, London

Using Layers is a manageable method for changing a model without messing up the geometry. It allows you to try poses and expressions with little time or effort

Glen Southern replies

Before we delve into this topic, it would be good to explain what a Pose Morph actually is. Sometimes known as a BlendShape, a Layer Morph or just Layers, every 3D program has its own name for them, but they all pretty much do the same thing.

They’re a concept used primarily within animation and 3D modelling, but let’s simplify that. Imagine you have a digital puppet, like a character from a film, video game or cartoon. This 3D puppet can take on different poses or expressions. Higher-end models often need rigging full with bones, joints, weighting, skinning and bindings in order to animate them. Pose Morphs enable this puppet to smoothly transition from one pose or expression to another, known as morphing.