How to Set Current Position as Rest Pose in Blender

When rigging in Blender, setting the armature and mesh into a final rest pose is a useful step for tasks like fitting characters into specific clothes. The rest pose acts as the base from which all your animations are calculated, and setting it correctly is essential for smooth animation and character deformation.

We can modify the rest pose (the default position of the model) without losing all the work we’ve put into weight painting and posing. This can be tricky, but it’s absolutely achievable with the following steps:

Step 1: Apply the Armature Modifier to the Mesh

The first thing you need to do is ensure that the mesh and armature look exactly how you want them to be at their new rest position. This means that the character or object should be fully posed, and everything should be aligned perfectly.

1. Select the Mesh in Object Mode:
   • Switch to Object Mode by pressing Tab if you’re currently in Edit Mode.
   • Right-click on the mesh to select it.
2. Go to the Modifiers Tab:
   • Look to the right side of your screen, and find the Modifiers tab (it looks like a wrench icon) in the Properties Panel.
3. Apply the Armature Modifier:
   • You should see an Armature Modifier in the list of modifiers applied to the mesh.
   • Click on the Apply button to apply the deformation from the armature.

By applying the armature modifier at this stage, you’re making sure that the mesh is set correctly with the weights already assigned, and it “locks in” the deformation caused by the armature.

Step 2: Set the New Rest Pose for the Armature in Blender

With the mesh properly aligned, the next step is to define a new rest pose for the armature. This ensures that Blender treats the current pose as the new default or “rest” position.

1. Select the Armature in Pose Mode:
   • Switch to Pose Mode by first selecting the armature in Object Mode and pressing Ctrl + Tab or selecting Pose Mode from the menu.
2. Apply Pose as Rest Pose:
   • At the top of the screen, go to the Pose menu.
   • In the dropdown, select Apply > Apply Pose as Rest Pose.

This step updates the armature’s rest pose to the current pose. This is helpful for modifying an existing rig or ensuring that a new pose is correctly recorded as the starting point for your animations.

Step 3: Add the Armature Modifier Back to the Mesh

Now that the armature’s rest pose has been updated, you’ll need to reapply the armature modifier to the mesh. This step will ensure that the mesh can still be controlled by the armature.

1. Select the Mesh in Object Mode:
   • Make sure you’re back in Object Mode, and select the mesh.
2. Add an Armature Modifier:
   • In the Modifiers tab, click on Add Modifier and choose Armature from the list of deform modifiers.
3. Assign the Armature to the Modifier:
   • You will see an option labeled Object within the Armature modifier settings.
   • Click on the Object field and select the armature that corresponds to your mesh.

This process rebinds the mesh to the armature while keeping all the weight data intact. Blender will now know to use the updated rest pose for all future deformations.

Why This Method Works Without Breaking the Weights

Applying the armature modifier before changing the rest pose tells Blender to “remember” the current deformation. Consequently, this ensures that when you reapply the modifier after setting the new rest pose, your weight painting and posing stay intact.

If you reset the rest pose without applying the modifier first, you might get undesired transformations. For instance, the model could shift or distort unexpectedly. However, applying the modifier first “locks in” the deformed state, preventing these issues.

Conclusion

Setting up armature deformation in Blender can be tricky, especially if you need to change the default pose without messing up your weight painting or posing. To do this, apply the armature modifier, then set the new default pose, and finally reapply the modifier. This way, you can avoid issues like broken weights or unexpected model movements.

Also, the order of these steps is important – 1. Apply the modifier, 2. Set the new rest pose, and 3. Reassign the modifier. This method ensures your animations look smooth and your model behaves as expected.

Got any other Blender tips or questions? I’d love to hear them!