Need serious help rigging topology

sandeboy

I'm not sure if this is the right place but I'm working on a base mesh and found out the shoulder connection I've been using all this time is way off. I can't fix it, it's been days.

This is the mesh.

It works fine when I bring the arms from the t-pose to the side in a default stance.

But as soon is I try to lift the arms straight up forward there's an ugly crease, dent and stretching in the shoulder. And nothing I do seems to fix it.



The same applies to when I lift it backwards.



What is the problem?

Eric Chadwick

I moved your thread from General Discussion to the Animation Showcase & Critiques section. You'll get more help here.

It would help to show your skeleton setup, with the skin in see-through mode (or wireframe). Also would help to show the skin weighting for the shoulder area.

I suspect you aren't using a clavicle bone, which is really needed for better deformation. It helps to study anatomy to learn how this area moves. We have some good reference and tutorials here: http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/ShoulderTopology

sandeboy

Thanks. I managed to solve it by redoing the upper body and shoulder topology. Realistic anatomy is key. I have no idea what a clavicle bone is though.

Eric Chadwick

The last image on the wiki page there, the bone between the upper-arm bone and the spine, that's a clavicle bone.

This works closer to how a real shoulder works. When you raise your arm, your humerus and scapula move upwards along with your clavicle. 

sandeboy

Okay I see.

Archanex

I agree, it looks like you're missing a clavicle bone. Despite what the anatomy books say, I'd recommend putting the joint right in the center of the "meat" of the shoulder and move it pretty far in, on most characters I end up placing the clavicle very close to the medial/lateral plane