HEAT MAP skin bind (why aren't you doing this already?!)

When binding a mesh to a rig, we used to use this thing called "heat weights" to improve the default smooth bind in maya. Its a script.

However, Maya integrated this feature into 2013, so the script is no longer needed! They call it "heat map"




Simply put, is better than the default setting in every conceivable way. It creates better deformations and is far less likely to bind to unnecessary parts of the mesh.

Turn it on and BAM! you get out of the box deformations that are often pretty decent.

here are my settings for my smooth bind on my character this year:

The boxed in area is the heat maps tab.

1. I like "dual qaurternion" skinning for my character, because he is sort of skinny. The "dual quarternion" algorithm maintains volume better than the "classic linear" method. Both methods can be useful, depending on the character. 

2. Interactive weights are a must for manageable skinning after the bind.

3. Heatmap falloff is a new attribute which appears when you select heat map. It can be tweaked for varying results. I recommend keeping the value at default, or very low for crisper deformations. 

If you dont have maya 2013, I highly recommend downloading the aforementioned script. I dont use many scripts, but I found this one to be awesome and it has saved me a ton of time.