Rigging the spine
Rigging the spine is a relatively easy and quick affair. We’ll only encounter problems as we approach the upper chest/shoulders.
Paint a generalized area for the second bone in the spine. We already have some weight for the first bone from doing the legs. Figure 5.24 shows a rough weighted region for the second bone in the spine chain. There’s a good chance you already know what region you want to paint for this bone; however, things do become more complex further up the spine.
Figure 5.24 – The spine weight regions
Aim for your handoffs to land close to these lines, as this follows the joints of the spine. Once you have painted some rough weights, put the second bone in the spine into stress positions – forward, back, and side to side.
The side-to-side position might show clipping from the pants; that’s because the second bone shifts the geometry too far down, so you should reduce its reach and...
