MetaBones & ParaBones

MetaBones and ParaBones

BonesPro provides two specialized sub-skin deformers: MetaBones and ParaBones.
They allow you to shape and control deformation by simulating physical volume beneath the skin—similar to how real anatomy influences surface movement.

Instead of relying only on weight painting or complex parameter tuning, you can directly add volume under the mesh and let the skin react naturally.

MetaBones / ParaBones Controls

These options define how MetaBones and ParaBones are used by the BonesPro modifier.
If your setup does not include these deformers, you can ignore this section.

• On / Off Toggle
  Enables or disables the influence of MetaBones and ParaBones on the mesh.
  When disabled, all assigned deformers are ignored.
  Shortcut: Alt + M

• Pick Objects
  Opens a dialog to manually assign MetaBones and ParaBones to the modifier.
  This allows you to use deformers that are not part of the bone hierarchy.

• Linked
  When enabled, BonesPro automatically considers all MetaBones and ParaBones that are linked to assigned bones (legacy behavior).
  Any objects added via Pick Objects are included as well.

  When disabled, link relationships are ignored, and only explicitly assigned objects are used.

• Hide / Show
  Controls the visibility of all assigned MetaBones and ParaBones in the viewport.
  Shortcut: Alt + O

The docs also mention shortcuts such as Alt+M for the overall toggle and Alt+O for show/hide behavior.

---

MetaBones

MetaBones are lightweight, spherical deformers designed for fast and intuitive setup.

They are ideal for simulating simple anatomical pressure points where bones or joints influence the surface, such as:

• elbows, knees, finger joints
• joint definition and quick deformation fixes
• basic volume preservation

By placing MetaBones beneath the mesh, you can quickly create more convincing bending behavior. The skin will automatically bulge and compress as if a real bone is pushing against it.

Using MetaBones

To use MetaBones with BonesPro, create a MetaBone from:
Create Panel → Standard Primitives → 3D-Plugins → MetaBone

A spherical MetaBone object will be added to the scene and can immediately be used to deform your mesh.

---

Setup

• You can link the MetaBone to a bone in your rig
  (recommended for character animation)

• Or keep it independent in the scene and assign it manually via Pick Objects in the BonesPro modifier

---

Placement and Behavior

Position the MetaBone relative to your mesh to control the deformation:

• Inside the mesh
  Acts as a sub-surface deformer, simulating underlying bone or structure pushing outward

• Outside the mesh
  Pushes inward, creating dents or compression effects

---

Parameters

Use the MetaBone parameters to control its influence:

• Size — defines the overall radius of the deformation
• Blend — controls how far the effect reaches
• Influence Direction — adjusts how the deformation is applied

---

MetaBones provide a fast and intuitive way to enhance deformation by directly shaping volume under the surface, without complex weight adjustments.

---

ParaBones

ParaBones extend the concept of MetaBones by allowing you to use any custom mesh as a deformer. Instead of a simple spherical shape, you can define complex forms that the skin will stretch over. This gives you full artistic control over how the surface behaves.

Typical use cases:

• simulating anatomical structures (e.g. ribcage, muscles)
• adding padding under clothing
• shaping silhouettes and stylized forms
• blocking or redirecting deformation in critical areas

Because ParaBones are fully animatable, they can also be used for dynamic and creative effects, such as:

• moving shapes under the surface
• pulsing or breathing effects
• stylized deformation or creature animation

Using ParaBones

Unlike MetaBones, ParaBones can be created from any geometry in your 3ds Max scene.

To use a ParaBone:

1. Create or select a mesh object
2. Apply the ParaBone (WSM) modifier to it

---

Setup

You can integrate the ParaBone into BonesPro in two ways:

• Linked Workflow
  Link the ParaBone object to your rig’s bone hierarchy and enable Linked in the BonesPro modifier.
  The ParaBone will be detected and used automatically.

• Manual Assignment
  Use Pick Objects in the BonesPro modifier to assign the ParaBone.
  In this case, the object does not need to be linked to the bone hierarchy.

---

Behavior

The mesh will deform by stretching over the ParaBone geometry.
This allows you to define highly specific shapes and control deformation in a very direct, visual way.

---

---

Working Principle

Both MetaBones and ParaBones are treated as physical objects beneath the skin.
During deformation, the mesh reacts by stretching and wrapping around them—similar to how real skin behaves over bones and muscles.

This allows for a more direct and visual workflow: Instead of adjusting abstract parameters, you can simply place and shape geometry to influence the final result.