Setting rest angles on bones

An IK solver uses the rest angle to choose how the joint bends as the goal is moved. For example, you can set the rest angle of the bones around an elbow joint to control which way the elbow bends.

When you create a bone, the rest angle is 0, 0, 0. (The actual angles are defined in the bone’s pre-transform values.)

To...	Do this
Edit the rest position of a bone	Choose Edit > Objects > Bone Kinematic Override: IK Rest. This turns off the IK goal’s control over the bone chain. The bone rotations all pop back to their rest angles. Use the tab menu to choose the Transform tool. Select the bone you want to edit, then click to finish the selection. Press R to switch to the rotate manipulator. Rotate the bone to its new rest position. Choose Edit > Objects > Kinematic Override: None to turn IK control of the bone chain back on. Now when you use the Pose tool to pose the bone chain, the joint should bend differently.
See a bone’s current angles	Press on a bone node in the network view.

To...

Do this

Edit the rest position of a bone

Choose Edit > Objects > Bone Kinematic Override: IK Rest.

This turns off the IK goal’s control over the bone chain. The bone rotations all pop back to their rest angles.
Use the tab menu to choose the Transform tool.
Select the bone you want to edit, then click to finish the selection.
Press R to switch to the rotate manipulator. Rotate the bone to its new rest position.
Choose Edit > Objects > Kinematic Override: None to turn IK control of the bone chain back on.

Now when you use the Pose tool to pose the bone chain, the joint should bend differently.

See a bone’s current angles

Press on a bone node in the network view.