[CONTROL + J] - join body parts

center the model
set origin
[SHIFT + S]
Add Armature
[SHIFT + A]

little green running guy icon -> viewport display -> in front
to show bone through the solid mode.

flip
alt + F

select child THEN select parent (hold shift)
COMMAND + P

Forward kinematics is when you have to move each bone on a chain of bones starting from the first one, kinda like how you would imagine a whip moves or a snake.

Inverse Kinematics is when you move something at the end of the chain, and it moves bones before it, on the chain.

ALT + P
remove bone relations from others
to make the IK bones

Make Hand child of the wrist IK bone

select the IK bone, hold shift, and select the bone up the chain (lower arm)

press CONTROL + SHIFT + C
and then do Inverse Kinematics.

Then go to bone constraints ( little blue icon with bone and loop) and increase the Chain size to the number of bones before it. That is, Number of bones FROM the IK bone, not the forearm bone that you clicked in order to get to the bone constraints. (confusing) but since its blue being the first inverse kinematics, i guess thats how it makes sense.

ALT + G
ALT + R
ALT + S

Parent the wrist IK bone to the Chest.

CONTROL + R rotates the bone (twists it in its socket)

Make upperleg Child of Hip

Make ankle IK bone child of MAIN bone

extrude new bone from Knee, seperate its parent, move it out in front of the guy. go into Pose mode. Click the Constricted Yellow bone with IK. go into Pole Target, and Eydropper the target Leg bone .

note: add target to arm too.

DEF_ bones are deformation bones.
CON_ bones are control bones.

in object mode- click amerture, hold SHIFT select mesh. then YOU can change MODE to weight Paint mode.

Press "M" in edit mode to merge. this can merge vertexes that are not one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCtSviaHZ6U&t=232s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdTOfJDdzgc&list=PLdcL5aF8ZcJsN6n9YXPMwmbCuPr4G2cJK&index=5

Re-parenting the mesh to the arm. if you change arm in edit mode after you parent it to mesh, you have to RE parent it--

bendy bone?
go to
maintain volume constraint

Symmetrize. always symmetrize. only work on the left side of the guy.

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animation

To loop an animation in Blender:
Select all keyframes (A).
Press Shift + E → choose Make Cyclic (F-Modifier).

Copy your first keyframe (Shift+D or Ctrl+C in Dope Sheet).
Paste it exactly at the end frame + 1 (so the loop closes cleanly).

save animation in blender

bottom right:
click clock (timeline)
turn to dope sheet
change to action editor

change name and save - blue shield