T-Pose vs A-Pose
Neutral poses for modeling and rigging
Also known as: T pose · A pose · Bind pose character · Character neutral pose · A-pose rigging · T-pose Mixamo
Definition
A T-pose has the arms stretched straight out to the sides, and an A-pose has them lowered about 45 degrees, forming an A shape. Both are neutral poses used to model, rig and skin characters, because they keep the limbs apart and make it easy to weight and mirror. The T-pose is the traditional choice and is required by some tools, such as Mixamo and some retargeting setups, while the A-pose is closer to a natural stance and reduces shoulder deformation problems.
In production
Check which pose your pipeline expects: some engines' standard skeletons use an A-pose, while auto-riggers often need a T-pose. Keep the arms, legs and fingers symmetrical and relaxed, with slightly bent elbows and knees for rigging. Build the sculpt, the model and the rig in the same pose, and keep a copy of the neutral pose to reset to. A mismatched pose makes retargeting and weights harder.
Learn T-Pose vs A-Pose in
Tools that use T-Pose vs A-Pose
See also
Bind Pose
The neutral pose a mesh is skinned in
Avatar (Humanoid Rig)
Unity's bone mapping for humanoid animation
Mixamo Upload Problems
Auto-rigger fails or the character looks wrong
Character Deforms Badly at Joints
Pinching, collapsing or spiking at elbows, shoulders and knees
Animation Retargeting
Transferring animation between skeletons
Model Sheet and Turnaround
Orthographic views of a character or prop