1 Create a test scene

The first step is to create a test scene where you can preview your blend shapes in different lighting and camera angles. You can use a simple scene with a few lights, a camera, and a background, or you can import your blend shapes into an existing scene where you want to animate them. The important thing is to have a scene that matches the style and mood of your final render, so you can see how your blend shapes interact with the lighting and the environment.

2 Set up a blend shape node

The next step is to set up a blend shape node for your character mesh, where you can connect all the shapes that you want to blend. You can do this by selecting your base mesh and your target shapes, and then going to Deform > Blend Shape. This will create a blend shape node that you can access in the Attribute Editor or the Channel Box. Here, you can adjust the weights of each shape, from 0 to 1, to blend them with the base mesh. You can also rename the shapes, reorder them, or add new ones.

3 Use the Blend Shape Editor

The Blend Shape Editor is a handy window that lets you test and preview your blend shapes in real time. You can open it by going to Windows > Animation Editors > Blend Shape. Here, you can see all the blend shape nodes in your scene, and select the one that you want to work on. You can also see all the shapes connected to the node, and adjust their weights using sliders. You can also create presets, which are combinations of weights that you can save and recall later. This way, you can quickly switch between different expressions or deformations.

4 Use the Camera Sequencer

The Camera Sequencer is another useful window that lets you preview your blend shapes from different camera angles. You can open it by going to Windows > Animation Editors > Camera Sequencer. Here, you can create a sequence of shots, each with a different camera and duration. You can also import existing cameras from your scene, or create new ones. You can then play back your sequence, and see how your blend shapes look from different perspectives. You can also edit your sequence, by trimming, moving, or splitting shots, or changing their settings.

5 Use the Render View

The Render View is the final window that lets you preview your blend shapes in the same quality as your final render. You can open it by going to Windows > Rendering Editors > Render View. Here, you can render a single frame, or a batch of frames, using the renderer of your choice. You can also adjust the render settings, such as resolution, format, and quality. You can then see how your blend shapes look in the final output, with all the lighting, shading, and effects applied.

6 Use the Playblast

The Playblast is a quick way to preview your blend shapes in motion, by creating a low-quality video of your animation. You can do this by going to Windows > Playblast. Here, you can set the options for your playblast, such as the camera, the frame range, the resolution, and the format. You can then create a playblast, which will play back your animation in a new window, and save it as a video file. You can then watch your playblast, and see how your blend shapes work in your animation.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?