Creating a pose from scratch can seem daunting, but it’s not as difficult as it might seem. This guide will walk you through my creation process using Anamnesis, and what I do to consistently get good results.
Prior knowledge of Anamnesis is not required.
Why Anamnesis?
When it comes to posing, I find that Anamnesis is the most user-friendly tool available. It works exceptionally well for creating full-body poses and makes the process highly accessible for creators who are just getting started. Of course, it ultimately comes down to personal preference, but in my experience, the only drawback to Anamnesis is that it doesn’t offer the same depth of control over facial bones as some alternatives. Still, for full-body posing, Anamnesis is a great choice.
Before getting started
- Undress your character:
Posing in their small clothes allows you to see broken bones much easier. - Get a reference:
Although we won’t aim to make a 1:1 replica of the reference, having one will make creating a pose significantly easier. - OnTopReplica:
If you don’t have a second monitor, using software such as OnTopReplica will allow you to put your reference over your FFXIV window.
Understanding Anamnesis
In order to use the posing portion of Anamnesis, you need to enter /Gpose. When in Gpose, you will want to disable motion. This will prevent your character from floating and potentially snapping back into its original position.
In Anamnesis, go to the ‘POSE’ tab. There, you will be able to enabling posing with the top left toggle switch (next to ‘Freeze Physics’). When done correctly, you will be able to select bones (circles) you wish to edit.
There are four different types of views. The main one—the GUI view shown above—is where we’ll spend most of our time. In addition, there’s the Face GUI view, which allows you to edit the facial bones; the Matrix view, which provides a text-based overview of all bones; and finally, the 3D view, which displays a three-dimensional skeleton alongside a list of all bones.