Adjusting the Sway
This guide explains how to tune the three basic parameters that determine how things sway: Damping / Stiffness / Radius. These three decide "how much it sways, how quickly it settles, and how thick it is when it collides."
This page is a tuning guide. For the full specification of each parameter (type, range, curve modulation, etc.), see Physics Parameters.
Damping — How quickly motion settles
Gradually converges the bone's motion. Higher = settles faster; lower = keeps swaying longer.
Auto-generated conceptual diagram. Actual behavior varies with parameters and environment.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Default | 0.1 |
| Typical | 0.1 – 0.3 |
| Higher | Settles faster (calm, heavy motion) |
| Lower | Keeps swaying (light, lively motion) |
Stiffness — How strongly it returns to the original pose
The force pulling back to the original animation pose. Higher = stiff (keeps the original shape); lower = soft (sways more).
Auto-generated conceptual diagram. Actual behavior varies with parameters and environment.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Default | 0.05 |
| Typical | 0.05 – 0.2 |
| Higher | Stiff (smaller sway) |
| Lower | Soft (larger sway) |
Radius — Collision thickness
Defines each bone's physical size (the radius used for collision detection). It is the "thickness" used when colliding.
Auto-generated conceptual diagram. Actual behavior varies with parameters and environment.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Default | 3.0 |
| Higher | Reacts to collisions sooner (thicker) |
| Lower | More likely to pass through (thinner) |
Tuning Recipes
First decide the overall feel with the combination of Damping and Stiffness, then add collision as needed. The table below is just a starting point.
| Part | Damping | Stiffness | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hair (long) | Low (0.1) | Low (0.05) | Soft and lively |
| Skirt | Mid (0.15) | Mid (0.1) | Keeps shape without over-swaying (+ collision) |
| Tail | Mid (0.15) | Low–Mid | Even and supple |
| Accessory (hard) | High (0.3) | High (0.2) | Settles quickly with small motion |
To vary the sway between root and tip, you can modulate each parameter with a curve. See Curve Editor for details.
Related Pages
- Basic Concepts — overview and terms
- Bone Chain Setup — specifying which bones sway
- Curve Editor — varying from root to tip
- Physics Parameters — full parameter reference