In computer animation, a T-pose is a default posing for a humanoid 3D model's skeleton before it is animated.[1] It is called so because of its shape: the straight legs and arms of a humanoid model combine to form a capital letter T. When the arms are angled downwards, the pose is sometimes referred to as an A-pose instead. Likewise, if the arms are angled upward, it is called a Y-pose. Generic terms encompassing all these (especially for non-humanoid models) include bind pose, blind pose, and reference pose.
Usage
The T-pose is primarily used as the default armature pose for skeletal animation in 3D software, which is then manipulated to create animation. The purpose of the T-pose relates to the important elements of the body being axis-aligned, thereby making it easier to rig the model for animation, physics, and other controls. Depending on the exact geometry of the model, other poses such as the A-pose may be more suitable for vertex deformation around areas such as the shoulders.
Outside of being default poses in animation software, T-poses are typically used as placeholders for animation not yet completed, particularly in 3D animated video games.[2] In some motion capture software, a T-pose must be assumed by the actor in the motion capture suit before motion capturing can begin.[3] There are other poses used, but the T-pose is the most common one.
As an Internet meme
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Starting in 2016 and resurfacing in 2017, the T-pose has become a widespread Internet meme due to its bizarre and somewhat comedic appearance, especially in video game glitches where a character's animation is unexpectedly supplanted by a T-pose.[4][5]
In a prerelease video of the game NBA Elite 11, the demo was filled with glitches, notably one unintentionally showing a T-pose in place of the proper animation for the model of player Andrew Bynum. The glitch later gained fame as the "Jesus Bynum glitch".[6][7] Publisher EA eventually cancelled the game as they found it unsatisfactory. A similar occurrence happened with Cyberpunk 2077.[8]
In the 2023 Formula One season, driver George Russell performed a T-pose in the opening credits of the series' TV broadcasts.[9] This quickly became a meme within the motorsports community. Russell repeated the pose after claiming pole position at the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix[10] and winning the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix.[11]
See also
- Vitruvian Man, a diagram by Leonardo da Vinci with the figure of a man making a T and a jack
References
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