How to DISPLAY animation BONES IN FRONT of objects in Blender

Introduction

When we are Rigging and creating animations in Blender it is useful to be able to visualize the animation bones in front of the 3D model to make it easier to select and manipulate them, in this article we will see how to make bones always appear in front of everything, regardless of whether there are other objects in front of them.

All the IMPORTANT information is summarized in the following TUTORIAL FROM MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL




We start with a 3D model and its respective Armature object (animation skeleton), as shown in figure 1 the Armature is barely visible in solid mode, so let’s switch to Wireframe mode to be able to see and select the Armature, as shown in figure 2.

3d model of a snowman in Blender with armature
Fig. 1: In the scene we have a 3D model and an Armature object that is obstructed by the object.
wireframe mode that allows you to see hidden objects in Blender
Fig. 2: In Wireframe mode you can see objects that are hidden behind other objects.

With the Armature selected we go to the properties window with the icon shown in figure 3 and in the “Viewport Display” section we check the “In Front” checkbox.

properties tab of an Armature object
Fig. 3: With the Armature selected, go to its properties tab.
option to display animation bones in front of objects in Blender
Fig. 4: In the “Viewport Display” section, check the “In Front” checkbox to display the animation bones in front of the objects.

Now the animation bones are always visible from any perspective no matter if they are inside the model or even if there are other objects in the scene in front of them, making Armature easy to use.

3d model of a snowman in Blender with armature visible on top of the 3d model
Fig. 5: The animation skeleton is now visible even if it is inside the 3D model.
3d model of a snowman in Blender with armature visible on top of the 3d model
Fig. 6: In this other view we see how the Armature is inside the model but still visible.

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