ngSkinTools — Tutorials
Layer-based skin-weight painting for Maya. Since Maya 2027 (March 2026) the toolset is built into Maya as Skin Tools ("integrated layer-based skinning workflow based on ngSkinTools"). Older Maya versions use the ngSkinTools 2 plugin. The concepts (layers, masks, mirror effect, smoothing) are the same in both; menu names differ.
Collected 19 September 2026. Back to Maya — Tutorials.
Official — Autodesk (Maya 2027 Skin Tools)
| Title | Type | Link |
|---|---|---|
| What's New in Maya 2027 (Skin Tools summary) | Help | https://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2027/ENU/?guid=GUID-D24D261B-4A78-47C2-918B-6EA461ADB002 |
| Skin Tools: integrated layer-based skinning workflow | Help | https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2027/ENU/Maya-WhatsNew/files/GUID-46722737-9D1C-41BA-85D0-83F7F3D13682.htm |
| Skinning Workflow Demo with ngSkinTools (now "Skin Tools" in Maya 2027) | Video | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOmRKZnyIqQ |
Official — ngSkinTools (v2)
| Title | Covers | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Tutorials index | All official videos | https://www.ngskintools.com/v2/tutorials/ |
| Layers Basics | Quick layers overview for first-time users | https://youtu.be/qC15yL_ABp8 |
| Mirroring | Mirror effect; influence and vertex mirror configuration | https://youtu.be/I6I8MVjjZws |
| Smoothing | From basic smoothing to volume smoothing | https://youtu.be/-0sac0qwE1Y |
| Interactive Joint Selection | Picking influences in the viewport | https://youtu.be/v5xi7Txv82w |
| Skinning Character Body | Full rig-and-skin workflow for a character body, start to finish | https://youtu.be/xAi6cSyAV9M |
| v2 User Guide | Install, concepts | https://www.ngskintools.com/documentation/v2/userguide/ |
| v2 What's New | Direct skinCluster operation, paint engine, non-destructive mirror layer effect | https://www.ngskintools.com/documentation/v2/userguide/version2-whats-new/ |
| v2 Getting Started (install) | Windows/Linux installers, manual setup | https://www.ngskintools.com/documentation/v2/userguide/getting-started/ |
| v2 FAQ | Troubleshooting | https://www.ngskintools.com/documentation/v2/userguide/faq/ |
| v2 API: Layers | Scripting layers in Python | https://www.ngskintools.com/documentation/v2/api/layers/ |
| Mirroring (v1 user guide, concepts still useful) | Mirror axis, influence pairing | https://www.ngskintools.com/documentation/userguide/mirroring/ |
| Autodesk App Store listing (ngSkinTools 2) | Plugin download for pre-2027 Maya | https://apps.autodesk.com/MAYA/en/Detail/HelpDoc?appId=7170586444225134622&appLang=en&os=Win64 |
Community
| Title | Provider | Type | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| ngSkinTools Skinning Tips | Rigmarole Studio | Article | https://rigmarolestudio.com/ngskintools-skinning-tips/ |
| Skinning a full character: painting, mirroring and transferring skin weights (Maya and ngSkinTools) | YouTube | Video | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu1qXBgU6sQ |
| Skinning with ngSkinTools | YouTube | Video | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCtOkZLLN5M |
| Skinning in Maya is easy! (simple process) | YouTube | Video (general Maya skinning) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQMjCm-KAis |
| Instalar NgSkinTools — Skinning Tutorial (Spanish) | YouTube | Video | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LI7Q1rBOVI |
| Reviewing all features of ngSkinTools v2 | note.com | Article (personal memo) | https://note.com/054/n/n253745c38a55?hl=en |
Local tutorial (Augmented Traveler)
- Tutorial — Skinning Garments and Props to a MetaHuman: our own step-by-step for attaching period garments and props to the MetaHuman skeleton with Skin Tools / ngSkinTools 2.
Suggested learning order
- Layers Basics → Mirroring → Smoothing (official, short).
- Skinning Character Body (official, long).
- Rigmarole Studio tips (bind settings, masks, safety layer).
- Our local tutorial on a test garment.