Object, Edit, and Pose Modes

The modes for working with armatures are different than for other objects. It’s important that you understand what you can do in each one of the modes.

Object Mode: The full rig is inside the armature object, so in Object Mode you can move it around, rotate it, or scale it to change the size of your character. Because the rig is inside the armature, the scale of the object won’t affect or cause problems to the armature’s contents (the bones).

Edit Mode: In Edit Mode, you have access to the bones. You can build your character’s skeleton and create parenting to define hierarchies in this mode. The position of bones in Edit Mode will become the default rest pose of the bones in Object and Pose Modes.

Pose Mode: Once the hierarchy and the bones are in place in Edit Mode, you should go to Pose Mode to add constraints to the bones and, finally, to move everything around and pose your character to create its animation.

To summarize, in Object Mode you don’t have access to the individual bones or controls; you can only transform the rig as a whole. In Edit Mode, you can modify the bones’ positions, size, and orientation to fit your character, and you can also define the bones’ hierarchy. Finally, in Pose Mode, you take the skeleton and add constraints to it so it works as you expect and then you pose it. While you’re setting up the rig, you’ll move frequently between Edit Mode and Pose Mode to create and adjust bones while you add and modify their constraints.

When you’re in Pose Mode, selected bones will be shown in blue as a reminder that you’re in that specific mode. While you’re in Edit or Object Mode, the selections color scheme is consistent with other Blender object types.