How to Combine Nested Deformers Without Losing Their Effect in Harmony

Before changing connections, describe the intended result: should one control reshape another deformer, should a separate part follow a deformation point, or should several chains influence the same drawing? These require different node arrangements. The following decision table brings together the documented purposes of Harmony’s deformation tools.

Intended result	Suitable approach	What to expect
Bend a drawing broadly while retaining envelope shape controls	Deformer on Deformer Wizard	A curve-like Master Controller moves envelope points.
Attach a separate part to a deformation point	Kinematic Output	The part follows the point without receiving the upstream deformation.
Combine branches of a split deformation chain	Deformation Composite	Branch information is combined before deforming the drawing.
Combine deformation chains and free deformation points by area	Weighted Deform	Multiple inputs contribute to the drawing through a weighted deformation system.

These choices follow Toon Boom’s descriptions of the Deformer on Deformer system, Kinematic Output, Deformation Composite, and combined weighted deformation.

A useful diagnostic question is: Which points should move when I drag this control? If you expect the envelope’s points to move, follow the wizard workflow below. If you expect only an attached part to follow, use a kinematic connection. This distinction helps you judge whether an effect is missing or the rig is performing a different task.

An ordinary parent-child connection between deformation chains does not establish the same relationship as an animator moving one control cage with another. Toon Boom explains that the chains each deform the drawing, while the upper deformer does not deform the lower deformer’s points. That explains why a nested setup can produce visible distortion without providing the expected control relationship. About the Deformer On Deformer Wizard.

There is also a coordinate-system distinction behind controller-driven deformation. Toon Boom’s technical lesson explains that ordinary Bone, Game Bone, and Curve chains are created with Apply Parent Transformation enabled. Envelope points use a different relationship that makes them easier to manipulate through Master Controller widgets. This is technical context for the documented workflow, rather than a reason to toggle that attribute throughout an existing rig. Applying the Coordinates of a Master Controller Widget to Deformers.

For an illustrative character antenna, define two separate jobs: the curve controls the overall bend, and the envelope controls the silhouette. That gives you a concrete test for the combined rig: bending the curve should reposition the envelope controls, and an envelope adjustment should still provide useful local shaping.

Work in a saved copy of the scene so you can compare the existing setup with the combined version. Begin with an envelope that already deforms the intended drawing correctly. Resolve an incorrect drawing connection before adding another control system; otherwise, it becomes harder to identify which stage needs adjustment.

Follow this sequence from Harmony 25 Premium’s Using the Deformer On Deformer Wizard:

1. Create the Envelope deformer that will shape the drawing, or identify the existing envelope group you intend to use.
2. Open Windows > Toolbars > Master Controller. You can also right-click an existing toolbar and enable Master Controller.
3. Select the envelope’s group in the Node or Timeline view.
4. Click Deformer on Deformer in the Master Controller toolbar.
5. Keep the wizard dialog open. The Rigging tool activates automatically.
6. In Tool Properties, choose Curve Mode and create the curve chain for the broad movement you want.
7. Click Done in the wizard.

The order matters: create the second chain while the wizard is open. The documented procedure converts that curve into a Master Controller that moves the envelope’s points; the envelope then deforms the artwork. It is a specific curve-over-envelope construction, so do not assume it converts every arbitrary pair of existing chains or preserves pre-existing animation automatically. The manual’s procedure starts with the envelope and creates the curve during the wizard session. Using the Deformer On Deformer Wizard.

A successfully created system can appear incomplete if you display only ordinary deformers. The curve-like controls generated by the wizard belong to a Master Controller. Selecting the parent peg and using Show Selected Deformers does not display that controller. Using the Deformer On Deformer.

Select the generated controller group, click Show Master Controllers, enable the relevant controller in the dialog, and click OK. Its path ends with mc_DeformerOnDeformer. Alternatively, open the Master Controller view, select the controller, and display it there. Refresh that view if a newly created controller is absent from its list. Using the Deformer On Deformer.

Use this suggested acceptance test before adding more animation:

1. Move one curve-like controller point a small distance. Watch whether the envelope points follow.
2. Display the ordinary envelope controls and make one local silhouette adjustment.
3. Test a broader bend and inspect the drawing’s contour.
4. Return to the initial pose and compare it with the saved reference.

This sequence separates controller visibility, the relationship between controls, and the resulting artwork. A missing handle alone does not establish that the deformation stopped working.

For an existing combined or split-chain rig, inspect its Deformation Composite properties. Two settings are particularly relevant when a chain appears to stop contributing: Output Kinematic Only and Output Selected Port Only. Their documented behavior provides a direct troubleshooting path. Deformation Composite Node.

Setting	Documented behavior	What to check
Output Kinematic Only	Outputs position information without deformation	Is this connection intended to carry deformation or only attachment movement?
Output Selected Port Only	Uses the selected chain when enabled; uses all chains when disabled	Should the drawing use simultaneous influences or an alternate pose chain?
Output Kinematic Chain	Determines the selected chain through options such as Rightmost, Leftmost, or Select	Does the selected input correspond to the intended chain?

Avoid disabling chain selection indiscriminately. A rig with alternate deformation poses may intentionally select one chain at a time. If simultaneous influence is the goal, selection of only one port is worth investigating; if pose switching is the goal, that selection may be correct. The same apparent symptom can therefore require opposite changes. Deformation Composite Node.

Use Kinematic Output when a separately rigged part should follow a deformation point without inheriting the upstream distortion. In Node View, add it from the Deformation category, pull a second output connection from the deformation node you want to follow, and connect that branch through Kinematic Output to the attached part. Preserve the existing branch that deforms the original drawing. Rigging a Drawing to a Deformation Point with the Kinematic Output Node.

For an attached part with its own deformation controls, the design goal is to retain those local controls while supplying attachment movement from upstream. Test the attachment movement and local deformation separately. Kinematic Output is appropriate when the upstream deformation should stop at the attachment; it will not provide the curve-over-envelope behavior described earlier.

Use Weighted Deform when several deformation chains or free deformation points should contribute to areas of the same drawing. Connect the deformation inputs to a common Weighted Deform node. Its rightmost input is reserved for the drawing’s parent pegs; additional deformation inputs occupy ports to its left. Free deformation points use connected pegs whose pivots define their resting positions. Combining Deformation Chains and Free Deformation Points.

The influence arrangement matters. For example, Toon Boom documents that an envelope combined with free points creates a zone: points outside the envelope affect drawing areas on their side of that envelope. A limited response may therefore reflect the intended spatial arrangement rather than a missing connection. Combining Deformation Chains and Free Deformation Points.

Finish with three observable checks: each control performs its assigned job, combined movement produces the intended contour, and returning to the starting pose produces the expected shape. For the curve-over-envelope setup, inspect the wizard-generated connections if the first check fails. Toon Boom documents connections to the shared parent peg, the envelope, and a Composite used to make the controller widgets visible; it advises avoiding modifications inside the generated system. About the Deformer On Deformer Wizard.

Preserving deformation effects starts with assigning each connection a clear purpose. Use the wizard when a curve must move envelope points, Kinematic Output for attachment movement, and a suitable deformation-combining node for shared drawing influence. Then test one control at a time before evaluating the combined pose. That makes the finished rig easier to diagnose and gives you a practical basis for continuing animation.

• About the Deformer On Deformer Wizard — Harmony 25 Premium Documentation
• Using the Deformer On Deformer Wizard — Harmony 25 Premium Documentation
• Using the Deformer On Deformer — Harmony 25 Premium Documentation
• Deformation Composite Node — Harmony 25 Premium Documentation
• Rigging a Drawing to a Deformation Point with the Kinematic Output Node — Harmony 25 Premium Documentation
• Combining Deformation Chains and Free Deformation Points — Harmony 25 Premium Documentation
• Applying the Coordinates of a Master Controller Widget to Deformers — Toon Boom Learn Portal