T-pose, A-pose, or freeform: choosing the right generation mode

When you generate a character in Polyx, you can pick a pose mode: t-pose, a-pose, or none (freeform). The choice seems cosmetic. It isn't.

Why pose mode matters

Pose mode affects three things downstream:

1. Auto-rig accuracy. Skeleton fitting is much cleaner on canonical poses.
2. Animation retargeting. Mixamo-compatible animation libraries assume T-pose or A-pose. Freeform characters need manual rebinding.
3. Topology cleanliness. Canonical poses produce cleaner edge flow at joints — elbows, shoulders, hips.

T-pose

Arms straight out, palms down, legs shoulder-width apart. The classic CG default since the early days of Mocap.

Use when: Maximum compatibility with off-the-shelf animation libraries. Mixamo retargets onto T-pose with the cleanest results.

Trade-off: Shoulders deform slightly worse than A-pose during overhead motions because the joint starts at maximum extension.

A-pose

Arms angled down at ~45°, more natural. Increasingly the standard in modern game pipelines (Unreal Engine 5 metahuman, Genesis 9).

Use when: You want better shoulder deformation, more natural rest pose, and don't mind a small retargeting cost.

Trade-off: Some older animation libraries assume T-pose; you may need to retarget once per source library.

Freeform / no pose

The character stays in whatever pose the prompt or reference image suggested.

Use when: The character is meant for a specific shot, not for animation. Hero pose for marketing. Statue. Static prop.

Trade-off: Auto-rig and animation libraries do not work well. Treat freeform as a static asset.

Symmetry modes

Symmetry mode decides how strictly the model enforces left-right symmetry:

• auto (default) — detects whether the prompt implies symmetry and applies it. Works for most characters.
• on — forces strict symmetry. Cleaner topology, less “character”.
• off — no symmetry constraint. Use for asymmetric subjects (one-eyed monsters, prosthetic limbs).

Recommended combos

Try it

Open /generate, expand the Advanced section, and pick a pose. The downstream rigging step gets noticeably better with the right choice.