Skinning

Skinning is a term used to describe several related processes in different domains. In animal processing, skinning refers to removing the skin from an animal, typically after slaughter. It is common in game processing, meat production, and the fur or leather industries. The technique and cleanliness of skinning are guided by animal welfare, food safety, and regulatory standards that vary by country and region.

In computer graphics and 3D modeling, skinning is the process of binding a deformable mesh to an underlying skeleton or rig. Each vertex of the mesh is influenced by one or more bones, with assigned weights that determine how much each bone affects that vertex. As the skeleton moves, the mesh deforms accordingly. The most common method is linear blend skinning, also known as smooth skinning, while more advanced approaches include dual quaternion skinning to preserve volume and reduce artifacts. Weight painting and envelopes are used to control how strongly each bone influences each vertex. Skinning is a core step in character animation and rigging pipelines.

In software and user interface design, skinning refers to applying a visual style or “skin” to an application to change its appearance without altering functionality. Skins define elements such as colors, textures, icons, and layout cues. Skinning is supported by many programs and platforms, enabling users to customize the look and feel of interfaces, media players, and operating system themes.

Across its uses, skinning involves transforming an underlying substrate—animal tissue, a digital mesh, or a user interface—into a different outer appearance or behavior while preserving core structure.