Reset Bone Pose to Rest Position in Blender

Resetting a bone or an entire armature to its rest position in Blender is a fundamental task in 3D animation and rigging. This guide provides the exact keyboard shortcuts and menu options needed to quickly clear location, rotation, and scale transforms in Pose Mode, returning your character or rig back to its original default state.

How to Clear Bone Transforms in Pose Mode

To return bones to their default rest position, you must clear their transform data while in Pose Mode.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Select your armature object and switch to Pose Mode (press Ctrl + Tab or use the mode drop-down menu in the top-left corner).
  2. Select the bone(s) you want to reset:
    • Click an individual bone to select it.
    • Press A to select all bones in the rig.
  3. Use the keyboard shortcuts to clear specific transform channels:
    • Clear Location: Press Alt + G
    • Clear Rotation: Press Alt + R
    • Clear Scale: Press Alt + S

To completely clear all transforms at once, press Alt + G, Alt + R, and Alt + S in sequence while the bones are selected.

Alternative Method: Using the Pose Menu

If you prefer using the graphical interface instead of hotkeys:

  1. Select the bones you wish to reset in Pose Mode.
  2. Click Pose in the top viewport menu bar.
  3. Navigate to Clear Transform.
  4. Choose All, Location, Rotation, or Scale.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

  • Bones do not move when clearing transforms: Ensure you are in Pose Mode and not Object Mode or Edit Mode.
  • Rig transforms incorrectly in Object Mode: If the whole armature object has been moved or rotated, switch to Object Mode, select the armature, and press Alt + G, Alt + R, and Alt + S to reset the object-level transformations.
  • Want to set a new rest position? If you want the current pose to become the permanent rest position, go to Pose Mode, select all bones, navigate to Apply > Apply Pose as Rest Pose (or press Ctrl + A and select "Apply Pose as Rest Pose").