timestamp approx 9:40ish, occasionally you'd click on suzannes bones and blender would change vertex groups to weight paint to. How are you doing it? I found that I am able to hold alt and then click on the bones that I want to paint and it would swap vertex groups for me, but I was watching your screencast keys and couldn't work out what you were doing!
Seems like Wayne is selecting the bone and each bone has a weight assigned to it and you can see the vertex group changing to reflect which weight the bones has. So it seems to be doing for you like it does for Wayne. Unless I'm not understanding the question correctly.
Just somethings to note: 1. Wayne uses right click select. So some things are different. 2. You have to have the armature selected then shift+select the mesh before you enter into weight paint mode. They may have changed it, but I believe it's Ctrl+left click to select the bone as long as you have the Armature and mesh selected when you entered weight paint mode.
***Edit***
I just looked it up. It was changed in 4.0. Officially it's Ctrl+shift+Left Mouse button, but alt+LMB works.
Dwayne is correct.
The key thing is you need to select the armature, shift select the mesh and then jump into weight paint mode.
You will then be able to select the bones with YOUR selection method.
Because I'm Right Click Select, I don't have to change anything. I just right click.
But if you are Left Click Select, you will need to press a whole bunch of modifier keys to tell Blender to select instead of paint.
This is one of the benefits of separating the action from selection in the old school Right Click Select
(how are things down there by the way? I can't quite tell because I'm up on this high horse.)
rock n roll! I have been selecting the armature and shift selecting the mesh etc etc. But yes, I guess this is just one of those things that are different based on my selection method.
I'll most likely stick to the default way while learning, but out of curiosity @waylow what are some other benefits that quickly come to mind with using right click to select?
Hah. I think you might've just convinced me - I'll start giving it a shot tonight.
Would this resolve a specific issue I was having when doing the suzanne weight painting lesson; where I would often accidentally select the widgets and instead of painting in some weights on her ear, I'd move the bone across the screen and give Suzanne an unfortunately floppy ear?
I assume this is what you mean in the article about left click (action), right click (select). Where right click could select the ear bone, and left click would add the weight paint!