Gianna Borgnine’s Metareality Podcast covers information on the Mesh Deformer. Since Karl Stiefvater (RL) or Qarl Fizz (SL) and formerly Qarl Linden is the maker of the Mesh Defomer, this is some of the best information we are going to get. The discussion on the Deformer is the first thing up.
As always I am paraphrasing my take on what was said. I try to get it right. But, listen if you are into the nuances. See… er… hear: Alternate Bases.
01:30 Mesh Deformer Discussion starts.
Basic discussion and thinking in the community is that mesh clothes will have to be built to the Default Avatar. Some people consider that the Ruth/Roth avatar. But, there are a number of shapes that people consider the Ruth/Roth shape. It gets confusing. See Deconfusing to sort it out.
02:48 Karl explains that the best shape is the Default Shape. The default shape is what one gets when they create a new shape in the Appearance Editor. Creating a new shape makes a shape that is the Default Shape. Provided you make no changes to any of the sliders, this is the shape the Deformer bases its calculations on.
03:00 Standard Size – Texture Stretch – Compensating for size. Qarl explains that the closer the final shape is to the beginning shape, the better things will look. If one designs for the Default Shape and the user turns the body fat all the way up, a shirt texture will stretch and look bad. If the Deformer were to base calculation on different size base models, designers could design for the various sizes and make things look good.
04:00 – The Fight: The sides are: The Standard Sizers and the Anti-Sizers or Deformer Only peeps. Gianna is one like many of us that are in the middle. The Std Sizes don’t work for us, but having nothing to clue on fit doesn’t work either. Plus needing things made closer to our sizes to prevent texture distortion would be nice.
07:10 – Conversion: The Sizers are looking to find a way to convert existing mesh items to Deformer enabled mesh. The drama playing out in the JIRA and Plurk is silly but there are important points being made. Gianna summarizes in the audio.
Suffice to say The argument is about having multiple base shapes from which the Deformer can work. So, rather than having petites and giants clothes deformed from the same base mesh and living with all the texture distortion we would have a set of standard sizes that are alternate base shapes from which the Deformer can start. So, we would have a petite shape as one of the standard sizes from which the Deformer could start. This would mean we only need to get something close to our size then the Deformer would handle the rest. I would not have to change my shape to fit into clothes. It would be a bit like shopping in children, teens, or adults section of a RL store.
I and several others, Gianna and Qarl included, think this will be the ideal solution.
08:30 – Do It Now – If we do not get the multiple base shapes added into the system now, we are unlikely to ever get it. So, visit the JIRA and add your support (STORM-1716). Of course I want you to add a voice on my side, but you are free to voice your opinion… however wrong you are. :p
09:30 – Qarl responds. The Deformer is not perfect. What Emma/Elie wants is the Deformer with an extension. Qarl suggest we call the extension Alternate Base Shapes. He does not understand the rage and drama that has built up around Emma/Elie’s suggestion for the Alternate Base Shapes Extension (ABSE).
11:20 – Making the Deformer too good will discourage any work by Linden Lab on Avatar 2.0. Gianna wonders what happens if we do not get the ABSE and are stuck with Avatar 1.0? That would suck.
From talking with Lindens, I personally know the ones I’ve spoken with are VERY resistant to the idea of changing the avatar. So, I think that is very unlikely whether we have a perfect Deformer or no Deformer.
Qarl does not see the strategy of avoiding ABSE to get Avatar 2.0 as a good strategy.
12:00 – Other Aspect: Linden Lab is struggling internally to decide what base shape they want to use. The Default Shape may not be the best choice in the Lab’s thinking. So, how does one pick a better base shape? Would a less curvy shape work better? Since the Lab apparently has no system or objective criteria in place for making a decision, it will be hard for them to come to an objective or optimal decision. Qarl feels that put s the project at risk… or at least the form of project.
13:00 – ABSE can fix the indecision. If we have ABSE, then whatever base the Lab decides on can be added later. Otherwise, I suppose the indecision could hold things up. It would also remove the possibility of being stuck with a bad decision. Qarl likes the option because it takes care of two problems, one of which could destroy the project.
14:14 – Cathy Foil chimes in.
15:15 – Another suggestion, Deformer Underwear. Qarl thinks it clever, but too late. Listen to the audio for an explanation of what it is.
18:30 – Putting out Demos – Gianna is clarifying her statement that mesh stuff has to have a demo available before she’ll buy it. But not all mesh things need a demo. Jewelry does not need a demo if it is not rigged to the avatar. Only things rigged to the avatar need a demo, not all mesh.
20:00 – There is drama about a skin maker copying another’s skins… again? One skin designers stuff was removed, gone from stores but still in people’s inventory. DMCA requires Linden Lab to remove things for 10 days while the process proceeds.
The controversy here is that just filing forces the process to start. No proof is needed. The accuser has done several things that seem to indicate there is spoofing going on. If that is the case, then this would be an example of the DMCA being abused.
27:00 – Jay Leno DMCA – People losing more of their freedom and being abused by the unscrupulous.
32:00 – Cathy talks about how full perm things hurts SL businesses.
37:00 – Cathy on IMVU content. Derivatives selling in IMVU encourages creativity.
The idea behind derivatives is about creating some you sell for L$300. You can set the permissions so that people can make derivative works. So, they might add a bow it and sell it for L$400. In that case they would get $100 and you would get L$300.
40:00 – Market Place Killing Off In-World Businesses. Long discussion on whether the MP is or is not hurting in-world business.
45:15 – Big Linden meet up. Speculation.
48:00 – Cathy asks about which files have the correct avatar shape. See: Second Life Mesh Clothes Blender 2.6 Setup 2012 Tutorial, specifically see Page 2.
50:00 – Gianna’s encouragement to get involved in the Mesh deformer debate in JIRA STORM-1716.
Summary
People are still confused about how the Deformer works and which files and/or shape to use for it. I’ll probably do another article on the deformer. I’ll read through the JIRA so I know what those people are on about.
But our best choice for the best result is the hybrid Deformer that uses Alternate Base Shapes. That way we can way buff males and females with the QQQQ bust size that can find clothes that fit. That will also work for the petites.
re. Mesh Deformer: Get it done and adopted asap, I am one of many not buying mesh clothes without it.
re. Marketplace: I have come to the conclusion the problem is with the way LL structures the pricing:
1- A one-time Listing Fee, maybe L$100.
2- A delivery fee in addition to the listed price charged to the buyer.
3- In world Marketplace based vendors that do not charge the delivery fee.
This would encourage in world stores and discourage junk listings. Perhaps there would need to be an exception with some rules for freebees.