Tag Archives: Mesh Tutorial

Second Life Avatar UVMaps Quirks

by

0

When the current avatar was made the Lindens were optimizing for performance. This meant they took some crafty shortcuts to save download and CPU time. One of those crafty design features creates some strange behavior with the Second Life™ avatar’s UVMap and how the viewer handles it.

Gaia Clary of Machinimatrix.org has figured out what is going on and how to compensate for it.

To understand the problem and how to work around it check out the video that Gaia made.

The problem is complex. Solving it allows one to make better looking skins and system clothes. Understanding what is happening allows one to make better mesh clothes.

Drop by the SL Forum and thank Gaia for this video and figuring out how the UVMap is being maniplulated. Improve UVs for SL compatible meshes.

Obviously making mesh clothes is complex. As time has passed we have learned how complex it is. That makes for a very steep learning curve. Perhaps while the Lindens are talking about Liquid Mesh they could say a word or two about how to make things easier for new clothes makers.

 

Blender 2.68 Weight Painting Updates

by

0

Gaia Clary, operator of Machinimatrix.org and purveyor of Avastar, has a new video tutorial out showing the changes in Blender 2.68 weight painting. This video is just about the changes, not a basic weighting tutorial. It is however a must see for anyone doing weight painting. 6:29 minutes.

The addition of weight tools to the Blender Edit Mode is great. The improved vertex weight editing in the right-hand Properties panel of the 3D window, is a major help in figuring out what’s wrong with a weight painted object that is misbehaving.

You can discuss and ask questions in the SL Forum in: Blender 2.68: Weight Tools Overview. If nothing else stop by and thank Gaia and click the KUDO’s button.

Blender Measurements for Second Life

by

0

There is a good thread in the SL Forum for those that are interested in making to-scale objects with Blender. See: Getting a good measurement for SL within Blender.

Blender Units - by Aquila Kytori

Blender Units – by Aquila Kytori

Codewarrior Congrejo makes a suggestion in the thread that I use in my modeling. Put an avatar in the scene. I strongly urge furniture makers to go to the trouble to do that. I literally do not have ANY furniture that fits my avatar. Couches are ridiculous. The distance from the face of the back rest cushion to the front edge of the seat can be a couple of meters. WTH?

There are bits in the forum thread that may surprise even experienced Blender users.

Continue reading →

Second Life Quick Standard Size Modeling

by

0

I came across Sidden Munro’s video on her work flow for making the various standard sizes. Her process save slots of work. This is a 9 minute video that will save you huge amounts of time making standard sized clothes.

Starting at the 07:00 minute mark she starts showing how to export the different sizes.

She did the 5 sizes in the video in under ten minutes. I expect people can get the process down to 5 minutes or less.

Matching Skin Color – Second Life

by

0

This tutorial is intended for those people using RedPoly kits. But, anyone can learn some basic ideas on how to match skin color. Like starting with changing Windlight to eliminate extraneous color and shadows. (7:40 min)

I usually run my viewers on DEFAULT Windlight or local region settings. So, I haven’t needed to change my Windlight for some time. I had forgotten how few Windlight settings come with the new viewers: 36. The CalWL setting was not in my current viewer.

Continue reading →

Second Life Weighting Collision Bones

by

0

While we wait for the Mesh Deformer people are looking for ways to make mesh clothes fit. There are some alternate methods for making clothes that change with the avatar shape. One of those is the use of Collision Bones. Some call it Collision Volumes. We have heard that method called liquid mesh in promotional stuff. It works to a point. But, how does one use Collision Volumes?

Collision Bones/Volumes

Collision Bones/Volumes

Using the Collision Bones in the default SL avatar one can achieve some measure of sizing tied to the avatar shape. The problem is getting that information from the modeling program to Second Life™.

Continue reading →

Second Life Shape Export

by

13

I recently decided to buy Avastar-1 (RC2-782) and see if it could solve some problems I’ve run into with posing the avatar for weight painting. I’ve also had some problems getting custom mesh to fit my avatar. Tight skirts require everything be precise. Things weren’t as precise as I hoped. I was getting frustrated.

Comparing In-world with Avastar and OBJ Export

Comparing In-world with Avastar and OBJ Export

Avastar is an add-on for Blender sold by Machinimatrix.org for US$22. ($27 4/2017) I resisted purchasing it because I wanted to provide tutorials that provide a free path to accomplishing the same things. I’m in the process of updating my tutorial: Second Life Mesh Clothes Blender 2.6 Setup 2012 Tutorial. It’s almost a year old and a few things have changed.  Continue reading →

Pages: 1 2