Educate me on the types of looks/avatars please...

[Sass Piggins]

Ok, so I'm a noob. I've noticed terms like Lola, doll, slink, etc used to describe types of clothing? Could someone explain these categories to me so I have an easier time shopping? My avi is a petite sexy woman who likes to look adorable, so those are the types of looks I'm looking for. Any and all advice and information is welcome. Thank you!

[Syo Emerald]

Slink and Lola are names of shops/brands. Both sell very popular attachments for avatars that replace certain bodyparts, which aren't so pretty on the original avatar.

Slink for example sells mesh hands and feets and even a complete body. Lolas refer to a brand of mesh breasts that give a rounder shape than what the sliders of the normal avatar body will give you.

[Freya Mokusei]

There are thousands if not infinite looks available in Second Life.

To address the ones you list:-

• Lola's/Tango's - A type of mesh cleavage enhancer. I think Lola's is the brand, Tango is the product name.
• Slink - A brand that primarily sells shoes and feet, also mesh feet which are used as fill-ins for the avatar feet in certain styles.
• Doll - Not sure about this one, might need some context. There's lots of types of dolls from BJD (Ball Jointed Doll) to Rubberdoll (Rubber fetish dollsuit). Many dolls are of the 'wind-up' variety (i.e., exposed keys for winding).

You can also find some such as:-

• WowMeh - Mesh bodies
• Phat A / Luck Inc. - Mesh butts
• Petites - Miniature avatars! Think Smurfs, but flesh coloured.
• Anime Heads - square mesh heads with big eyes, following on from the popular stylised looks in Anime/Manga.

The list just goes on forever. This is only a small sample of somewhat 'current' looks, but it's by no-means complete. Your best option is to explore looks for yourself, or find somewhere to watch people come and go. You'll find one(s) that stick out to you in time.

If dolls/cuteness are your thing, you might well find some like-minded styles at The Doll Works.

[Amethyst Jetaime]

When looking at clothes no doubt you'll see the term appliers used.  The purpose of an applier is to match popular mesh parts or bodies with the clothes by means of applying a texture to them.

Slink feet are very popular now because many skin creators make what are called appliers for them, as well as Slink hands.  This allows them to match with your avatar's body perfectly.  You also can get appliers to use for stockings and nail polish for them.  Other shoes are available that include feet, some brands give you the feet and shoes separately other brands are of one piece.  All mesh feet generally come with a HUD that you can use to color the feet to match your skin.  Depending on the brand some folks find this difficult which is why Slink are so popular.  You get a skin applier for them then can buy many brands of shoes to fit them, thus avoiding having to match you feet for each pair of shoes.

Lola's are breasts and Phat Azz are butts, usually exaggerated and oversized, that require appliers too.  Some skin makers make appliers others don't and you have to match the color through a HUD yourself.  You also need appliers for any clothing you wear if you wear either.  Appliers either come with the clothes or can be bought separately for additional L's.  Not all clothing brands have appliers.   While both are popular not everyone cares to have oversized parts, so its just a matter of taste if you get them or not.

[Bobbie Faulds]

Slink started with mesh replacements for the paddles that the SL avi has for feet. They come in 3 heights, flat, medium and high. Many shoe makers cater to these as it makes life easier for them so they can make shoes that will have pretty feet rather than trying to make their own feet replacements. The Slink hands come in 12 static position and have a much better look and don't do the weird positions that the default SL hands do. Both have nails that can use appliers for different polish.

Slink has also come out with a mesh body. It's an overlay for the default SL avi that corrects many of the faults of the SL default avi, especially around the breasts, ass, elbows and calves.

Bothe the hands and the body require what are termed appliers. They change the mesh much like wearing a skin changes the SL default avi skin appearance. Most of the major skin makers have the appliers either for free or for a small extra charge.

Wowmeh was another mesh body that is no longer available in SL. Lena is also a mesh body that works the same way the Slink does. Both are fitted mesh, so will respond, somewhat, to the sliders so you won't have exaggerated parts unless you want them.

Lola is a brand that has 3 mesh breasts. There are also a myriad of other breast out there, the most popular being Lush and V-string. All require appliers as well. Not really needed unless you want large breasts.

Ghetto, Brazillia, Banned, etc are mesh butts with legs down to about the ankle. Only needed if you want a bit more "junk in the trunk." Ghetto is currently not availabe. All also require appliers for skin matching.

All, except for the hands and feet, do require appliers for your clothing layers. These use a hud that applies the textures that are used in the clothing. If you want stockings or gloves and use the Slink, you wlll need to look for ones that have the appliers.

There is The Mesh Project system of attachements as well. Their system is more proprietory so finding appliers for them is more limited.

The Slink body will allow you to wear most standard mesh clothing since it is more like a "glove" that is slipped over the default avi. It also has a hud, as do most of the others, that provide the alpha layers to be able to wear some mesh.

Most have demos so I'd say...grab demos, try and see if any are for you. They aren't for everyone. I would definitely suggest the Slink hands and feet starting with the mid foot and casual or elegant hand positions. The high foot is more for stilettos so if you wear a lot of those, then the high rather than the mid. Both have a lot of shoes available. For an idea, head over to Slink West and look around. Most of the designers that do work compatible for the Slink have a satellite store there.

Good luck and have fun.

[Pussycat Catnap]

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Freya Mokusei wrote:

There are thousands if not infinite looks available in Second Life.

To address the ones you list:-

• Lola's/Tango's
   - A type of mesh cleavage enhancer. I think Lola's is the brand, Tango is the product name.

You can also find some such as:-

• WowMeh
  - Mesh bodies
• Phat A / Luck Inc.
   - Mesh butts

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Lola's is the brand. Tango is the old outdated product - replaced by Delaq / deliq / de-something... The Tango is a vastly inferior product to almost anything currently on the market... whereas the Delaq is probably the smoothest fitting item on the market at present, and most natural looking. Delaq was a huge leap forward, basically leaping over the competition and then some.

WowMeh and Phat have both left SL. Phat... may or may not be back someyear. WowMeh, is gone.

WowMeh was pulled for allegedly violating someone's copyright when they came out with a highly detailed full mesh human figure - the hardest thing to model in 3D modeling - as their very first 3D model. They admitted parts were taken, but from places they had paid for the rights to use from, meaning it was not a copyright violation, but a licensing. They came back, and the new now original product that was again... a full 3D model of the hardest thing in 3D to learn how to make, as a person's first and sole 3D model... was again pulled for the same reasons.

That said... one can view a wireframe of the model. It reminds me of some old 3D human figures from the early 00's, but I haven't found the 'identical source mesh' that would prove it was stolen. Yet it has a vertex count that reveals it is a model made for 3D art rather than for real-time animation (it is highly detailed to the point of being a likely source of lag).

 

Phat A... unknown story. Pulled also for an allegation of copyright... or just because the creator decided to pull it. I've not seen any definative statement either way.

 

BOTH of these products have since had a number of other competitors enter the space they left.

But they're both gone... so it does a bit of a disservice to point 'newbies' at them.

For Phat A... I'd recommend looking to U L U C K I E - as the closest equivalent. For WowMeh, I have been told none of the new offerings come close to being as good... but I also don't follow that market enough to know if something has shown up in the last month or so.

 

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Bobbie Faulds wrote:

 

Lola is a brand that has 3 mesh breasts. There are also a myriad of other breast out there, the most popular being Lush and V-string. All require appliers as well. Not really needed unless you want large breasts.

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Several of the current top items on the market are specifically made for the smaller chested look.

Lola's Delaq and Tatas specifically. One of the V-String items as well, and Gummlies, Cherry-Bombs, and a few others seem to work well in a small setting.

[Pussycat Catnap]

Yep, looks like Ulukie was also DMCA'd.

Someone is very determined to keep these kinds of products out of SL.

With them gone, all of the options remaining have hyper-cartoonish unrealistic looks. And one of them is probably the vindictive person trying to limit people's options...

 

[Bobbie Faulds]

Ursula is fighting the DMCA last I heard since it delayed the release of her mesh body. I'm looking forward to both coming back, not because I use them but because she had the options so you could look full-figured and not cartoon hippy.

[Sass Piggins]

Thank you all for helping me.  I've learned so much...thanks.

[Pussycat Catnap]

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Bobbie Faulds wrote:

Ursula is fighting the DMCA last I heard since it delayed the release of her mesh body. I'm looking forward to both coming back, not because I use them but because she had the options so you could look full-figured and not cartoon hippy.

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Yeah I hope one of these people successfully fights one of these DMCAs.

I also hope they name and shame... I'm getting sick of seeing every new development in mesh bodies get DMCA'd off the grid by... somebody...

Is this somebody who fears competition?

Is it some outside 3D developer who is being mass ripped off over and over again?

Is it somebody who just doesn't like this kind of product?

What is going on... why does it keep happening?

 

I want to see the names come out... so we can know who's legit here, and why this keeps happening.

 

[Conifer Dada]

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Pussycat Catnap wrote:  . . . . . . . . .. 

 

With them gone, all of the options remaining have hyper-cartoonish unrealistic looks. And one of them is probably the vindictive person trying to limit people's options...

 

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The irony as is that most of the full-mesh humans I see in SL are more cartoony than ordianary 'system' avatars.  The mesh avatars might have smoother surfaces and better joint flexing, but all that is somewhat lost on an avatar with bizzarre proportions.

[Bobbie Faulds]

There are those that do push the proportions boundary. Some of us, however, keep it real...grins. I'm with you, though about the players that have hips so wide you could balance a tray on them, tiny waists then breast so big you can't see their heads from the front....rolls her eyes. But...this is SL so to each their own.

[serotica]

Here's what I don't quite understand. If one purchases a rigged mesh body (TMP Deluxe) and therefore, by default its shape, why is it that it still uses your previous shape/skin/physics as well? 

Would I need to purchase other shapes, skins and/or appliers to change that? Like Phat Azz and Lola's for butts and breasts?

I know one can use the sliders too but I'm amazed that on purchasing a 5000L body one should even be contemplating, or have to use the sliders afterwards.

 

[Bobbie Faulds]

It's a fitted mesh item so is sensitive to the sliders so is a bit more customizable. Think of it as a glove that fits over your shape. As for skin, just like the other mesh parts, there are skin makers that are making appliers to apply the texture of their skins to the mesh bodies. While most are similar from the neck down other than tone, the faces are different so you may want different skins since, unless you also get a mesh head, from the neck up is your shape.

[serotica]

Thanks Bobbie :smileywink:

Starting to get to grips with it now. 

[Coby Foden]

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serotica wrote:

Here's what I don't quite understand. If one purchases a rigged mesh body (TMP Deluxe) and therefore, by default its shape, why is it that it still uses your previous shape/skin/physics as well? 

Would I need to purchase other shapes, skins and/or appliers to change that? Like Phat Azz and Lola's for butts and breasts?

I know one can use the sliders too but I'm amazed that on purchasing a 5000L body one should even be contemplating, or have to use the sliders afterwards.

 

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Some basic definitions:

1. Avatar's default shape

• This is the avatar's body shape. It cannot be removed, every avatar will always wear this shape. With the appearance sliders we will be able to change and customize this shape. There are hundreds even thousands of skins available what can be worn on this default shape. This shape can be hidden from view by an alpha mask (but even if hidden from view it is still worn).

2. Mesh body

• Mesh bodies are created outside from SL with 3D design programs. Mesh bodies can be imported to SL and they can worn by the avatars. Mesh bodies don't replace avatars default shape, the avatar shape is still worn, it is just hidden from view by an alpha mask; thus we will see only the imported mesh body. The appearance of rigged Fitted Mesh bodies can be changed with the avatar appearance sliders. Only thing what cannot be changed are the facial features (it's a limitation of the Fitted Mesh). Therefore many mesh bodies have a headless option, so we can wear the mesh body and show the avatar shape head, which can be adjusted with the appearance sliders.

 

If you are wearing a mesh body you don't need to buy any additional shapes. You can wear any shape what you might have in your inventory. It should be modifiable, else you cannot adjust the mesh body in any way because non-modifiable shape locks the appearance sliders.

It's a good thing that we actually can adjust the mesh bodies. If we couldn't then every avatar wearing the same body would look the same; there would be lots of clones in SL.

[Persephone Emerald]

Since you're new & because of all the changes going on now in which types of mesh bodies & body parts are available, I suggest not spending too much money on any of them just yet. Get the free demos for each brand & try them to see what they look like.

The first mesh bodies I got were for small mesh avatars - Minikin, Yabusaka Petite, & Little me. Minikin was a free avatar, but creators didn't have the option of making their own avatars with this mesh model & few creators made clothing for it. You can hardly find any clothing for Minikin bodies now. Little me also doesn't allow other creators to make bodies based on it's models & few creators make clothes for this one. Yabusaka, however, lets other creators make bodies based on it's model & gives away mesh forms for people to use for making clothing. This brand has now become the most popular small mesh avatar.

The feet, hands & breasts on the default avatar shapes have long been problematic, so mesh replacements for these parts were some of the first made. Full-body meshes, with or without heads then followed. Most mesh bodies don't respond to changes you can make with the body adjustment sliders, but TheMeshProject body does, so you can adjust the size & shape of your avatar to be pretty much exactly as you'd like it to be. Because the breasts respond to the basic body sliders, they also respond to avatar physics, meaning your breasts & ass can jiggle when you move.

My guess is that fitted mesh will replace standard mesh as the most popular type of mesh clothing & bodies, but right now it's harder to find fitted mesh & not all viewers will show it correctly. If you want to try a fitted mesh body, TheMeshProject has a free version with limited options. You won't be able to use most clothing with this one, so consider it a demo. If you decide to get one of their bodies with more options, remember that they're still in beta & therefore have a few problems & glitches. Customer service is not very good with them yet either. The Basic & Deluxe models can wear most mesh clothing & applier-type clothing sold for this brand of body. The Basic & Deluxe models include an alpha layer HUD that can hide specific bits of the mesh body to make it workable with standard mesh clothing, but fitted mesh clothing still works best. - Regular system layer clothing will never work with a mesh body, because your standard body has to be hidden with an alpha layer (as if it were beneath the mesh one).

Whatever you do, customizing your body with mesh options requires buying specific kinds of clothing to fit it. This might mean spending more or having the style of body/body part you buy go out of style. Don't spend too much too quickly, just in case this could happen. If you like how your avatar looks, that's what's important, but don't spend a bunch of money & then regret it later.

I didn't buy Slink hands or feet. I got some inexpensive mesh feet instead that don't have shoes made to fit them. Then I got this fitted mesh body & love it so far, despite the glitches & problems. Now I don't wear the mesh feet, because I have perfect feet, hands, breasts & ass all in one body. The skin choices are limited though, so the skin is not as detailed as many regular skins are & doesn't perfectly match my head. In the future, I expect more skin makers will create appliers for their skins, just as a few clothing designers are making appliers for clothing layers.

[Pussycat Catnap]

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Persephone Emerald wrote:

 

My guess is that fitted mesh will replace standard mesh as the most popular type of mesh clothing & bodies

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Not if so many of them keep getting DMCA'd off the grid...

Its gotten to the point of absurdity with how often the stuff gets zapped. Granted many of them also look 'peculiar' coming from sellers that seem to show up with their first ever mesh product being one of the hardest things to model in 3D...

- So its equally suspicious on both sides... Who are these product makers... but who is so determined to prevent fitted mesh from taking off by DMCAing all of it?

Names on both sides need to start coming out...

 

All current viewers will show fitted mesh properly. But some people don't stay up to date with the updates for their viewer of choice.