Is there any way to 'empirically' judge the quality of a skin or shape?

[Avestal]

Obviously, price isnt always a good way to compare so i am relying on simply just switching back and forth doing visual comparisons but my eyes are starting to cross! Thanks much

[valerie Inshan]

Actually, I don't think so. It is completely suggestive. I may find a skin aboslutely gorgeous while you will find it awful. I also think that your question pertains to a discussion forum, not the Q&A section. :smileywink:

http://community.secondlife.com/t5/Your-Avatar/bd-p/YourAvatar

http://community.secondlife.com/t5/General-Discussion-Forum/bd-p/GeneralDiscussionForum

[Nyll Bergbahn]

I sympthasise with you. I've gone cross-eyed too at times trying demos. I tend to change skins at least once a year, sometimes more frequently, and I go through the same rigmarole every time, buy loads of demos (have to be free, I refuse to pay 1L for skin demos) and then drive myself crazy trying them all. I will not change my shape to suit a skin, a skin has to suit my shape (which I've had since 2006) so many demos quickly hit the trash bin as while they may look great on the models, they don't suit me. Some people are quite happy to modify their shapes to suit the skins but not me. While some creators include shapes with skins, usually they bear no resemblance to the shapes used in the posters (there are some exceptions such as e-Skins where you get exactly what it says on the tin). Mostly, the shapes are awful freebie shapes, some so downright ugly I can't understand why creators include them.

It's a good idea if you first decide what  skin tone you like, pale, peach, tan, dark tan etc then get demos of it and the skin tone each side to try as well. Trash any others in the folder so the sheer number of demo skins is less intimidating. Find somewhere private as you need to judge skins while naked. I find it best not to try half a dozen skins from different creators one after the other or I go boggle-eyed. I concentrate on just two skins to start with then eliminate the one I like least (after trying a few makeups of each skin). Then I move on to another and again eliminate the one I like least and so on.

When buying a shape, make sure it's Mod. Can cost a little extra but definitely worth it. Many shape creators will include a styling card so you can go and buy the exact skin used in the shape poster. If not, and you want that look, ask.

[Irene Muni]

1) Agree with Valerie, speacially about this is a thread for another forums.

2) Agree with Nyll, specially about don't change my human shape: skin is for MY shape.

2) To the OP:

• I assume you are asking for HUMAN skins and shapes (I do not understand what is often forgotten that SL is much more than human).
• I have not answer to your question, of course. But for me there are two "hot spots" in any skin: the ass and the lower external genitalia (in a woman skin of course, and assuming you don't use any attachment). Usually the ass has strange shadows in maaaaany skins, if you are nude or use a thong, looks like you've been sitting in the mud. About the vulva I always hesitate between two options: the polygons of the SL's avatar does not allow a correct anatomical shape OR the creator of female skins have no idea where the vulva is and they think that is where the male freenis and is united to the anus by a odd "black line" to the anus

(edited for typos, as always )

[valerie Inshan]

LOL!!! /me faints dead for laughing too much!

[Nyll Bergbahn]

lol Irene :smileyvery-happy:.

[Syo Emerald]

A good human skin.....well... *strokes her fur* Not an easy question.

For me a good skin should have a texture that doesn't look like paint. It should look realistic, but clearly like a photo painted on a skintemplate. The face is one of the most important parts it shouldn't make you look retarded or dumb :catvery-happy:

[Irene Muni]

Empirical Science

[Tamara Artis]

Lol, after more than 2 years in here I must admit I never looked there! 

[Perrie Juran]

---

Irene Muni wrote:

OR

the creator of female skins

have no

idea where

the

vulva

is and they think

that

is where the

male freenis and is united to the anus by a odd "black line" to the anus

(edited for typos, as always

)

---

I feel bad for their women if they have this problem in RL too.

Or does this explain why they are in SL?

 

[Suki Hirano]

I don't get what your question is?

Anyways here are some golden rules I use and it's worked great for the 5 years I've been in SL:

- Never buy any shapes, unless they're free AND has mod permission. Shapes are just a bunch of numbers, no I ain't going to pay someone trying to make a quick buck $500 for a bunch of numbers that I might not even like. The main reason is if you can't even make your own shape, it means you lack the patience or ability (patience more likely) to look good in SL, so why bother? A good shape is supposed to take days to make, and takes barely any talent to create because it's 99.99% subjective perception. SL is all about looking unique, if you just go and buy some shape then it's essentially the same as looking the way another person want you to look, which is absurd. As for no mod shapes they are just complete fail. Shapes without demos are even more complete fails. Yes we all have some kind of telepathic ability to project the shape onto our own avatars and see what it looks like

- Never buy any static poses, unless they're really cheap like 0-20L. Reason? Because all the static poses you'll ever need are free. Unless you haven't went shopping or read any SL blogs in years, you'll know how many stores offer free static poses. Static poses are ridiculously easy to make, and are only worth the 10L upload fee they have, because it literally takes 1-2 minutes to make a static poses from scratch, maybe less. Spend half an hour watching QAvimator tutorial on youtube and you can start making your own static poses. Have you noticed how all the stores selling static poses make their ad look really good? Beautiful backgrounds, awesome windlight settings, etc etc. That's because they actually spent more time photoshopping the ad than making the poses themselves, hoping to get people to think "omg what a beautiful ad, I must get this". I've seen some stores selling a single static pose for 250L, and I just had to laugh at what kind of sucker would pay that much for an item the creator probably spent 1-2 minutes working on

- Get all the demos you want from the store, try them all out first, delete the ones you don't like, and then go buy the ones you like. Do not "buy as you try". Why? Because stores are known to place very similar clothing very far apart from each other hoping you'd buy duplicates

 

[Clarissa Lowell]

---

Suki Hirano wrote:

I don't get what your question is?

Anyways here are some golden rules I use and it's worked great for the 5 years I've been in SL:

-

Never buy any shapes

,

unless they're free AND has mod permission

. Shapes are just a bunch of numbers, no I ain't going to pay someone trying to make a quick buck $500 for a bunch of numbers that I might not even like. The main reason is if you can't even make your own shape, it means you lack the patience or ability (patience more likely) to look good in SL, so why bother? A good shape is supposed to take days to make, and takes barely any talent to create because it's 99.99% subjective perception. SL is all about looking unique, if you just go and buy some shape then it's essentially the same as looking the way

another person want you to look

, which is absurd. As for no mod shapes they are just complete fail. Shapes without demos are even more complete fails. Yes we all have some kind of telepathic ability to project the shape onto our own avatars and see what it looks like

 

---

How can you "buy" a free shape? 

It's great that freebies are there for people who really need them, or who are starting out. But this mentality of no one should pay for something is so anti creator. Is it possible to simply encourage someone to learn how to do something or to use their own creativity without dismissing other people's creations? 

If someone chooses a shape then they are choosing how to look. Not the creator of that shape. No more so than someone who makes hair, or clothes is deciding how someone else ought to look. 

The reason some shapes are no modify, especially free shapes, is because people regularly steal the numbers otherwise. But people who say shapes are worth nothing and anyone can do it somehow can never bother to make their own! They just steal other people's creations because after all it doesn't matter, right? How hypocritical. You can't have it both ways. If you must insist a shape should only be available for free, then don't also insult the people who are providing them! What is their incentive? 

I spent months and months making shapes for other people to use for free. Some appreciated them. Some stole them. But what hurt the most is when I read people saying it is the occupation of the talentless. Up yours, buddy!

 

[Ailya Babii]

Hi Avestal,

Not sure if i got your question right, but what i do when i want to quickly switch between skins in order to compare, is going in "edit appearance" mode. I keep my inventory open and double-click on the skins i want to try, one by one. It appears the skins (textures) rez faster when i'm in "edit appearance" mode. Also your avatar is sort of frozen when in "edit appearance" mode, so you can just keep your camera pointing on the area (face, body, etc) which you want to inspect.