Prim Tassels

[CopperCanary]

Hello,

I'm new to second life creating so I'm sorry if this question comes off as silly or uninformed, but I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to make a prim tassel (I included some pictures below). Is it possible to do this with a flexi prim and an alpha layer, or can this only be done with a mesh?

http://shop.stelladot.com/style/media/catalog/product/g/i/gitane_with_tassel_necklace_gold.jpg

http://www.tasseldepot.com/assets/images/categories/chainette.jpg

Thank you!

[Morgaine Christensen]

You should be able to do this with flexible prims and a nice tassle texture.  But, please be aware when making the tassle, if you use a prim for each strand of the tassle will add to the prim count of your total item.  Last time I used one, I think I used a scuplted tassel I purchated from SL Marketplace in order to keep the prim count down. I believe I have seen one on MP that is made of mesh as well. However, the sculpted and mesh ones will not sway or move.

You might wish to play around with cut cyclinders and flexing them....add your own texture. Here is a couple of links that might be helpful if you are not familiar with working with flexible prims.

 http://www.atomcrafts.com/Tutorials/Prim_Clothes/include/05_Making_a_Flexi_Skirt_Panel.html

http://www.mermaiddiaries.com/2007/07/day-286-creating-flexi-prims-tutorial.html

[Rolig Loon]

One of the first things to do when you are working on something like this is to step back and take a deep breath. Ask yourself how much detail you really need to provide. Is this an object that many people will zoom in on tightly?  Are they likely to spend more than a brief second looking t it?  If so, then it's worth spending time and your prim allowance on making it super-realistic.  If not, you're putting too much effiort into it and you're creating something that will just add to the rendering load for people who look at it.  Personally, I'd suggest applying a tassel texture -- maybe 128 x 256 pixels, graded to 100% alpha -- to a single conical flexi prim.

[Madelaine McMasters]

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Rolig Loon wrote:

One of the first things to do when you are working on something like this is to

step back and take a deep breath

. Ask yourself how much detail you really need to provide. Is this an object that many people will zoom in on tightly?  Are they likely to spend more than a brief second looking t it?  If so, then it's worth spending time and your prim allowance on making it super-realistic.  If not, you're putting too much effiort into it and you're creating something that will just add to the rendering load for people who look at it.  Personally, I'd suggest applying a tassel texture -- maybe 128 x 256 pixels, graded to 100% alpha -- to a single conical flexi prim.

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Rolig, you are absolutely right!

Here are a pair of prim tassels I made myself, in just a few minutes!!! They are simple alpha textures slapped on cubey prims with rotation scripts.

They spin in opposite directions, which keeps anyone from paying attention to the icky alpha texture and displays my extraordinary dancing skill!

[Rolig Loon]

And I'm guessing that most people don't spend a lot of time inspecting the tassels .......

[Amethyst Jetaime]

There are one prim sculpted tassels available on the marketplace that look nice.  The only drawback is they are stiff.  If you want the tassel to move then a flexiprim is the answer.  If you need it to be 3D rather than flat then a sphere linked to a cone that is flexi works well, if you need a cord on it that is one more prim.  You can use a thin cylinder or a torus for the cord depending on how you are attaching it and the look you want.  These textures in a variety of colors for tassels built this way work very well. I have used them with great results for years.

[Nefertiti Nefarious]

Easy ... use a sphere for the tassel top and a cylinder or conical flexi prim with a fringe texture for the part that sways. 

[CopperCanary]

Thank you so much everybody! I'm really amazed at how helpful you all are here, and I'm going to give the tassels a go as soon as I have a good chuck of time. Thanks again!