Yep...So I'm going to need some help. : )

[Jagdish Indiawood]

Hello there passerby,

So I've recently begun trying to create my own clothing in sl after hearing that it isn't a terribly difficult process (depending upon what it is you want to create.) Well I seem to be having quite the opposite experience and having a time figuring things out. 
I have taken a look at the forum posts regarding this subject and googled a few things as well - but I'm still lost. Most of the tutorials I've come across so far use language that is a little confusing and talk as if the user is already fairly familiar - either that or the tutorial refers to a specific version of programs and plug-ins and the like.

I was hoping that someone could point me in the right direction of a very simple to use/beginners tutorial for making garments and the basics of sculpting. I've have Gimp and Blender and I am a Mac user.

If there's a "How to make clothes in SL for dummies" site point me in that direction!

Thanks in advance!

[Sephina Frostbite]

I hope you find what you need. I too went through that. I am posting so I can easily follow up and see what people say. Good luck hun!

[Amethyst Jetaime]

Its true that making clothes is not terribly difficult process IF you already know how to build well,  use Gimp to make detailed textures and model in Blender as well as have art and design talent. 

If you don't know how to build and texture you need to start there as you will need those skills first to understand a lot of what comes after. 

If you don't already have experience with the two software programs you need to look up some general tutors on Google and learn how to use them. Search the Mesh forum for recommendations on Blender Tutors because Blender also does a lot of things you don't need to learn just to make mesh clothes.

Once you are familiar with building and how to use these two programs then you can learn to make clothing.

Start here: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Clothing_Tutorials

You will find a lot of information, templates, and links on that site.  The creation forums are very helpful too.  You can ask specific questions here.

Classes on building, Gimp, Blender, system clothes and mesh are also available in world at various teaching facilities.  Use search to find the places that teach these things and times and dates.  Some places you need to go to and join their group to be notified of classes or go to and obtain a schedule.

[Rolig Loon]

There's plenty of clothing you can make in SL without mesh.  After all, mesh is a fairly new arrival on the SL scene.  We were making clothing for many years before even sculpties became possible.  You can't make clothing without being a good texture artist, however.  All the details of drawing buttons, zippers, and whatnot, and of shading the wrinkles and folds that make clothing look realistic will require a good command of GIMP or Photoshop and a lot of native talent and practice. You'll also have to learn how to handle transparency gracefully, and you'll need to find out by trial and error where textures go wonky on the avatar body. Tutorials are a good way to get started, but you should count on spending months and months practicing before you can create clothing textures that are competitive in SL. In the end, you're right: making clothing isn't difficult if you know how.  If you don't know how, set aside time for a some patient experimentation. 

[Jagdish Indiawood]

Thanks so much for the info Rolig and Amethyst!

I know that it will be something that I'm going to have to work at for a time but all the information I was coming across made it feel like I was going from one to one hundred. I do have a bit of experience with Gimp and Photoshop as far as editing photos but not with creation fo textures. Blender is completely new to me so I'm thinking that will be the biggest hurdle. I will definitely be checking out the link provided and look into some of the in-world classes available.

Thanks again! Also keep posting links to beginners tutorials and any info that you feel would help me in my pursuits everyone!

[Madeline Blackbart]

I Find that mdeling and rigging are very VERY difficult in blender but the other programs that are easier cost thousands of dollars. I went to college to learn computer animation and i still can't compete with a lot of the animators and modelers in sl. What you can do is use template full perm stuff to start from so you can at least learn texturing and what a good uv map looks like If you combine textures with some mesh it will be more orginal then if you just did a pure mesh (no defualt avie stuff). A lot of people do use templates and have stores witht them so it is possible to do only that. It took me four years to learn modelling with a teacher whoever told you making clothing was easy is a liar IMO. What I'm saying is start with texturing and maybe practice the basics of modelling and then work your way up. good luck.

[Trinity Yazimoto]

---

Sephina Frostbite wrote:

I hope you find what you need. I too went through that. I am posting so I can easily follow up and see what people say. Good luck hun!

---

you are not forced to post in a thread to follow it, you just can click the "topic option" button and subscribe .

youll get every new posts in your mailbox, just like if you had posted in it.

[Tiffy Vella]

Hi Jagdish...

Here's

that really clicked with me, and got me started in Blender. It's a sofa, but never mind that as all the skills are generalisable, and the techniques are pretty well explained. If you are wanting some good background info on using Blender, also look up Gaia Clary on you tube, especially her Avastar tutorials which are more specialised for mesh clothing. I've found you tube invaluble for learning, as well as the Blender website.

It's not always easy, but don't be discouraged. Mesh is fabulously fun to learn.

 

Just editing to properly credit Braydon Randt for his excellent tutorials which I linked to. Also search for tutes by Robin WoodEnt.

 

 

 

[Amethyst Damour]

if you dont have the time to do all the things as stated above you could allways start off by using ready made templates...

that way all the hard works been done for you and you can add your own style etc to them using patterns etc

you can even get mesh templates if you really wanna try mesh clothing

 

just an idea

[Rolig Loon]

But then it's not really "your" clothing.  It's sort of like paint-by-numbers. :smileytongue:

[Morgaine Christensen]

Looking at the templates others have created and using them as guides for learning can be a real boon and quite helpful in learning how to create layered clothing if you are a beginner. We all learn differently from one another and at different speeds even if it is a "paint by numbers" approach in the beginning.  If one method doesn't work for you, try another...adapt them to your needs.

I have purchased and used clothing templates created by others to help me in learning how to make my own since I have no access to someone I can ask questions of in RL.  Not only did they assist me in understanding how clothing fit, stretched where on the AV, making wrinkles and shading, the added bonus in my opinion was, I was able to experience different approaches different  people use in creating their templates.   Which in turn, I was able to puzzle out and learn the why of it ( I am a self-taught Photoshop user) and added it to my workflow...so, I actually learned a lot about using Photoshop and what it can do.

By the time I was finished with the outfits, they were "mine" and a far cry from the original template I purchased.  Now, if someone continually slaps on an overlay or just adds a pattern to a purchased template then no, I don't think they can truly call it their own.  Templates should be used as learning and helper tools...and they do have a places in layered clothing creation for those just learning and starting out.

 

 

 

[Jagdish Indiawood]

So after only a week I can honestly say that I am sooo overwhelmed by this whole process! I've started learning a few things but ultimately I'm lost again. I've even taken to writing things down in a notebook! This is going to be a long journey! But I came back to say thanks to everyone that contributed information and offered up their help! Thank you so much!

 

[TishaRogue]

It is maybe best to understand one part at a time so it will be less overwhelming. 

You may choose first to learn how to make system cloths. if you make a folder for practice in inventory you can then right click that folder (go in mac settings to enable right left clic option) pick new clothing/garment however it is in your version... pick something like a jacket... I say this because it is one of the few clothing that require 2 parts so you will see how it works. Wear the jacket.. In the bottom of inventory is the library folder, in it are some example templates. Use these to practice applying the template to the jacket and changing the sliders... to do this right click the jacket and pick edit.. your avi turns around and shows you in the jacket. The first 2 squares at the top are for the jacket templates... upper and lower... the 3rd is for changing colour... click each square.. put template texture in first 2 and pick  colour for the 3rd.. if you don't have a lower jacket template .. don't worry but now you know it is there... now scroll down that edit box and play with all them sliders to see what they change on the edit window and your jacket. (make sure the templates you use are templates and not an all over pattern by opening the texture first. it should look like a shirt).

You can save and exit the edit box or not save.. this was an exercise for practice only. Now you know what the template looks like and how to apply it in world. In the Library folder again.. find the templates that show the grid of the avi shape. There will be an upper (top) lower (bottom) head (you wont need at first) and a full top/bottom ( you wont need at first).. open the top template grid and the bottom one.. at the bottom there is a arrow drop down that you can save it to your computer.. this is how u get it into gimp. You can also get these templates off market for free but look at what they look like so you know what your looking for. Another place to find them is in the knowledge base under the instructions for making cloths. There are a couple download links set up there that give these templates with layers to put under and over your art work while your working. 

When you make your art using the templates save as a tga or a png 512x512pixels or 1024x1024 (but this bigger one is hard for many people to see clear, the smaller is less strain on the computers). Then when you are in SL grid you can upload in me/avitar menu top left for 10L and it goes in your inventory. You can do a temporary upload as well if you want to test first. This will later be deleted so don't get them mixed up. If you click upload image and choose the image then the preview does not have temp box option to check then you need to change some settings. In debugging if you have advanced on you can find temp textures and change its true false state... use debugging at your own risk and if your not sure about it get further instruction. The temp upload lets you have the texture long enough to put it on your system clothing test to see if everything looks good and lines up so you can make more alterations if needed without having to pay. If you attempt to use this as a final upload without paying it will disappear and show as grey or naked as the texture exists for limited time.

Once you master this you might want to look into something like the ivory tower of primitives to get some notecards in your language on prim building and editing. Get to know the building basics and texturing then when you have something made you can attach it to your avi and practice moving the prims around and attaching to other points. 

As for learning sculpt and having to get the older version of blender and installing the special scripts developed long ago for an obsolete version of the blender program....skip it... Go straight to using blender for mesh, this way you don't need any confusing script instals or have to learn an older version. If you already know how to use blender for mesh etc then go ahead and learn the rigging for the clothing and you'll be a hot commodity. Clothing needs to be rigged for mesh so it moves with the avi. Smaller items like accessories shoes etc dont need this so much. If you aren't ready to learn rigging then learn how to make the mesh in the smaller things first. 

To upload mesh into sl you go to the same place you upload the texture. if you haven't uploaded mesh before it will direct you to a small test about licenses copy right info etc. When you pass this you get permission to upload mesh. Mesh itself is a whole topic and by the time your ready for that you'll have lots of builder people that can tell you what tutorials are good and you'll know what some of that lingo means that is confusing now.