Can you tell me what are skins vs shapes?

[Coby Foden]

To continue still further, I found very interesting page were there is information about avatar texture layering - among other interesting things. The image below (copied from that web page) shows the texture layering. There is text above it saying:

"Skinning an avatar involves a collection of 2D textures that are applied to the base avatar's meshes in very specific ways. They're layered onto the avatar in a specific order. See the graphic below. The lower layers are partially or fully covered by the ones above them."

Here's the link to the page: http://avatartoolbox.info/Skins.html

In the server baking process the layering is flattened:

• All textures for the head are baked into one single texture
- the baked texture is sent to the viewer
- the viewer applies this texture to the avatar's head mesh faces, the viewer renders the image

• All textures for the upper body are baked into one single texture; the baked texture is sent to the viewers
- the baked texture is sent to the viewer
- the viewer applies this texture to the avatar's upper body mesh faces, the viewer renders the image

• All textures for the lower body are baked into one single texture; the baked texture is sent to the viewers
- the baked texture is sent to the viewer
- the viewer applies this texture to the avatar's lower body mesh faces, the viewer renders the image

So, (note to Phil): all avatar system textures are layered. But the rendering on the avatar shape (body) is done with the flattened unlayered baked textures. So, when we look at the avatar inworld there is only one single texture rendered on head, one single texture rendered on the upper body, one single texture rendered on the lower body. But, behind the scenes, unrendered, there are all those texture layers.

 

[Phil Deakins]

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Coby Foden wrote:

Because you still don't quite get it

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Yes I do get it. You can't have understood my post because you only repeated, in different words, what I wrote in the post that you quoted.

 

In your next post you wrote:- "So, (note to Phil): all avatar system textures are layered. But the rendering on the avatar shape (body) is done with the flattened unlayered baked textures. So, when we look at the avatar inworld there is only one single texture rendered on head, one single texture rendered on the upper body, one single texture rendered on the lower body. But, behind the scenes, unrendered, there are all those texture layers."

That's what i said in my post, and you quoted it. All layers (for each part) reduced to one texture - one layer.

[Coby Foden]

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Phil Deakins wrote:

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Coby Foden wrote:

Because you still don't quite get it

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Yes I do get it.

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That's very excellent that you got it Phil. That's great. :smileyhappy:

I just had my doubts as you still said in your post "It doesn't matter to this topic but it occurs to me that it's not actually another layer." I wondered why it still "occured" to you that the basic "Linden Skin" is not another layer? The two skins are without any shade of doubt two separate layers.

I did say in my post that you understood the texture baking process pretty well. That's good.

 

I just wanted to make this texturing matter totally clear because many others, new users, non-posters might be reading this thread too. It might not matter to the original (OP's) topic, but this thread has expanded a bit further from that, so it does matter now.

So:

 

• All avatar textures are layered (including the two skins :smileyhappy:)

• The avatar rendering is done with the baked unlayered textures

 

I guess perhaps we finally are in agreement about the avatar texturing matter. Or pretty close anyway. :smileywink:

[Phil Deakins]

I got it in my post that you quoted - during the writing of that post to be exact.

The default skin is not a seperate layer when it's on the avatar, as I continued on to write in that post, and then you posted the same thing in your reply. That's what was meant by "it's not actually another layer", and I went to explain it. When i said that "it occurs to me...", I'd just realised that, on the avatar (what we actually see), there is only one layer of texture, and I described the basic process of making that one layer. When the layers reach out monitors, there is only one layer of texture.

The texuring process was very clear to me at that point. In fact I said that it's the only sensible way to do it. You obviously misunderstood what I wrote in that post, perhaps because I didn't write it clearly enough.

[Coby Foden]

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Phil Deakins wrote:

 

You obviously misunderstood what I wrote on that post, perhaps because I didn't write it clearly enough.

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Very probably so. Sometimes it is a bit hard for me to understand what exactly you mean.

I guess the same happens to you with my posts, sometimes.

 

[Phil Deakins]

Actually, I always understand your posts - that is, if my understanding of them is what you meant In fact, it's only in this thread that it's occured to me that your native language may not be english. I've no idea though.

Just remember one thing. I loved you before this thread, I'vel loved you during this thread, and I'll continue loving you after this thread You my fowum fwend

[Coby Foden]

:heart: :matte-motes-big-grin: