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Alpha layers cause me to be invisible, clothes -are- invisible. How to fix?


gabriellelouise
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Hi, I've searched everywhere and am hoping to find help here as a last resort. I started playing just a few days ago and have since bought a few pieces of clothing.

I proceeded dragging the original box onto the floor and copied the contents to my inventory. I proceed to wear the alpha layer(s) and then add the clothes. However the alpha layer makes me become see-through/invisble, and the clothes themselves simply don't even show up. Am I missing something here? I've noticed that the clothes that I've already unboxed still have an orange 'box' icon in front of them, rather than being called 'top' or 'skirt' ect. 

However when I drag those to the floor and try to open them, it's not an option. So I must be dealing with the finished product? 

Help would be very -very- much appreciated!

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What graphics card does your computer have? 

Please do not create a new post to add additional information. Edit your original post instead. You can edit your post to add additional information by logging in to the web site, going to the post you want to edit, then clicking "Options" at the top right of the post and choosing edit.

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It's a little hard to tell from your description, but I suspect that you are wearing one of the new "mesh" avatars instead of a classic avatar.  Those can be attractive but they are much harder to deal with, especially if you are a newbie.  I'd recommend choosing a different avatar from your avatar picker.  Find one that does not say "mesh" after it.

The problem is that mesh avatars are really just a shell that fits over your own classic avatar body, like a suit of armor or a Mardi Gras costume. To be sure that your own body does not poke through that shell and appear visible, the mesh avatar comes with its own full-body alpha layer to make you invisible. To make matters more complicated, mesh clothing comes with an alpha layer that does the same thing, but does not make your mesh avatar (the outer shell) transparent.  In fact, you can't wear most mesh clothing on your mesh avatar unless they were designed to work together. So..... complicated.   As I said, the best choice is to avoid mesh avatars until you've been in SL for a while and have had time to learn basic skills and are ready to tackle them. 

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Hi Gabrielle,

I think Rolig's on the right track, and that your problem stems from a mix of mesh and legacy avatar bits. Your alpha layers erase the legacy avatar skin, and anything system layer clothing applied to it (like coats of paint). So, if any of the new clothing you purchased was system layer stuff for a legacy avatar, it'll vanish along with the rest of you. But you've described box icons for your garments, which suggests they're mesh objects. System layer clothing has icons that look like what they are, shirt, jacket, bottom, etc.

Since your avatar vanishes when you wear the alpha layer, it sounds like you're not wearing the mesh avatar skin Rolig described. If you were wearing that, you'd see it, and the underlying system avatar would be invisible (and so would not poke though anywhere). If you weren't wearing the mesh avatar skin, you'd see nothing.

But, I can't explain why your clothing doesn't show up. Try removing the alpha layers and see what happens. If a clothed body appears, wearing the clothing you expected, then you purchased legacy style garments. And that leaves me unable to explain why they don't show in inventory with appropriate icons.

Good luck!

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Oh my gosh, yes! That happens to me too! 

 

I've tried all the different kinds of avatars that you can first chose from in the beginning. The clothes I'm trying to open are ones that just sort of come with you in second life, and then a shirt I bought at the tutorial shopping area. I've gone to different sandboxes. What happens is, I drag the object to the floor, it looks open (like the item I purchased,) when I right click on it, neither "open" or "touch is an option. it's greyed out. for the shirt I bought it came with two "layers?" an alpha and the 'object' (that I can't seem to save) I can wear the alpha and it's in the shape of the item I want to wear... but I can't WEAR the outfit, open it, save it... whatever you're supposed to do in sandboxes.

 

I've been trying at this for like,3 hours and I'm getting really frustrated I can't figure it out and this post is the CLOSEST I've come to resolving my problems and-- still, no one knows the answer. -.- 

If it's my graphics card that's the problem (don't see how it is,) is there a setting fix anyone can think of so the options "open" and "touch" come back when I right click on a item?

(also just a note that it's for things that come on the classic avatars, too, I don't know whats going on...)

Thanks. 

tf.png

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1 hour ago, tanis1110 said:

If it's my graphics card that's the problem

no you are yourself :SwingingFriends:...

do never drag clothes on the floor, those are not packed

Unpacked items you wear directly from your inventory.

Just right click and choose "add" in the menu that pops up.

Perhaps you should watch some tutorials how to do things in SL ?.. they'r easy to find in youtube.

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a) What Alwin said ... no need to rez the unpacked items. Just wear them like the alpha.

b) So there seems to be a tutorial shopping area - yay. And it seems to teach newbies how to open, touch (?) and to rez things - doubleyay. But it's leaving out the very minor and rarely used detail on how to actually wear stuff to dress? 9_9

c) For future references: if there should ever be a technical related problem which inspires you to ask, "is it my computer?" ... it'll be immensely helpful if you add your computer specs.

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I suspect you may be confused by SL jargon and tradition. Not your fault. In some cases things are misleading.

In inventory, the 'box' looking icon is not representative of a 'box' that needs to be opened. I can see why one would be likely to think that. It is the icon for an object. It represents a PRIM... primitive, like a cube or sphere. The standard thing thought of for a prim is the default primitive selected in the build panel which is a cube, thus the icon.

This is a holdover from the early days when most things were made from cubes.

Cubes can have inventories (contents) of their own. Merchants tend to pack things in cubes as a handy package container. There is no way I know of to tell whether something needs to be unpacked or worn from the appearance in inventory. Some merchants add either the word 'open' or 'wear' in the item name to give us a clue.

More and more merchants assume the package will be worn, whether it is meant to be worn or unpacked (opened). So, the better bet is to assume all object things in the clothes category are meant to be worn. So, 'wear' or 'add' those things. If you wear a box... well, you are in good company as most of us have put on a box numerous times. But, it should automatically open and unpack creating a folder in your inventory.

Many designers still allow their creations to attach to the right hand, the default attachment point. So, I use ADD for every new thing I try on. I got tired of replacing my right hand because I used WEAR. I can then decide if I want to remove it and attach it to a more appropriate attachment point.

I hope this helps...

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On 9/19/2017 at 2:15 AM, tanis1110 said:

Oh my gosh, yes! That happens to me too! 

 

I've tried all the different kinds of avatars that you can first chose from in the beginning. The clothes I'm trying to open are ones that just sort of come with you in second life, and then a shirt I bought at the tutorial shopping area. I've gone to different sandboxes. What happens is, I drag the object to the floor, it looks open (like the item I purchased,) when I right click on it, neither "open" or "touch is an option. it's greyed out. for the shirt I bought it came with two "layers?" an alpha and the 'object' (that I can't seem to save) I can wear the alpha and it's in the shape of the item I want to wear... but I can't WEAR the outfit, open it, save it... whatever you're supposed to do in sandboxes.

 

I've been trying at this for like,3 hours and I'm getting really frustrated I can't figure it out and this post is the CLOSEST I've come to resolving my problems and-- still, no one knows the answer. -.- 

If it's my graphics card that's the problem (don't see how it is,) is there a setting fix anyone can think of so the options "open" and "touch" come back when I right click on a item?

(also just a note that it's for things that come on the classic avatars, too, I don't know whats going on...)

Thanks. 

tf.png

Tanis...don't drag and drop the unpacked items to the ground!  Instead, wear them.  There are several ways to do this.  The safest is to RIGHT CLICK the item in your inventory, and select ADD.  If ADD is not available, use WEAR.  You can also just double click the item to Wear it, or you can drag and drop it onto your avatar.

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