Requiring some Assistance Please.

[AunaVenatus]

Hello, Thanks for taking the time to read over my post. I am eagerly trying to get ready to jump into Second Life and start role playing within a community, getting a local job, and possibly starting a family (when the time comes) however before I do that I am wanting to take some time to learn the "How To Do" of SL. 

Thanks for taking the time to read over my post. I am eagerly trying to get ready to jump into Second Life and start role playing within a community, getting a local job, and possibly starting a family (when the time comes) however before I do that I am wanting to take some time to learn the "How To Do" of SL. 

I have been having a hard time with a few things (listed below) and would love it if someone would be able to take some time out of their day to show me / guide me on how some things work. I am a fast learner but reading the tutorials isn't seeming to help me very much, I think if someone could honestly walk me through a few things that I would be able to pick it up. 

1. Changing Avatar Shape, Skin and adding hand and feet enhancers

2. Trying on clothes and reshaping them to fit my avatars shape

3. Adding cosmetics such as eyelashes, fingernails/toenails, and makeup. 

4. I've heard of the LIFE HUD and I have tried to find it, if someone could point me in the right direction that would be great. 

I am trying to make SL my new social hang out spot for my husband and myself but it's a lot different and more in-depth than IMVU so I am sorry if I am asking a lot but I would greatly appreciate it if someone could help get me in the right direction. I will pay you back for your time anyway I can :-) 

I will pay you back for your time anyway I can :-) 

I am an indie game designer and UI programmer that is about to graduate from FSO in August so I am focusing on my Final Project at the moment thus my time is limited but as soon as I am out of school I am hoping to be ready to jump into SL and start my new online life. I am even going to be looking into making stuff for SL so whoever helps me I will / can do my best to make you something unique for your troubles ^^ 

[Chic Aeon]

Changing your shape yourself: 

https://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Controlling-your-avatar-s-appearance/ta-p/700709

 

You can also buy premade shapes (some are free on the Marketplace).

In order to change your skin you need to buy a skin (some are free for group members).

To add feet and hand enhancers you BUY them (almost always Slink) but I would suggest waiting a bit and then perhaps buying a complete mesh body which works much better.

 

You can only "reshape" clothes that are made from prims and sculpts, not mesh which is the standard now. To learn how to reshape "prim" clothes if you want I suggest a few basic building classes which really everyone needs . NOTE that some non-rigged mesh attachments like hats and a few shoes can be adjusted. Rigged mesh that move with the body cannot -- hence ALWAYS try a demo.

 

Current eyelashes, fingernails and toenails come with mesh bodies and heads. Older style you can buy attachment for the eyelashes. Fingernails and toenails are "appliers" for either you hands and feet attachments OR you mesh body (many brands of those to try out).

 

Have no idea about the LIFE hud. It sounds like a "game within a game" thing but no idea.

 

Good luck.

 

MUCH to learn. A little bit at a time is good.

 

 

 

[Aethelwine]

I had not heard of the LIFE hud before, there seems to be a Life 2 as well you can read about them on their marketplace listings:

https://betasearch-marketplace.secondlife.com/p/L-I-F-E-HUD-The-Ultimate-SIMs-HUD-for-Second-Life/5008187

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/The-Life2-HUD-Bringing-the-Life2-Your-Second-Life-Give-your-avatar-Hunger-Thirst-Energy-AND-More/7354453

In my opinion, Secondlife is complicated enough to start off with without adding additional problems like needing to eat ! I would come back to that later once you know the basics and decide then if you want to do that.

Just dive in and have a go and start learning and making mistakes. You will learn much quicker than trying to learn prior to taking the plunge.

There are now Gateway locations you can visit and get advice in world, like Caledon, New Citizens Incorporated and Helping Haven.

http://secondlife.com/destinations/howto/newbie

They would be good places to start out and you can ask the questions you can't work out for yourself in world.

[AunaVenatus]

Thank you so much for your feedback :-) I am going to look over the provided link. 

[AunaVenatus]

Thank you so much for taking the time to give me feedback and advice, I am going to look over the links you provided me with. 

[Bobbie Faulds]

Life hud contact Demented Idlemind. He's one of the creators. They have a whole sim. He'll be able to get you there. Sim is at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Life/131/117/22

[Ariel Vuissent]

1. To change your skin, you need to buy (or create) a new one. Pink Fuel has a free skin for avatars under 30 days old. It's worth picking up; her skins are very high quality. To change your shape, right-click your avatar and choose "edit," then mess around with the sliders. 

Personally, I buy a shape with a face I like, because the face is the hardest to edit - it has the most sliders and requires the most fine-tuning. I adjust the body from there, and make minor adjustments to the face. As time goes on, I tweak some more; my shape now looks very little like the original! Just make sure any shape you buy is modifiable. 

For a couple of good starter shapes, this set is great to get a good idea of proportion, and this one is an excellent guide to standard sizes, which is helpful for fitting into mesh clothing. 

2. Reshaping clothing is possible only with sculpt/prim attachments, which, while stilll available, are often - though not always - a bit out of date. Most clothing has moved to rigged mesh, which isn't adjustable. The second link above, with shapes for standard sizes, tells you what shape sliders need to be adjusted to fit into mesh clothing, and to what numbers. (You don't have to use one of those shapes; you can adjust your own.)

3. (And also the second half of 1.) If you don't yet know how to unpack boxes, check out this link. If you ever wear an object and end up toting around a bag or a billboard, you need to unpack it to find your items. 

To add an object, just right-click it in your inventory and choose Add. Not Wear; Wear will replace anything you're already wearing on that attachment point. Add just...adds it on, so you can, for instance, wear both a mesh hand and a ring on the same hand. To add a layer - like a tattoo, which most make-ups are, or system layer clothes - do basically the same thing. 

4. I looked this one up. It basically looks like it turns SL into something a bit like the Sims. Which is fine, but I'd hold off until you've figured out some other stuff, first. The last thing you need to is "die" of starvation while trying to figure out how to put on clothes.

It's a lot of information, and this is just the (possibly confusing, sorry) tip of the iceberg. Feel free to message me inworld, if you'd like. Good luck!

[AunaVenatus]

Ariel, 

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me and providing me with links. I am very grateful for all your advice (and everyone else as well). I am going to read over the link that you've provided and hopefully with all the tips, tricks and information that I have been given I will finally get the hang of this game ^^ and be a lot more confident while I'm in-world. 

Thanks! 

Auna Venatus

[Bobbie Faulds]

Think of Second Life this way. 

It's not a game in the traditional sense but a world to explore and learn, just like the real world around you. SL has a steep learning curve, but then so does your real life. Take your time. Look at the years it required for you to learn to walk, eat, talk, dress yourself, learn to pick your own clothes, get and furnish a living space, etc in your real life. 

In SL, you have to learn to fashion your body, choose a hair and skin, learn how to open the boxes the stuff you've purchased is in, etc. Don't get frustrated. Just take a deep breath, you'll get it. 

I'd suggest something like NCI or Helping Haven. Both are set up to help a new resident learn the intracacies of SL. You've just jumped into the deep end of the pool, so to speak. So relax and have fun.

[AunaVenatus]

Thanks, 

I will definitely look into them :-) From all the information that has been given out I have learned a lot. I've been getting more comfortable with SL and learned a few tricks. 

 

I don't plan on giving up, I am excited to get the hang of this and become a long term resident of SL!