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Converting all my gorgeous gowns to mesh


bettsiewants
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I have scoured the forums and YouTube to see if I could get a clear answer to my question about wearing legacy, classic, first generation gowns on a new mesh body (any style). It seems like the answer is no, but am wondering if anyone knows of a workaround.

Is there any way that I can prevent the need to buy an entirely new wardrobe?

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If you MADE the gowns and have the texture files, they can be converted using a "developer kit" for the various bodies. They then become appliers for that body. I have no idea how difficult this is but I do know designers who have done that with their older files (possibly ACTIVE files and not pngs or tgas.  If you BOUGHT those items, then the answer is no.

 

And I am going to go ahead and say what doubtlessly a LOT of other folks are thinking too.

Aside from nostalgia (I have my first hair that I sat for a Calla (sp?) and a bunny outfit from 2009 or whatever) the quality of garments now is SO MUCH BETTER NOW -- partly due to technology and software enhancements.

You can get some lovely things as group gifts or on 50 Linden Friday etc so there isn't a huge need to spend a lot of money -- and you won't look out of date then :D.

 

Good luck!!!!!  

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Thank you bitsy. I am new, so please forgive my lack of knowledge of the terms. Is a prim skirt and old style skirt? What is a perm? And what would I look for when looking for an applier? I understand that mesh clothing must be applied to mesh bodies. Is that the same for the conversion I am interested in. Do you know what it might be named?

 

Thank you so much for your help!!

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not sure you know what you ask... most creators will not even think about remaking old stuff. There are so many new mesh dresses and gowns, they won't like to spend lot of time to work on the old outdated one.

Get newer ones... much easier.

There are several group gifts/sales and other ways to find good mesh things.

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Perm is short for permissions, copy, mod/modify and trans/transfer. If something is mod, it can be modified (altered) to improve fit and what not. Rigged mesh can't be adjusted though and mesh in general is limited in how it can be modified.

So a skirt made of flexi prims (like the swirling ball gowns) can be adjusted IF the creator sets permissions to Modify. Some allow you to do it manually, some use resize scripts instead. Most of mine are mod, even when they have resize scripts. The permission restrictions are listed after the name in inventory (No trans, no mod/no trans, etc.).

Some creators have made appliers for their older work. I don't know if it's common practice.

Appliers are painted-on clothing layers for use with mesh bodies. Mesh clothing are mesh objects worn over a mesh or system/classic body. Part of the body will be made invisible with an alpha layer.

It is very complicated, fragmented, confusing, and perpetually changing. Some merchants are great about explaining what their creations work with. Some seem to assume that everyone is on the same page of mesh body mania as they are. Take your time, ask questions and always try demos. :matte-motes-smile:

(Include your favourite dances when trying mesh gown demos. The mesh will follow the legs, but some of the positions will distort it so much it loses all sense of style or class.)

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Thanks you for the explanation, Bitsy. It sounds like building up my savings is the way to go with this. I was actially able to get the skirt part to work, but the tops don't. 

Mesh bodies are crazy expensive though! Do you have any advice for me about which one to pick or how to pick one?

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I gave up on trying to weave my way through the mesh body situation for now, so I'm not going to be much help on picking out a body Bettsie. Maybe I'll get one some day. It's all too changeable right now and since I'm a wash and wear, keep it simple kind of woman in RL, I prefer to be one in SL as well. Too much mucking about with huds and such on the mesh bodies for me. If it means someone looks down on me, that's their issue not mine.

Do what makes you happy and what works for you. If that means sticking with a classic av and the clothing you already own, go for it. Move to a mesh body if and when you decide it's the best choice for your particular SL. That's how I see it at least, as unpopular an opinion on the forums as it is.

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Check out the Mesh Body Addicts blog at http://meshbodyaddicts.com/mesh-body-reviews/  They are broken down there. My one suggestion is to be sure that whatever one you chose, it needs to be Omega compatible. Many designers use the Omega, a universal applier system, to make the appliers for skins as well as clothes. Beyond that, you want what you like and what looks like you see yourself as.

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I second looking at the Mesh Body Addicts blog & comparison charts. Also try mesh body demos. 


The Mesh Project has free versions of their mesh bodies which are basically demos. These have very limited options for clothes & tattoos, so they're mostly good only for being naked or wearing the clothes that come with them. Their Shopping HUD & Style HUD are more difficult to use than for other mesh bodies & their bodies are not Omega applier compatible, but I recommend trying the free bodies for comparison to the others.

The most popular mesh bodies for female avatars are currently Maitreya Lara, Slink & Belleza, so these will also have the most skins & clothing available for them. With Belleza you get 3 body shapes at the same time - Freya (curvy), Venus & Isis (standard SL female). Slink comes in either Physique (slim) or Hourglass (curvy), but the hands & feet must be purchased separately.

I think Eve from Absolut Creation is a pretty good mesh body, but it's less popular so will have fewer outfits made specifically to fit it. This will be even more true for less popular brands.

With all of these you can adjust some of your shape sliders to make your body taller or shorter, wider or thinner, bigger or smaller breasts & butt, arm & leg length, & hip width - but the detailed curves of your shape will depend on the mesh body you wear.

Fitted mesh made for your specific style of mesh body will generally fit better then standard size mesh clothes, but even with fitted mesh, you may have to hide parts of your body with the alpha layer section of your body HUD. Applier layer clothing is "painted on" the mesh body much as standard clothing is on standard bodies. If you have clothing template textures that you made or bought, you may be able to apply them to your mesh body with one if their developer kits, but that's probably more work than you'll want to do.

 

p.s. - Before you buy a body, join the store's group first to get store credit when you buy the body. I know this is a big deal for Maitreya, but I don't know if the other stores have similar loyalty programs.

 

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i would suggest waiting for the new Bento avatar rig that LL are developing.  Is curently in the last stage of testing/tuning and should be available sometime in the next couple of months

most of the current mesh body makers are involved in the Bento development, as are many who already make fitted mesh clothes and accessories. As soon as Bento goes live inworld then am pretty sure the shops will be full of new stuff specific made for the new Bento mesh bodies

so if money is a concern then best to wait a bit, or may end up buying two whole new wardrobes instead of one

 

  

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