Mesh Bodies - Newbie Questions

[AkisaYui]

Hi everyone.

I'm thinking about diving into the world of mesh bodies but there's just so many tings I don't really understand about it.
And I though you might be kind enough to offer some advice and point me in the right direction.

What I'd like is a body with less rugged edges, more detailed hands and feet that overall deforms better than the default body. (which is really rather poor in those regards) I'd also like to keep my shape and skin so I don't look totally different from usual. And finally I'd like to keep my options for clothing as open as possible.

It looks like there's a lot of different bodies to choose from. So far I've been trying the demo versions from both Maitreya and Slink and they both look and deform a lot better than the default body. They also seem to work just fine with my shape. Probably because they're fitted mesh bodies. But then the problems begin.

It seems I can't use my skin with the bodies, but I can get quite close to my skin tone by tinting the body and then blending the neck line. It's... okay but not excellent.
Also I can't seem to use texture clothing at all with the bodies and for mesh clothing I can't use the accompanying alpha textures. I'm guessing these are all related.
The Maitreya body has the option to hide bits and pieces of the body and while being quite detailed options it still doesn't work with most of my wardrobe sadly.

If you have any advice I'd really appreciate it because I don't really know where to go from here. And after trying the demo versions I really don't feel like staying on the default body.

Thanks for your help ^^

Edited May 24, 2017 by AkisaYui

[Alwin Alcott]

7 minutes ago, AkisaYui said:

 

to make a long story short... get demos... more demos and play with it.

you will also find reviews and other info at

StrawberrySingh.com - A fashion and lifestyle blog about the virtual world of Second Life

http://meshbodyaddicts.com/

[Chase01]

Mesh Body Addicts is a great resource to get an overview of how those two bodies (and others) compare to each other. You won't be able to use your existing skin as you've already found out. However both bodies do come with starter skins. Maitreya's included skins are made by Glam Affair (a popular brand) and I believe SLINK's skin is made in house. Unless you're going with a mesh head, that neck line will still be relatively visible under certain windlight conditions, so keep that in mind. You can always minimize that by wearing a choker if it really bothers you.

The clothing you wore with your legacy avatar is not compatible with your mesh body. As for the alpha's, you won't be using those alpha layers directly from your inventory the same way you did before. Instead you should use the HUD included with your body.

Both are comparable in terms of features and although they are both widely supported by major brands, Maitreya leads in that catagory. As far as pricing goes, SLINK's body does not include the hands and feet which is why their body itself retails for less. If you do already own their hands and feet, that will be an additional savings for you. Personally I'd go with Maitreya if I was comparing Lara vs. Physique. If I was interested in wearing a nice thicker frame I'd go with SLINK's Hourglass body.

 

[Iki Kimono]

Currently the Maitreya body is far and away the market leader for females, which means most new mesh clothing you buy will likely fit it - but mesh clothing designers generally say on their adverts which bodies their products will fit. Alpha cuts can help you fit into an even broader range, but demo, demo, demo.

Depending on who made your skin,  you may find that they have produced a mesh body applier, which should match your head (there may still be a seam in certain windlight settings, but other than that will be more of less perfect). 

There are also applier clothes, which work in a similar way to old system clothing in that the texture is applied to the body. You can't, however, convert your old system clothing to applier clothing, though you may find similar on the market if you hunt.

One other thing worth mentioning is that you don't have to wear the body all the time, depending on clothing. If your mesh clothes cover up most of the really awful bits of the default Linden body, then you can just carry on as you were, using mesh clothing and alpha layers, and whip out the mesh body for those outfits that reveal a little more. (This is what I do, I just don't see the need of wearing a mesh body if you can really only see my head and hands!)

[angeoco]

All the leading "slim" mesh bodies work basically the same, and with a bit of work (adjusting your shape and setting mesh body alpha cuts) can be made to fit into most mesh clothing, though it is true that Maitreya has the biggest choice of clothes designed to fit it out of the box, while Slink has the biggest choice of compatible shoes. Both would be excellent choices.

If you want to use texture clothing then you need to make sure it comes with a compatible "applier" for the mesh body you use. Omega appliers are compatible with all the major bodies.

As you say, trying to match the mesh body's built-in skin with your existing head skin is not always successful. The alternative is to use a skin package which includes both a classic skin (for your head) and a matching applier for your mesh body. I don't know of any solution to the neck seam problem other than buying a mesh head.

Unfortunately though, moving to a mesh body involves having to let go of a lot of our old wardrobe. When I did it about 6 months ago I was reluctant to let go of the old stuff, but when I look back on it now I can't believe I actually used to like that old tat when the modern alternatives are so much better.

Edited May 24, 2017 by angeoco

[Marianne Little]

Do you have a old skin, bought before 2015? Is the store stil up and running?

If the store is still in SL, you should go there and see if they have appliers. The mesh body is worn as any attachment. Nothing that's alphaed out and covered by the body, will show up. No one of your skins, nothing of system clothing layers.

The applier applies the skin to the mesh body... as you might guess.  The neck fit should be at least 99% invisible. I don't say 100%, because of light in SL, and rendering on different computers, graphic cards et cetera.

If the store is closed, your option is to look for another skin with appliers. Or live with the neck fit as it is.

[Buttacwup Float]

You want an applier that will match your head and skin. Trying to adjust tint will always and forever be noticeable. While you don't technically need it you kinda do. The rest has been pretty well covered.

[AkisaYui]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I think I'm beginning to understand how this whole mesh body thing works.

Basically all my legacy clothes, texture based clothes and mesh alphas are history and I should look for new "applier clothes" that work with the body I choose. I'm new to the whole applier thing or rather I do have lots of clothing items that can be changed through a HUD but I didn't know that was called an applier. I think I read that Omega appliers work with most bodies but I'm confused as to how many "applier clothes items" I can wear at the same time. It sounds like each body has some sort of limit. Or maybe that's only in regards to the number of layers they can have?

It also sounds like the Maitreya body is a community favorite and that should work with both Omega appliers and Slink feet. So I guess I could get the best of both worlds that way.

I did actually go looking for the skin vendor but since the land is empty and for sale I'm gonna say they aren't around any more. That's okay though. With the color tint options I think I can make it work. And like you say I can always look for a modern skin that has both a classic skin for my head and a matching applier for the body. "You don't have to wear the body all the time" is also a great tip. Obvious and yet I hadn't even thought of it that way.

Thanks again for your help ^^

[Theresa Tennyson]

35 minutes ago, AkisaYui said:

I did actually go looking for the skin vendor but since the land is empty and for sale I'm gonna say they aren't around any more. That's okay though. With the color tint options I think I can make it work. And like you say I can always look for a modern skin that has both a classic skin for my head and a matching applier for the body. "You don't have to wear the body all the time" is also a great tip. Obvious and yet I hadn't even thought of it that way.

Thanks again for your help ^^

If you're making changes this might be a good time to get a new skin as well. Your skin doesn't look like it would be that difficult to find a new one that will give you the same general look. For instance, it looks very similar to WoW skins, which are often available on sale and have good applier support.

[angeoco]

1 hour ago, AkisaYui said:

I think I read that Omega appliers work with most bodies but I'm confused as to how many "applier clothes items" I can wear at the same time. It sounds like each body has some sort of limit. Or maybe that's only in regards to the number of layers they can have?

A mesh body is divided into a few applier zones, typically upper body, lower body, feet, hands, head. In addition to the skin layer, each of those zones has typically 3 layers, for tattoo, underwear, clothing. You can always wear a different applier in each zone, but some stuff affects more than one zone, for example stockings or bodysuits. In theory you can wear more than one applier in any zone, for example underwear over a tattoo, but in practice it doesn't always work - one of the layers could dominate the other.

Edited May 24, 2017 by angeoco

[Chic Aeon]

I think everyone covered things well for ya so I am just going to add a couple of comments. 

Absolutely TEST and that means testing everything TOGETHER as that is how you will be using it.

Some mesh clothing (maybe not tons but some) will still work with your body so you don't have to throw everything away. But be prepared for an inventory purge. I know very few folks that only wear their body sometimes. I haven't taken mine off since I first put it on except to blog a fantasy skin over a year ago (now that skin would of course have appliers :D).

Depending on how picky you are (and I am very) the neck seam color issue may be a problem. I couldn't deal with it and changing YOUR Windlight setting isn't going to make that seam go away for everyone. 

I concur that Maitreya is the most popular on the market so a good one to look at first since it has by far and away more clothes and appliers made for it. If you already have Slink feet and maybe hands then Slink might be good for you too (fewer clothes however).

Appliers ONLY work on texture clothes by the way and there are many more MESH clothes for mesh bodies than appliers. 

Pay CLOSE ATTENTION and play with the huds on the various bodies as the hud is just as important as the body (well maybe not JUST but it really is important).

Don't be in a hurry. Take your time and play. I walked around in demo mode for a week out in public just to get used to the new me. And speaking of the "new me" thing :D.  We DO get used to our look, i get that. But after awhile a "new" look can seem like the one we had all along. 

 

OH, and here is a tip if you keep your legacy head.  Find a color change choker that you like and that fits well (not all of them move with your body so test for that) and you can wear the choker (or a collection of chokers) to cover the seam.  

Have fun!

 

 

[Pussycat Catnap]

I will also say that you should play with shapes outside your normal dial range and see what happens.

Dial the bosom down and up all the way, and see how far you can go before it looks weird. Do the same with hips, leg and torso muscle, hand and foot size.

Try out some very 'bouncy' avatar physics with the bosom big and small, and some very 'constrained / clothed' physics as well.

- Look at not just your bosom when you do this, but your sternum, ribcage, and tummy as well. Some bodies are so bad these other parts bounce as well.

- Likewise, dial up the physics butt sliders, for a bouncy bottom... and then flip around and look at your front side. If your 'goods' are bouncing down there... that's a problem. At least one major body has that problem.

[Talligurl]

I will share what I do, it is a bare bones approach I guess. I use a Maitreya body with my legacy head, I just adjusted the body color with the Maitreya Hud to match the head as close as possible. I wear a choker to cover the line, actually it is a collar controlled by my partner, but it does a good job of hiding the line as well. I do not use any clothing that is appliers. I currently wear three tattoos, two on my upper body and one on my lower, and I am always looking to add to that, I am reserving the layers for tattoos. My system avatar had more tattoos than my mesh body has layers, so I know I can never get to that point. So far I have had no shortage of mesh clothing options. This works for me just fine and it is simple, and saves a lot of money on a skin and a mesh head, though I do have a demo mesh head right now that might change all that.

[DannielleSy]

I think the first thing you must do is to join Mesh Body Addicts in world because there are people which can really help you in your mesh bodies and heads. When I experienced some problems, someone will eventually reply to your problem and also can help you detect problems you encountered and explain it to you. The members of this group is very helpful and have knowledge about mesh. You can check their blog too http://meshbodyaddicts.com because it contains detailed information everything about mesh.