Love Zhaoying Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 I read “Always, Always, Always Demo!” I just started using mesh and I have a theory. 1) I bought a set of some mesh clothing from one merchant, after trying the Demo. I saw that this merchant delivers a version suited for many mesh bodies, all together (what a great idea). 2) After my first positive experience with this merchant’s product, it occurred to me - if they reference another item of clothing in the same listing, perhaps that is well-made too. 3) I tested the theory of #2 and bought the related product - it also came with many different versions and fit/worked fine. That gave me the reassurance that the merchant had quality stuff that would “fit” - so I bought more without trying the demos - and was totally happy. Now, I should buy some of the other bodies this stuff works with, since now I have clothes for those bodies too! So, are any of you the same way, once you find a merchant you trust, sometimes skip the demo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akasha Sternberg Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 sometimes, yes, depending on the cut of the specific item... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angeoco Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 It's really standard practice to include several sizes, maybe 10 or more, in a clothes package, so I would not see that as an indicator of quality. And just because one item fits well doesn't mean that others will too; the item you got could be a recent release while others might be a lot older and not as well made. So no, I would not skip a demo if one is available, but if there is no demo then I might take a chance if the seller has a good reputation. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Zhaoying Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share Posted March 12, 2018 (edited) 26 minutes ago, angeoco said: It's really standard practice to include several sizes, maybe 10 or more, in a clothes package, so I would not see that as an indicator of quality. And just because one item fits well doesn't mean that others will too; the item you got could be a recent release while others might be a lot older and not as well made. So no, I would not skip a demo if one is available, but if there is no demo then I might take a chance if the seller has a good reputation. Specifically: The first item I bought that I liked had info that said another of their products was UPDATED. I left that detail out. (And that they offered an updated service.) My Logic was: well, if this other thing is UPDATED then it’s probably of the same quality of this thing. Edited March 12, 2018 by Love Zhaoying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleMe Jewell Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 I will skip the demo if I have had lots by the creator and the items all fit great. For a creator I am not very familiar with, if there is not a demo of the item I want then I'll look around to see if there are other demos. If so, then I'll try on many of them to get a feel for the creator's work. If there is lots of consistency in how well the other items fit, then I'll probably chance it - but probably not for anything more than L$150-200. If there are no demos at all, thus nothing to base anything on, I'll only buy it if I really like it and it is super cheap -- usually L$30 or less, but I've been known to bump that threshold to L$50, but never more than that. I actually have a notecard that I maintain with names of vendors that I trust w/out needing a demo and vendors that I will never buy from again, as well as notes about a few that fall in between. This is critical for me because I keep almost nothing after I wear it once. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Zhaoying Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share Posted March 12, 2018 7 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said: This is critical for me because I keep almost nothing after I wear it once. You’re like a movie star, or Imelda Marcos!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coby Foden Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Recently I have started always to try a demo before buying (unless the item costs very little). I do that even for items from creators whom I know that they make excellent things. I have become very critical, the clothing must work well (for my satisfaction): - when standing in various poses, sitting in various poses, walking, running and dancing. If the demo works ok in all of those, then I'm ready to buy.(Sometimes even excellent creator's product might fail in some of the above criteria.) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleMe Jewell Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 8 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said: You’re like a movie star, or Imelda Marcos!! There are just too many clothing options in SL. Why bother cluttering my inventory if I know that I'll always (almost always) be wearing something from my latest shopping spree. Hell, I can't even keep up with wearing all of my new stuff. I do keep a few basics - a variety of applier pants & tops, basic jeans/pants and a few tops, bras, panties, and nylons. I keep all of my shoes, hair & jewelry and do re-wear those items. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Zhaoying Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share Posted March 12, 2018 11 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said: I keep all of my shoes, hair & jewelry and do re-wear those items. NOT Imelda! ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Voxel Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Yeah, after a while you kinda know what's going to fit you from certain designers. The only thing is some things don't look as good as they do in the picture! Some designers use some great filters or a render as a product picture and it just doesn't look like that in SL. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resi Pfeffer Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 13 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said: So, are any of you the same way, once you find a merchant you trust, sometimes skip the demo? I have a few (mostly unfamous) brands i trust a lot, and if its about a wide shirt or a winter jacket i still buy without trying the demo, mostly. But it also happened that i bought pants i expected to be tailored like always... And it was anounced to be fitmesh, so it should fit to my more or less flat butt, like it always has been. So I bought that pants, and guess what? For this version the creator must have had a few caiprinhas while creating, because the backside of the pants looked like being stuffed with a typical brasilian butt, what i dont have at all. After that loss of money i pay more attention to use demos, even at my favorite stores. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyona Su Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 16 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said: I read “Always, Always, Always Demo!” I just started using mesh and I have a theory. 1) I bought a set of some mesh clothing from one merchant, after trying the Demo. I saw that this merchant delivers a version suited for many mesh bodies, all together (what a great idea). 2) After my first positive experience with this merchant’s product, it occurred to me - if they reference another item of clothing in the same listing, perhaps that is well-made too. 3) I tested the theory of #2 and bought the related product - it also came with many different versions and fit/worked fine. That gave me the reassurance that the merchant had quality stuff that would “fit” - so I bought more without trying the demos - and was totally happy. Now, I should buy some of the other bodies this stuff works with, since now I have clothes for those bodies too! So, are any of you the same way, once you find a merchant you trust, sometimes skip the demo? No. 16 hours ago, Akasha Sternberg said: sometimes, yes, depending on the cut of the specific item... This. Even Addams and Blueberry and other "top-shelf" creators can miss the mark so I *always* try the demos. Every. Single. Time. Because it really does depend on the style of the item and if there is a radical difference in it (leotard versus a BDSM *****dress, for example, *snorts*) one may fit amazingly well and the other... not so much. I just feel more comfortable with those creators I know create good quality. At least to the point where in the odd case there is no demo, then depending on what it actually is, I'd be willing to risk it. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pussycat Catnap Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 On 3/12/2018 at 11:40 AM, Love Zhaoying said: I read “Always, Always, Always Demo!” So, are any of you the same way, once you find a merchant you trust, sometimes skip the demo? I've found that as soon as I do... my next purchase is that one item with a cut that reveals the particular merchant's weak point on design... It can be particularly important if the item is for a body that isn't the merchant's favored one. For example Addams is almost certainly a Belleza user - looking at their advertising screenshots they ALL appear to be using Belleza, likely freya. So as a Belleza user... it is extremely rare for me to find a flaw in an Addams product. But it has happened. With merchants who's advertisements show them wearing Maitreya... or worse - show them using Daz3D or Poser images to make the ad (this is getting more and more common...), I have zero faith that any item will be good, even if I already have a stack of items from them... because their own adverts are showing me they lack familiarity with the body I use - they've just gotten lucky with their fitting algorithms thus far. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pussycat Catnap Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 On 3/12/2018 at 4:12 PM, janetosilio said: The only thing is some things don't look as good as they do in the picture! Some designers use some great filters or a render as a product picture and it just doesn't look like that in SL. Yep. Using Daz3d / Poser models to do a 3D render - great for art, but the result is extremely misleading about what you'll get in SL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blush Bravin Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 I always try the demo for several reasons: 1. Even my favorite creators sometimes make things that just don't look good on my shape or I don't like the color/print options for that particular garment. 2. Some merchants sell mesh created by full-perm mesh creators, so it's possible that just because something on their shelf was a perfect fit last time doesn't mean the one I'm looking at now was even created by the same creator or rigged by the same person. 3. Most of the time I want to be sure the clothing item will work with the clothes already in my inventory. For instance, when buying a top I will see if it will work with my favorite pants/skirts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blush Bravin Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 5 hours ago, Pussycat Catnap said: Yep. Using Daz3d / Poser models to do a 3D render - great for art, but the result is extremely misleading about what you'll get in SL. This trend irritates me no end! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Voxel Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 Rule of thumb. If the ad doesn’t look like It wasn’t shot in SL, it wasn’t! Everybody that uses renders aren’t bad. There’s a designer that always uses renders in her ads and I trust her completely. I just know if it looks like a render, it probably is a render and you definitely should demo it. Thats like back in the day skin sellers used to photoshop the heck out of ads. Now they’re using some kind of process where the skin almost looks real in the ad. If it looks too good demo it....sometimes you might be surprised, most of the time you are being misled. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleMe Jewell Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 What is a "render" and what does using such actually mean? What do I look for so that I am aware? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pussycat Catnap Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 4 hours ago, Blush Bravin said: This trend irritates me no end! Yes. They get away with it because, or so I suspect, the vast majority of SL users have no idea what 'Daz3D' is. ps everybody, free and really cool art tool: https://www.daz3d.com - You can make 3D art with that with ease, and it even has some nice built in figures. Also... it reveal just how horribly bad the classic SL avatar is. You can load the SL figure into that and look at how it's made... it is shockingly bad, even by 1999 standards (I was making 3D art in 1999, and a whole lot of modelers back then were GIVING AWAY better models than the SL one... some who were seeking opportunities to be employed or sell their work on for gaming. SL's horrible 'classic avatar' has no excuse for even existing...) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pussycat Catnap Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 22 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said: What is a "render" and what does using such actually mean? What do I look for so that I am aware? See my link to Daz3d. That is 'render' - an application to 'render' 3D models into art: stills or animation. This is why I get so annoyed when people refer to SL screenshots as 'photos' They aren't. They are screenshots, renders of SL. Photography refers to something in the real world. 'photo' itself - refers to light. Rendering is what you do with 3D models. Screenshotting is what you do with 'real time 3D graphics / games' like SL. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nalates Urriah Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 Even once I know a designer's stuff usually fits me, I still try the demo. Some stuff that looks good on the model in the promo picture, I don't like on me. I am also interested in the ACI and script load. I have to have the Demo to get those numbers. The good designers are pretty consistent in these areas. But, they do make mistakes and sometimes forego optimizations for better looks of some garments. I want to walk with my animations to check poke-through. I have some awesome dresses that suck when I walk. With good designers, the poke-through is usually small spots. I have to decide if it is too much for me... With cheap things... I may buy them without a demo. Cheap like L$100 or less. But, I think that encourages the designer to forego making the demos. So, I do resist purchasing anything without a demo. But, cute can out weight my resistance. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pussycat Catnap Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 (edited) 23 hours ago, Pussycat Catnap said: See my link to Daz3d. That is 'render' - an application to 'render' 3D models into art: stills or animation. This is why I get so annoyed when people refer to SL screenshots as 'photos' They aren't. They are screenshots, renders of SL. Photography refers to something in the real world. 'photo' itself - refers to light. Rendering is what you do with 3D models. Screenshotting is what you do with 'real time 3D graphics / games' like SL. I know screenshot sounds... "like it's not art" and we know that a really well made screenshot of SL is art, the same way a really photo isn't just a snapshot. In animation... there is a term that turns "video capture of gameplay" to art: machinema. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machinima I'm not aware of a similar term for screenshots, which surprises me. I suspect one does exist and I simply don't know it... The term "render" could apply as well, but is actually more specific to a 'screenshot of a composition for art' - it is basically more akin to the result of 'digital sculpture'. Yet most Daz3D users don't do ANY modeling. What they do is actually a LOT closer to what a group of SL users posing avatars do... but with vastly more advanced tools for controlling composition, lighting, and so on. So... screenshot is really the only "legit term" left... yet presently lacks 'artistic respect' because like photography... it covers BOTH art and 'point and click', and I don't think anyone has yet even tried to 'win the art community war' on claiming the term as photographers once had to do and managed to succeed at over the decades. Edited March 15, 2018 by Pussycat Catnap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Voxel Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 Let’s not get pedantic with the word photograph in SL. The icon to take a “screenshot” is a camera. The sound it makes when you take a “screenshot” is an old Polaroid click. People treat them like pictures. Some people earn money as a photographer in SL. If it walks like a duck.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Zhaoying Posted March 15, 2018 Author Share Posted March 15, 2018 5 minutes ago, janetosilio said: The icon to take a “screenshot” is a camera. I thought the menu says “Snapshot”. So perhaps that is the missing word? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Voxel Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 43 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said: I thought the menu says “Snapshot”. So perhaps that is the missing word? You mean another thing that infers a photograph? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
Flickr
Recommended Posts
Please take a moment to consider if this thread is worth bumping.
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now