problem with alpha layers on classic female body...

[Sandra8675]

Recently I decided I wanted to go back on have an extra classic avi body I can use.  When I started sl I knew nothing about alpha layers or how to use them.  Now I have an understanding of what they are, how to apply them and when to use them.  But, this is what started happening...

I would add an alpha layer for the feet.  Then for some reason when I added separate skirt with no alpha layer and then a separate top with no alpha layer...  The shoes and shoe alpha layer would disappear.  IF...  I tried adding the top first, then the skirt then the shoe alpha and the shoes to switch up the order...  At times the skirt would disappear or the top would vanish.  Basically...  I could not get the entire outfit on no matter what I did because one of the pieces kept disappearing.  

If it makes a difference at all...  The entire outfit was free.  And the boots were thigh highs, skirt was mini and top was normal fitting tank top.

I appreciate your advice.  I'd like to get an entire outfit on her one day.  smile

[Alyona Su]

These are system clothes and you can only wear one at a time, if you are wearing an alpha made from a system pant or skirt then put on an actual pant or skirt, then it will replace the alpha pant or skirt. If you're creating your own alpha "clothes" then perhaps create them on a tattoo object, rather than a skirt or pants object, etc. It's not difficult to create new system clothing and tattoo items.

[wesleytron]

2 hours ago, Sandra8675 said:

I would add an alpha layer for the feet.  Then for some reason when I added separate skirt with no alpha layer and then a separate top with no alpha layer...  The shoes and shoe alpha layer would disappear.  IF...  I tried adding the top first, then the skirt then the shoe alpha and the shoes to switch up the order...  At times the skirt would disappear or the top would vanish.  Basically...  I could not get the entire outfit on no matter what I did because one of the pieces kept disappearing. 

Okay... I'm a little confused about what the problem is and even more confused about Alyona's answer! 😆

What do you mean by 'alpha layer'? Are you referring to the system clothing layer used to hide parts of your body? For instance so that you can wear the boots without the feet and parts of the legs showing through? When you're adding the skirt and the top, are these mesh items or 'classic' clothing layers?

As far as I am aware, there are no limits to how many alpha layers you can wear (it used to be 5 of each type of clothing layer, which included alpha layers), although I think there is a maximum amount of clothing layers you can wear in total.

However, to wear more than one alpha layer, then you have to use 'Add'. If you select 'Wear' then this will replace any layer of the same type.

Adding or even 'wearing' any other system clothing layer that isn't an alpha layer (eg pants, shirt, jacket etc) shouldn't be removing any alpha layers.

On the otherhand, if the top and skirt are mesh items, and you are added them to your avatar by 'wearing', and not 'adding', the folder they are contained in, then that will apply any alpha layers contained in the folder and replace any other alpha layer you were wearing.

In a nutshell - "Add" don't "Wear"... unless your problem is something completely different that has gone over my head!

[Fritigern Gothly]

4 hours ago, Alyona Su said:

These are system clothes and you can only wear one at a time

This is incorrect, although it USED to be true. It was changed in... I believe 2010, but I am not 100% certain of that year.
Of each type of system clothing, you can wear up to 5 system items at a time. Simply "add" instead of "wear". I have used this feature many times, for example to wear a combination of cleavage enhancers (my fave ones did not come as tattoo, but as a series of undershirts) or to wear multiple makeup tattoos (I always bought separate eyeshadow and lipstick tattoos so I could mix & match). This feature also allows you to combine alpha layers (example: "body no head", + "head, no body" works great) 
See also :

 

5 hours ago, Sandra8675 said:

I would add an alpha layer for the feet.  Then for some reason when I added separate skirt with no alpha layer and then a separate top with no alpha layer...  The shoes and shoe alpha layer would disappear.  IF...  I tried adding the top first, then the skirt then the shoe alpha and the shoes to switch up the order...  At times the skirt would disappear or the top would vanish.  Basically...  I could not get the entire outfit on no matter what I did because one of the pieces kept disappearing.  

A picture could have helped us visualise what is going on. The way it sounds to me now is that there is system clothing with an alpha channel (not to be confused with alpha layers!) which glitches out when it meets another item with an alpha channel although I must say that I have never seen this, and I don't even know if it's possible.

Note that your graphics mode could also affect how you see your avatar. Like, if you use advanced lighting (aka Ultra mode), then for instance invisiprims don't work the way they used to, as in that they no longer hide your system feet. So if you use Ultra mode, try turning down your graphics mode and see if that helps any.

Other than this, there's not much that I can contribute, although I would like to try that freebie outfit for myself and see if I can reproduce your problem annd

AFTERTHOUGHT: I remember from back in my non-mesh days, my system clothing glitching out in weird ways when I viewed myself through prim with a (semi)transparent texture so make sure that your view of yourself is unobstructed, and that includes HUDs.

 

Edited August 3, 2019 by Fritigern Gothly
Afterthought added

[Alyona Su]

24 minutes ago, Fritigern Gothly said:

Of each type of system clothing, you can wear up to 5 system items at a time.

Ahah, thanks for updating me. I haven't played with my old system avie in a long time.

Edited August 3, 2019 by Alyona Su

[Theresa Tennyson]

16 hours ago, Fritigern Gothly said:

This is incorrect, although it USED to be true. It was changed in... I believe 2010, but I am not 100% certain of that year.
Of each type of system clothing, you can wear up to 5 system items at a time.

 

That is also now incorrect. There's now no limit on the number of individual types of system wearables you can use as long as you're under a maximum number that I don't remember off the top of my head but is over 50  - i.e. you can wear 30 alphas and 20 tattoos.

[wesleytron]

I guess I'm invisible! I did say:

19 hours ago, wesleytron said:

there are no limits to how many alpha layers you can wear (it used to be 5 of each type of clothing layer, which included alpha layers), although I think there is a maximum amount of clothing layers you can wear in total. 

 

[Fritigern Gothly]

9 minutes ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

That is also now incorrect. There's now no limit on the number of individual types of system wearables you can use as long as you're under a maximum number that I don't remember off the top of my head but is over 50  - i.e. you can wear 30 alphas and 20 tattoos.

Really? Oh, I must try this now, let's break this thing! LOL!!!!

[Coby Foden]

21 hours ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

There's now no limit on the number of individual types of system wearables you can use as long as you're under a maximum number that I don't remember off the top of my head but is over 50  - i.e. you can wear 30 alphas and 20 tattoos.

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Limits

• Max. # of clothing layers - 60 including alpha, tattoo, shoe base, physics, socks, gloves, undershirt, underpants, shirt, pants, jacket, skirt.
• On viewers before Second Life Release 3.7.29.301305, the potential total was still 60, but limited to 5 items of each type.
• In any case, only one each of shape, skin, eyes and hair base may be worn.

 

[Sandra8675]

thank you everyone for your insight.  I started a second avi account and decided to use an avi classic body thinking I'd be better at figuring things out this time around.  The only alpha I was using was for the feet so I could wear thigh high boots that did come with the outfit.  The skirt and top did come with alpha layers but i decided not to use them when i saw all the issue of either the top or the bottom disappearing.  Next time I'm in that account I will make a point of taking a picture and hopefully locating the outfit name.  If I continue to have problems I guess i can buy a body.  I was just not wishing to do that with the second account.  I'll take some images, post them and wait to see what others think.

[Fritigern Gothly]

4 hours ago, Sandra8675 said:

Next time I'm in that account I will make a point of taking a picture and hopefully locating the outfit name. 

That would be very welcome. With the outfit's name, we can try things for ourselves, and pictures could help put us on the right track to figuring out what's going wrong and why.