System avatar improvements

[Quistess Alpha]

Someone (forget who) on a different thread (forget which) suggested the onboarding experience would be better if the default avatar wasn't ****, and I got to thinking ; How hard would it actually be to "fix" the default avatar? the following points came to mind (in no particular order)

- Bento Rigging

I don't see why the system avatar's hands couldn't be rigged. Rigging the face could lead to issues with the classic facial expressions.

-Materials Layer

Seems like it wouldn't be that hard to add a new type of classic/BOM clothing, called a "material" that would let you add normal and specular maps.

- Mesh data/smooth rendering.

Controversial opinion perhaps, but I think the system default head/face is pretty decent. The body. . . could use some work. Is the system avatar mesh data stored on the asset servers or in the viewer? if the latter, maybe some unscrupulous tpv could push the verts around just a hair? or maybe make some deal with the ruth/roth project ? then strong-arm everyone else into conformity?

Just some thoughts.

[Chris Corvinus]

The default avatars def need a makeover as they are just dated af. However, for being free, they are "good enough".

Which brings me to a tiered subscription model for SL based on the multiple body, head, and skin creators that SL has. LL should make deals with these creators to develop a new tier of membership (Premium Plus), that offers multiple body/head types and styles/shapes. New users can choose a Maitreya body with a Catwa head. A Belleza Freya with a LeL head. Skin options could also be available. Basically create your avatar and log in. 

Im also from the future. 

[Psyche Starling]

16 hours ago, Chris Nova said:

The default avatars def need a makeover as they are just dated af. However, for being free, they are "good enough".

Which brings me to a tiered subscription model for SL based on the multiple body, head, and skin creators that SL has. LL should make deals with these creators to develop a new tier of membership (Premium Plus), that offers multiple body/head types and styles/shapes. New users can choose a Maitreya body with a Catwa head. A Belleza Freya with a LeL head. Skin options could also be available. Basically create your avatar and log in. 

Im also from the future. 

Hmmm...I don't think I'd have wanted to lock myself into a specific mesh body until I'd spent some time in-world. I think it was valuable for me to (1) learn how to use system clothes, which helped with BOM later; (b) learn by experience how little clothing support there was for system avatars, (c) also learn by experience that the body I liked best aesthetically wasn't supported by a couple of my favorite designers, and then (d) finally settle on one to stick with. And I'd have had zero clue on heads.

[Chris Corvinus]

8 hours ago, BookishMelinoe said:

Hmmm...I don't think I'd have wanted to lock myself into a specific mesh body until I'd spent some time in-world. I think it was valuable for me to (1) learn how to use system clothes, which helped with BOM later; (b) learn by experience how little clothing support there was for system avatars, (c) also learn by experience that the body I liked best aesthetically wasn't supported by a couple of my favorite designers, and then (d) finally settle on one to stick with. And I'd have had zero clue on heads.

You wouldnt be locking yourself into any single body. Youre not locked into the default body. But you made a good point about how new people start out and its very diffacult to learn SL. LL's current tutorial is just garbage and less than basic and it needs an extreme makeover as badly as their website. 

[animats]

One approach would simply to have have animesh avatars. Animesh are basically modern mesh avatars, minus the legacy stuff. Animesh have a skeleton, which can be full bento, and a skin. (Some of my animesh NPCs are full bento.) To that you can link rigged mesh clothes. You can also create a new texture for the skin, with legacy-type clothing painted on. There's no legacy avatar underneath to be hidden, no onion layers, etc. Animesh have less excess baggage.

What animesh don't have is a connection to the Bakes on Mesh server or to the Wear Clothing system. Nor do they have attach points. They're not hooked into the clothing user interface. There was supposed to be an Animesh Phase 2, where that would be added, but that was never implemented.

3 hours ago, Chris Nova said:

LL's current tutorial is just garbage and less than basic and it needs an extreme makeover as badly as their website. 

Yes! New Resident Island has a good tutorial on modern avatars, and you get a free Ruth or Roth. There's not much clothing that fits Ruth and Roth very well, but there is some.

I'd argue for an introductory tutorial along the lines of the one at NRI, where you get one good bento mesh BOM avatar and about a half dozen good rigged mesh outfits. New users should be told that's how avatars work now. Tell them there are some old legacy avatars around that older users still use, and they still work, but are obsolete.

Here's a way to improve the new user experience. Put New User Clothing areas adjacent to new user hubs, where you can see the starter avatars on pose stands and the clothing collections that go with them. Avatar makers should be allowed to have stores there, with a portal to their main store. The price of having a store there is providing a free starter avatar kit for new users, with an avatar and some basic items of clothing. Each new user gets to look at the samples and gets one free starter kit. Competition for market share will encourage creators to participate.

Edited April 24, 2021 by animats

[Chris Corvinus]

4 hours ago, animats said:

One approach would simply to have have animesh avatars. Animesh are basically modern mesh avatars, minus the legacy stuff. Animesh have a skeleton, which can be full bento, and a skin. (Some of my animesh NPCs are full bento.) To that you can link rigged mesh clothes. You can also create a new texture for the skin, with legacy-type clothing painted on. There's no legacy avatar underneath to be hidden, no onion layers, etc. Animesh have less excess baggage.

What animesh don't have is a connection to the Bakes on Mesh server or to the Wear Clothing system. Nor do they have attach points. They're not hooked into the clothing user interface. There was supposed to be an Animesh Phase 2, where that would be added, but that was never implemented.

Yes! New Resident Island has a good tutorial on modern avatars, and you get a free Ruth or Roth. There's not much clothing that fits Ruth and Roth very well, but there is some.

I'd argue for an introductory tutorial along the lines of the one at NRI, where you get one good bento mesh BOM avatar and about a half dozen good rigged mesh outfits. New users should be told that's how avatars work now. Tell them there are some old legacy avatars around that older users still use, and they still work, but are obsolete.

Here's a way to improve the new user experience. Put New User Clothing areas adjacent to new user hubs, where you can see the starter avatars on pose stands and the clothing collections that go with them. Avatar makers should be allowed to have stores there, with a portal to their main store. The price of having a store there is providing a free starter avatar kit for new users, with an avatar and some basic items of clothing. Each new user gets to look at the samples and gets one free starter kit. Competition for market share will encourage creators to participate.

Great idea except theres zero market for default avatar clothing. Especially when Freebie Galaxy exists. 

[Mollymews]

4 minutes ago, Chris Nova said:

Great idea except theres zero market for default avatar clothing

is starting to make a comeback with BoM

some who have been into making appliers are now releasing BoM versions. And the number of these people doing this is increasing, not only releasing new work on the tattoo layer, but also as BoM items on the classic Underwear, Socks, Shirt, Pants and Jacket layers. Which I find pretty useful in organising my Clothing folder same as I used to in the olden days