Need Help Making An Avatar

[ayeharmony23]

I've been on Second Life for a little bit, but I am really struggling with the avatar customization. I just need some help creating the look I am going for. I'm trying to make my avatar look like me but better if that makes sense. 

[ayeharmony23]

pictures of me for reference

[TrophySpouse]

26 minutes ago, ayeharmony23 said:

I've been on Second Life for a little bit, but I am really struggling with the avatar customization. I just need some help creating the look I am going for. I'm trying to make my avatar look like me but better if that makes sense. 

Makes perfect sense.

My advice is to take your time and be patient. They say "Rome wasn't built in a day."  Shape, skin, and mesh body & head accounts for the final look of your avatar.  So (continue to) pick up a bunch of demos for heads and skins that looks appealing to you and experiment with shape and hairbase/brow sliders until you get the look you're after.

[Chris Corvinus]

4 hours ago, ayeharmony23 said:

I've been on Second Life for a little bit, but I am really struggling with the avatar customization. I just need some help creating the look I am going for. I'm trying to make my avatar look like me but better if that makes sense. 

I would go with Belleza Freya for the body and maybe try Genus or Lelutka for the head. As for skins, your best matches would be Enfer Sombre, Sessions, or Deetalez. 

[Rowan Amore]

Although Freya is nice, that brand hasn't been updated in heaven knows how long.  It may never be.  Maitreya still seems to be the go to for most people for many reason.  Low triangle count (less lag) and perhaps the most support from content creators.  I, personally, love Legacy but it, too, has a lot of things people hate.  Super high triangle count, the HUD is tied to media and an off site server.  It just has an overall softer look than Maitreya.

Heads are mostly the 3 top names.  Lelutka, Catwa and Genus.  As @TrophySpousementioned,  demo them all with skins you like for the respective heads.  Skins made for one head may not look as good on another.  I usually use the base shape that comes with the skin and adjust face and body to my liking.

Biggest thing.   Demo, demo, Demo!

 

[RitaCallisto]

10 minutes ago, Rowan Amore said:

Although Freya is nice, that brand hasn't been updated in heaven knows how long.  It may never be.  Maitreya still seems to be the go to for most people for many reason.  Low triangle count (less lag) and perhaps the most support from content creators.  I, personally, love Legacy but it, too, has a lot of things people hate.  Super high triangle count, the HUD is tied to media and an off site server.  It just has an overall softer look than Maitreya.

Heads are mostly the 3 top names.  Lelutka, Catwa and Genus.  As @TrophySpousementioned,  demo them all with skins you like for the respective heads.  Skins made for one head may not look as good on another.  I usually use the base shape that comes with the skin and adjust face and body to my liking.

Biggest thing.   Demo, demo, Demo!

 

According to the Belleza FB something is coming. Hints be droppin'. Probably too late at this point, but as somebody who likes Belleza i'd be happy for it.

Legacy is a lagbeast for sure.. The server thing is the worst part of it. The HUD breaks for me all the freaking time(and thus I have to redeliver to fix it).

[ayeharmony23]

thank you guys. I have a slink body for right now and a genius head. I'm slowly figuring it out. thank youuuuu

[Maitimo]

Slink is a decent choice, and the redux BOM (Bakes on Mesh) is very easy to use, much easier than either Legacy or Belleza would be. I'd have to disagree with @Chris Nova on Freya though, it's got too much boob, I don't think it will go down as low as what the OP would need. Isis could do it but there's much less clothing available for Isis and I don't think anyone is making new stuff for it. Maitreya would be the logical next choice.

The softer, curvy look can be achieved with the right slider settings (I'd go for at least 20 - 30 on Bodyfat, and don't make yourself very tall) and the right skin (Pink Fuel and 7 Deadly Skins are two I know offhand that would do body skins like this). 

For hair, I'd look at Doux first, they do a LOT of styles similar to yours. Go for the Basic pack, not the Blogger/Deluxe pack to begin with. You'll need to look in the mainstore in-world, the Marketplace store is limited. After Doux, try Exile and Stealthic.

Tattoos similar to the ones you have can be found by the thousands and with BOM you can mix them together, wearing several at once so you needn't worry about one that has the right parts all over. Do remember that when using BOM, you'll have the same tattoo on both arms, though Slink bodies include a kit called the Asymmetry Harness which allows you to put a different tattoo on one arm. 

[Janet Voxel]

As much as I like hourglass it’s really not supported as far as clothes and shoes go. If you’re going to go shopping at events, you’re really going to feel it.

Im throwing my vote in for legacy or maitreya as far as bodies go. With legacy you can go with perky, which is the smaller boob option and Maitreya has a smaller boob add on too. Both of which have good support.

As far as skins go Mila kind of has the vibe you’re giving.

Heads it’s basically Genus, Lelutka or Catwa. You’re really going to have to demo here because heads are going to be the most expensive purchase. You might’ve missed a sale for the new Lelutka heads. So take your time with your shape and head choice.

You definitely want to go BOM for head and body since that gives you the most options for customization as far as tattoos and details go.

[Rowan Amore]

I did a little testing last night.  Maitreya vs Legacy.  I didn't have any noticeable difference in lag at an extremely busy place.  I've also been using it for awhile now and have never had an issue with the HUD.  I do wish it weren't tied to an external server but I rarely use it unless changing foot height.  

[TrophySpouse]

Slink is a nice body.  Fortunately for women, clothes are easier to find. (Can't say the same thing for men.)

While Maitreya dominates the market, Slink compatible clothes can still be found. This flickr group can give you some ideas on where to find them: https://www.flickr.com/groups/slinkyenhancements/pool/

 

Edited May 22, 2021 by TrophySpouse
added a link

[Chris Corvinus]

16 hours ago, Maitimo said:

Slink is a decent choice, and the redux BOM (Bakes on Mesh) is very easy to use, much easier than either Legacy or Belleza would be. I'd have to disagree with @Chris Nova on Freya though, it's got too much boob, I don't think it will go down as low as what the OP would need. Isis could do it but there's much less clothing available for Isis and I don't think anyone is making new stuff for it. Maitreya would be the logical next choice.

The softer, curvy look can be achieved with the right slider settings (I'd go for at least 20 - 30 on Bodyfat, and don't make yourself very tall) and the right skin (Pink Fuel and 7 Deadly Skins are two I know offhand that would do body skins like this). 

For hair, I'd look at Doux first, they do a LOT of styles similar to yours. Go for the Basic pack, not the Blogger/Deluxe pack to begin with. You'll need to look in the mainstore in-world, the Marketplace store is limited. After Doux, try Exile and Stealthic.

Tattoos similar to the ones you have can be found by the thousands and with BOM you can mix them together, wearing several at once so you needn't worry about one that has the right parts all over. Do remember that when using BOM, you'll have the same tattoo on both arms, though Slink bodies include a kit called the Asymmetry Harness which allows you to put a different tattoo on one arm. 

No ones making anything new for Slink, thats why I didnt mention it. But yes, Slink would do too. 

[MoiraKathleen]

4 hours ago, Chris Nova said:

No ones making anything new for Slink, thats why I didnt mention it. But yes, Slink would do too. 

No true that no one is making anything new for Slink. There are still creators, at least one even being an original mesh creator and often at a couple of events, that still include both of the Slink female bodies in their new clothing releases. 

[ayeharmony23]

I heard that Slink was a good starter body so I got that so I just figure out what I am doing first. 

[Jennifer Boyle]

I am probably the least knowledgeable person to post a response, but I do have a couple of comments that I think are pertinent.

I have no experience with female bodies other than Maitreya, and I am very satisfied with mine. I am not well-informed about the feature sets of other bodies. I do have a male alt that has a Slink body, and from experience with it know of one deficiency in Slink that I consider major---you can't wear applier layers and BOM/system layers at the same time. There are two different versions, one that supports applier layers and another "Redux" version that supports BOM. I have many items as appliers that I don't have BOM/system versions of, and I have BOM items that I don't have appliers for. I want to use both. Another advantage of the Maitreya layers is that wearing asymmetrical arm tattoos is a piece of cake---you just wear two layers with opposite arms hidden. I find it very helpful to be able to use alpha cuts and alpha masks at the same time, as I have many autohiders and many alpha masks; they each have advantages and disadvantages compared with the other.

I don't know if other bodies have automatic foot-positioner scripts available like Maitreya does. It is a feature that I really like and constantly use.

From what I've read, I would expect that the Petite Maitreya add-on would allow one to have small boobs with a pleasing shape. Breast deformers are an option, too, if needed. I don't have the Petite add-on, so I didn't try it, but I was able to achieve a reasonably satisfactory result, I thought, just using shape sliders and the breast deformer I almost always wear. The result is shown below. In the pictures I am wearing five Maitreya (applier) clothing layers and nine BOM layers.

Finally, the amount of work goes up exponentially when you try to closely reproduce a particular face. You not only need to try a lot more demos a lot more thoroughly, but you'll likely spend many hours tweaking shape sliders. If you can be satisfied with a face that is only similar but not the same, your work will be very, very much less. Can you get close enough by picking a head that looks similar to what you want with the shape that comes with it and tweaking the sliders a little?

Edited May 24, 2021 by Jennifer Boyle

[Ceka Cianci]

I found a pretty nice free body on accident.. It's called The LucyBody.

I got it from a midnight madness board.. it's the only thing on the board and it seems like they are keeping it on a loop as a promotion for the body..

At first I couldn't find any clothes for it, then decided to try clothes for my other bodies.. Maitreya clothes fit it really nice so far and haven't had to really use any of the alphas under the clothes but maybe on a couple items on the shoulders and arm..

The only thing I had to buy was the hud that makes it Bakes on Mesh, which was $L197.

I just figured I would mention it as another option..

 

I went back and land marked it if wanted to give it a try.. All you have to do is when you land, the midnight madness sign is right there.. You just click that sign and it should add you to the next time it ends.. Then it will send you  the body..

The Bom hud is right under the midnight madness sign..

Also over where they have the body for sale, there are some extras like, freckles and moles and things like that.. I can't remember if I paid for those or not..

This is the SLurl for the body if you are interested..

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Coral Reef/22/44/2003

 

If someone is looking for a free body, like someone new to SL, it's a good body to try out, I think.

 

 

 

 

[Karl Herber]

12 hours ago, Jennifer Boyle said:

I have no experience with female bodies other than Maitreya, and I am very satisfied with mine. I am not well-informed about the feature sets of other bodies. I do have a male alt that has a Slink body, and from experience with it know of one deficiency in Slink that I consider major---you can't wear applier layers and BOM/system layers at the same time. There are two different versions, one that supports applier layers and another "Redux" version that supports BOM.

I use Hourglass, and actually you can use both together, if you use the original (non-Redux) version.  This version can be converted to BOM the old-fashioned way, using the Omega relay from Omega Solutions. So you can then use a BOM skin and tattoo layers, with applier layers over the top. The only drawback to this, is it will not accept system alphas, you can only use the hud for alpha. 

It is never possible, with any body, to have any BOM at all if you have an applier skin. That applies to all bodies including Slink and Maitreya.

I set this version up for myself to use just in case, but so far I have not used it. I still don't own any body appliers.

[Nalates Urriah]

On 5/22/2021 at 5:41 PM, Chris Nova said:

No ones making anything new for Slink, thats why I didnt mention it. But yes, Slink would do too. 

Slink is not as well supported as Maitreya. But many designers are making new stuff for Slink. Chis is just wrong. TrophySpouse has provided a link to promos posted on Flickr. Check the dates on those images. There are 30+ designers that posted their new stuff in the last two days. (And this post has to be short as there are a couple of things I have to go buy.)

However, there are some top designers that do not support Slink. So, Slink users have to explorer more shops and collect them to find stuff they "have to" have.

I spent a long time deciding on a body. I decided on Slink and stayed with it. I like the slim womanish look of Slink Original. When I started to suffer some body-clothes envy I looked through a lot of other bodies. Of course Maitreya was in the group. I finally went with Slink's Hourglass. I still think the butt is too big. Even on the smallest settings. However I blame it on the clothes making it 'look' big... right.

With all the others I found things I really didn't like. But in most cases it was personal taste stuff. Maitreya shoulders annoy me no end. But most aren't bothered by them. The overall result is in my opinion is anybody you like will work and won't be a mistake. There simply is no universal agreed on"BEST".

The only possible exception is any body that depends on an external server. The server is an ongoing expense for the designer. At some point such servers will be retired and the body's control system will be crippled.

[Claireschen Hesten]

8 hours ago, Ceka Cianci said:

I found a pretty nice free body on accident.. It's called The LucyBody.

At first I couldn't find any clothes for it, then decided to try clothes for my other bodies.. Maitreya clothes fit it really nice so far 

Lucy is Maitreya compatible for clothes Slink compatible for shoes but you will need to increase the foot size to about 25 in appearance mode in order for shoes to fit properly 

[Ceka Cianci]

53 minutes ago, Claireschen Hesten said:

Lucy is Maitreya compatible for clothes Slink compatible for shoes but you will need to increase the foot size to about 25 in appearance mode in order for shoes to fit properly 

I just think it's a really nice body for free..  Well, free as long as the midnight madness thing is going on.

[Jennifer Boyle]

9 hours ago, Karly Kiyori said:

The only drawback to this, is it will not accept system alphas, you can only use the hud for alpha. 

It is never possible, with any body, to have any BOM at all if you have an applier skin.

That's a pretty big drawback, in addition to having to fool with Omega, since one of the big pluses of BOM is that you can have alpha masks that cover exactly what they need to.

Wouldn't a skin applier for the tattoo layer work?

[Chris Corvinus]

3 hours ago, Nalates Urriah said:

Slink is not as well supported as Maitreya. But many designers are making new stuff for Slink. Chis is just wrong. TrophySpouse has provided a link to promos posted on Flickr. Check the dates on those images. There are 30+ designers that posted their new stuff in the last two days. (And this post has to be short as there are a couple of things I have to go buy.)

However, there are some top designers that do not support Slink. So, Slink users have to explorer more shops and collect them to find stuff they "have to" have.

I spent a long time deciding on a body. I decided on Slink and stayed with it. I like the slim womanish look of Slink Original. When I started to suffer some body-clothes envy I looked through a lot of other bodies. Of course Maitreya was in the group. I finally went with Slink's Hourglass. I still think the butt is too big. Even on the smallest settings. However I blame it on the clothes making it 'look' big... right.

With all the others I found things I really didn't like. But in most cases it was personal taste stuff. Maitreya shoulders annoy me no end. But most aren't bothered by them. The overall result is in my opinion is anybody you like will work and won't be a mistake. There simply is no universal agreed on"BEST".

The only possible exception is any body that depends on an external server. The server is an ongoing expense for the designer. At some point such servers will be retired and the body's control system will be crippled.

Do you read all the comments or just mine? I am glad Slink is still somewhat supported but I'm def not wrong.

On 5/22/2021 at 9:28 AM, Janet Voxel said:

As much as I like hourglass it’s really not supported as far as clothes and shoes go. If you’re going to go shopping at events, you’re really going to feel it.

 

[TrophySpouse]

10 hours ago, Chris Nova said:

Do you read all the comments or just mine? I am glad Slink is still somewhat supported but I'm def not wrong.

 

You must've ignored mine because you made your statement about absolute nonexistent Slink support right after I posted a Flickr Slink group link with recent activity.

We know what you said.  If nobody is making anything new for Slink there would be no posts in that flickr group dated May 2021. 

On 5/22/2021 at 8:41 PM, Chris Nova said:

No ones making anything new for Slink, thats why I didnt mention it. But yes, Slink would do too. 

I just checked the calendar and sure enough we're in May 2021.

[Chris Corvinus]

4 minutes ago, TrophySpouse said:

You must've ignored mine because you made your statement about absolute nonexistent Slink support right after I posted a Flickr Slink group link with recent activity.

We know what you said.  If nobody is making anything new for Slink there would be no posts in that flickr group dated May 2021. 

I just checked the calendar and sure enough we're in May 2021.

I dont know why youre confused. Saying its not supported as far as clothes and shoes go is more or less saying the same thing I said. If you go to shopping events, its pretty much non-existent. Obviously, youre right and theres still some support for it but not where I go. 

[PixelBerry]

Compared to Maitreya, Legacy, Kupra and Belleza freya, Slink got less support overall, it has always been that way, even when I was still wearing Slink hourglass, which is understandable because there is a ton of bodies out there now, and solo creators simply do not have time to create sizes for every single body there is, which is probably the reason why bigger brands with multiply people working on said brand still creates sizes for less popular bodies, either that or creators painfully goes trough hours of hours of work to try and satisfy every single costumer.

Edited May 26, 2021 by PixelBerry