Completely new at this! Where to start with creating content?

[Angelskiss2007]

Hi everyone. :) I've recently (I mean last night! lol) joined SL, and find it amazing, yet overwhelming. I've been a content creator for IMVU (another 3D world program) for 5 years now, and I am interested in creating content for SL as well. I spent the night learning about land, building, and trying to find out what info I could about creation, though I was a bit overwhelmed by the pure amount of information there is out there lol. So, I purchased my first piece of land, started a basic (and I mean BASIC lol) shop, and am now excited to fill it!

 

The main question/request is this: What tools are there (tutorials, videos, blogs, etc) that I can use to learn more about creating custom content for sale? How do I place items in a shop for others to buy? I'm mainly interested in Furniture, Clothing, and Hair, and I also need to know how I can create ("customize"?) existing content, as I don't mesh yet.

 

I appreciate everyone's help in advanced, and I just want to say that I am so excited to be here. ^.^

 

Edited to add: I did read about settings [on products]. I would assume that I would want to set things to NOT copy, probably NOT customize, and then allow Transfer? Are these typical settings? I'd love to get some opinions on typically settings that creators use for their products.

 

Added question: Does anyone have favorite groups here on SL for advertising?

 

[Chelsea Malibu]

Welcome Angelskiss, I too have built in IMVU as well as Red Light Center and a number of games using the Unity 3D Platform.

What you find here is that this is a much more in depth building system that utilizes both uploaded content and inherent game engine tools.

There are a ton of tricks as most of what you see from advanced builders is really to work around a rather clunky system but in the end, I think we turn out some pretty good stuff in SL.  Something very unique to SL is flex prims and they themselves can take a couple of days to learn their function/use.

You will want to check out everything in the SL website first and download Chip Midnights templates for clothing. 

Two tools are used for object creations currently, Primitives (in inherent to the game) and Sculpts which are a rather crude way to render meshes using UV maps.

Soon we will have real mesh imports and you can test them currently in the beta.

I try to utilize about every tool available mostly due to the nature of my products which are lighting.  I use a lot of texture tools such as Glow, Full Bright and some forms of specular mapping, etc.

Feel free to come by my store to get some ideas on how the system can be used to create the look you want or contact me in world if you need any help.

 

 

 

[Angelskiss2007]

Thank you very much, that's definitely a great start. ^.^

[Melita Magic]

The easiest way to set something for sale is to rez a prim, put the product image on it, put the product inside the prim, and set the host prim to sell contents for (price.) Make sure you know how to set permissions on your products before you do that.

Join NCI and take some of their building classes. I'm sure many other people will tell you that also. They are supportive and very good at setting the basics as a foundation for you. You also get a copy of the class notes when you leave. If your time in world is limited, I think they also have a website with past class notes on it. Someone else can verify or deny that.

There are many you tube tutorial videos for various things in Second Life. Some are very good in fact most are. There are readable (web) tutorials online from Robin Sojourner Wood and one called The Mermaid Diaries. Sorry I don't have those links but you can try google.

I admire your enthusiasm. Good luck.

[Angelskiss2007]

That's really cool, thank you! I did read about settings. I would assume that I would want to set things to NOT copy, probably NOT customize, and then allow Transfer? Are these typical settings? I'd love to get some opinions on typically settings that creators use for their products.

[Peewee Musytari]

Visit the Ivory Tower and Builders Brewery.

[Angelskiss2007]

Thank you.

 

Added question: Does anyone have favorite groups here on SL for advertising?

[Thinkerer Melville]

Here is an intorductory article:

 Building 101 Start learning how to build

http://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2011/04/kit-building-101-start-learning-how-to.html

Thinkerer

 

 

[Melita Magic]

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Angelskiss2007 wrote:

I would assume that I would want to set things to NOT copy, probably NOT customize, and then allow Transfer? Are these typical settings? I'd love to get some opinions on typically settings that creators use for their products.

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Modify, Copy, and Transfer are the permissions available.

It all depends upon the product. For some things people love to have copy ability. I try not to buy plants or trees or landscaping flowers/ground cover which are not copyable. That's because I like to be able to put as many as I need to, and it's very hard to tell until it's on the land, how many I will need exactly. If something is very cheap and great quality, I might spring for no copy on that type of thing.

For clothing, things that need resizing, most people want to be able to modify a skirt, cuff, etc. Same with hair. Because of possible copybotting for a while resize scripts were popular. Now, because of possible upcoming sim script limits, modify is gaining ground again (just regular modifyable prims.) Sculpts that are worn need to fit, so really must be modifyable somehow. 

For most personal items the most popular permission set is modify, copy, no transfer. This means they can change the fit or shape of a prim, lengthen or shorten a glitch pant for instance, rename it something easier to find in search, and put it in more than one folder for easier inventory sorting. No transfer means they can never give it away or resell it.

Some people prefer no copy, no modify, yes transfer, if the item is something they want to give as a gift, or be able to resell later. Some things do not require more than one copy, and do not need to or are better if not modified, so those would be good candidates for this permission set. 

Some houses or skyboxes might be mod copy no transfer, and some might be no mod no copy yes transfer. It would depend on what their features were.

Sorry I lost my train of thought a bit as the phone took me away a while. But ask if anything is unclear.

[Peggy Paperdoll]

If you want to start from the beginning here's the link to the first Second Life forums:

 

http://forums-archive.secondlife.com/294/1.html

 

There's a ton of information posted by the original creators of content for SL from the very beginning.  The "stickies" posted in each sub-forum contain almost all the basics for content creation.  The forums were closed over 2 years ago so no new posts have been added but, really, the basics for any content creation in SL have not changed at all.  It'll probably take several hours to skim everything (and days to read it all) but I believe it will give you a good start.  You'll see all the arguments concerning how to set permiisions.........how permissions can be abused or exploited and advantages for each combination of permissions.

 

Bookmark the URL..........you'll find it a place you'll visit often once you get going with content creation in SL.  Good luck.

 

[Angelskiss2007]

Wow, these posts are amazingly helpful, thank you!!!!  I'm so excited. ^.^

[Angelskiss2007]

This is probably rather unconventional, but if anyone is interested and is also an IMVU member, I've started a group there to help transition IMVU members into SL. I'd love to see you guys there. Your helpfulness here will be reflected there, that's for sure.

 

http://www.imvu.com/groups/group/Second%2BLife%2BGateway/

[Melita Magic]

It's not unconventional. Your enthusiasm is a happiness injection around here. Lol. 

My groups are full up, but I am sure some will take you up on your offer. And, you can always steer the IMVU pilgrims into the forums. Take care.

[Angelskiss2007]

Thank you. ^.^ I'll probably start an advertising group here as well. Are they popular? I'm still trying to find what is used here as opposed to IMVU.

 

And I'm glad I can help cheer the place up a bit. ^.^ I'm naturally a bit overwhelmingly enthusiatic, but I feel like that will be to my benefit here.

[Indigo Mertel]

For another source of information, you may want to take a look at MetaLibrary. The blog offers a selection of tutorials and useful information available on the web for SL residents.

[Nefertiti Nefarious]

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What tools are there (tutorials, videos, blogs, etc) that I can use to learn more about creating custom content for sale?

In SL, click on SEARCH, select the Events tab, and then click Education for category. Take classes in building and clothing construction.

Natalia Zelmanov's Second Life Diary

has lots of tutorials. 

I did read about settings [on products]. I would assume that I would want to set things to NOT copy, probably NOT customize, and then allow Transfer? Are these typical settings? I'd love to get some opinions on typically settings that creators use for their products. 

The "right" settings are a matter of opinion: I won't buy clothing or furniture that can't be modified because that means I can't change the size to fit my avatar and the setting.

Most of what I sell is Mod/Transfer so it can be resized to suit the buyer, and can be given away or resold. A few are Mod/Copy so the buyer can make lots of them (the cups in tea sets, for example).

 

[Angelskiss2007]

These are all great pieces of advice, thank you everyone! ^.^ My first 2 days have been full of learning, that's for sure! ^.^

[Penny Patton]

I would recommend selling things as modifiable, copyable and non-transferable.

SL differs from IMVU in that we have an extreme amount of freedom in creating our avatar. If you created a pair of boots that fit your avatar perfectly, chances are they will not fit most other avatars without some amount of modifying beyond simply re-sizing. Maybe your avatar has very thin legs, someone with more natural legs would need to stretch the boots out in terms of width, rather than grow them in all dimensions. 

Hair often needs modifying to fit people's head sizes and shapes, and will always need modifying if someone wants to wear a hat or other headgear with your hair. A prim coat doesn't just replace an avatar's torso, it actually needs to be fitted to the avatar's existing shape on a case by case basis.

No-mod severely limits what one can do with a product, to the point of making no-mod attachments unwearable for most people who care about detail in appearances.

[Angelskiss2007]

"I would recommend selling things as modifiable, copyable and non-transferable."

Yeah, after more research after my initial question, I came to that conclusion, too. ^.^  The modify concept had me a bit confused, but now its much more clear.

 

Thank you! ^.^