The SL Mesh Starter Avatars

[Draymore Jonstone]

I don't quite know how to ask the question because my knowledge of MESH is pretty much non-existant but maybe I can say enough to be understandable. 

Those starter MESH avatars that you can choose to start....I am wondering if anyone knows how to customize them, as in, how can I add different clothing in particular?  When I attempt to put different clothing on them now, the alphas don't work (they don't hide the avatar parts they are supposed to etc) and the avatar ends up sticking out of the clothing.  Do I need some kind of applicator or is there a certain brand of Mesh out there that is close enough to them to use the clothing?

I don't know if that made any sense at all but if there is something I can clarify please ask and I'll try to answer.

 

Thanks!

[Cecilia Dallas]

No, that's perfectly clear to me.

And welcome to SL and the first of many oddities and things you will have questions about.

Now, this may be the wrong answer, but many of the clothes that fit on the base avatars I think come in various sizes and you might need to pick a different size that's larger than you might want to actually hide. I haven't used a basic avatar in a while, and forget how alphas work (or don't!). Someone I'm sure will be along soon to correct me.

Welcome! Just stick with it, I promise it gets easier and usually less frustrating.

Usually

[Nalates Urriah]

There once was a single way that avatars worked. But with the addition of what we call "mesh" that changed. For a time we used stand alone mesh attachment bodies and heads that required HUDs (appliers) to change skin, tats, etc. and body opacity was controlled by the body's HUD.

Now we have reached a point where the original 'one-way' works again. Literally the old Classic way works, the Mesh Applier Era way works, and the revised 'Classic' or aka BOM ways works too. But they don't mix easily.

Some of the Library avatars still use the HUD controlled bodies and heads. They need an Applier (HUD) to switch them to use the BOM (Bakes On Mesh) system, with which alpha layers work. You have probably tied to use an older non-BOM body with a system layer alpha from the Classic or BOM era. Its a mix and match that does NOT work.

[Teagan Tobias]

 

Well, here is another answer...

The starter avatars are just that, starter avatars. They are not supported by creators and for the most part you can not get clothing for them other than what they have on (to the best of my knowledge). Its hard enough to get clothing for a main stream mesh avatar, clothing is made specifically for one body and one body only. Now a lot of clothing comes in sizes to fit lots of mesh avatars but most of the time not all of them. And a lot of the time you will find creators that make clothing for only one or two mesh avatars bodies.

Check closely when you buy clothing that your avatar size is included.

The fit of mesh clothing is VERY specific to the avatar mesh body it is rigged to and almost never can be worn by another mesh body.

 

[Maitimo]

11 hours ago, Draymore Jonstone said:

I don't quite know how to ask the question because my knowledge of MESH is pretty much non-existant but maybe I can say enough to be understandable. 

Those starter MESH avatars that you can choose to start....I am wondering if anyone knows how to customize them, as in, how can I add different clothing in particular?  When I attempt to put different clothing on them now, the alphas don't work (they don't hide the avatar parts they are supposed to etc) and the avatar ends up sticking out of the clothing.  Do I need some kind of applicator or is there a certain brand of Mesh out there that is close enough to them to use the clothing?

Those starter mesh bodies are absolutely awful and cannot be customised in any way. They can't use BOM, or other skins. They can't wear any clothes except the one outfit they are provided with. Because there is no alpha hud and no facility to use alpha masks, they can't wear any other outfits. The scope for customisation is basically limited to changing the hair (which will probably fit) but nothing more than that. The worst part about these mesh avatars is that the outfits weren't even compatible with each other.

The only options available for changing your clothes are one of these (in order of preference/usability):

1) Detach the starter mesh body, send it to trash and replace it with a proper mesh body with a name like Maitreya, Belleza, Legacy, Signature or Slink (you'll have to pay for this), and wear clothing made for that named body.  (Maitreya is female only, the others make bodies for both, with Belleza and Signature being the best supported for men)

2) Detach the starter mesh body, send it to trash and get by with the classic system body only, wearing mesh clothing in Standard Sizes (the ones labelled S, M, L, XL etc) with alpha layers. The main drawback here is really ugly hands and feet.

3) Detach the starter mesh body, send it to trash and get a free "Ruth" or "Roth" body from the Marketplace. Use clothing in Standard Sizes with alpha layers as above. They don't fit well but they are adequate and you can at least use BOM and alphas.  These bodies are marginally less ugly than the classic body, but not by much.

 

[Marianne Little]

The only correct answer is no, they are not possible to customize. The replies you got about mesh starter avatars having a HUD or BoM is wrong.

It is done to not take the market away from mesh body and head creators that sell them, and give SL an income when they take a cut of buying, selling Linden money and also converting linden money to US dollar and take it out of SL.

Teagan and Maitimo's replies is correct.

[Theresa Tennyson]

15 hours ago, Draymore Jonstone said:

I don't quite know how to ask the question because my knowledge of MESH is pretty much non-existant but maybe I can say enough to be understandable. 

Those starter MESH avatars that you can choose to start....I am wondering if anyone knows how to customize them, as in, how can I add different clothing in particular?  When I attempt to put different clothing on them now, the alphas don't work (they don't hide the avatar parts they are supposed to etc) and the avatar ends up sticking out of the clothing.  Do I need some kind of applicator or is there a certain brand of Mesh out there that is close enough to them to use the clothing?

I don't know if that made any sense at all but if there is something I can clarify please ask and I'll try to answer.

 

Thanks!

What was the "name" of the avatar you're trying to use as a base? The mesh starter avatars haven't been common for years, and they never used alphas for clothing because that wasn't a function that they supported. You may be using a "classic" avatar that you think is mesh.

[Marianne Little]

14 minutes ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

What was the "name" of the avatar you're trying to use as a base? The mesh starter avatars haven't been common for years, and they never used alphas for clothing because that wasn't a function that they supported. You may be using a "classic" avatar that you think is mesh.

Last time I looked at the starter avatars, the mesh ones was called: People. But that is a while ago.

[Draymore Jonstone]

Hello again,

First, thank you to everyone that replied and tried to help.  Thank you a lot.

6 hours ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

What was the "name" of the avatar you're trying to use as a base? The mesh starter avatars haven't been common for years, and they never used alphas for clothing because that wasn't a function that they supported. You may be using a "classic" avatar that you think is mesh.

The name of the avatar I am currently working with is:  "Zombie Ian." 

From the answers I have sounds like I won't be able to find anything to change him up very much.  That is cool, since I was struggling I figured maybe there was something I just didn't know.

Edited November 3, 2021 by Draymore Jonstone
Photo added for illustration purposes

[SpiritSparrow Skydancer]

Let me just ad that some role play regions and some clubs/venues do not allow default avatars. Just be aware of that when making decisions. 😀

[Draymore Jonstone]

2 hours ago, Tarina Sewell said:

Let me just ad that some role play regions and some clubs/venues do not allow default avatars. Just be aware of that when making decisions. 😀

Oh gosh really?  Well, I'll just have to avoid all those regions.  Thanks for your help!