Avi makeover after absence from SL - Need BOM assistance

[SandraWillow]

I returned to SL this week and have decided it is time for an avi makeover.  I have the Maitreya body already, so I just went to get the updated version.  I never got deep into mesh heads before I left.  I had an LAQ mesh head that was easy to set up.  I picked up the free gift and several demo heads from Lelutka to try on.  I am needing like some good videos or articles about using BOM, mesh heads, new skins, etc.  I am a total newbie to how to best utilize BOM and mesh heads.  Thanks in advance for your suggestions.  

[Nalates Urriah]

If you were in SL pre-2012 then not much has changed, except for the labels.

Mesh bodies are attachments. The more recent bodies have a button in their HUD to enable BOM, Bakes On Mesh, which is like the old server side baking, SSB. The actual change is removal of the limit that baking (SSB) could only be used with the avatar. More later...

Originally skin, tats, underwear, etc were worn by the avatar as System Layers. SSB composited all those layers into one greatly reducing the texture load the viewer had to handle and the system had to send to everyone.

Along comes mesh bodies which are prims that can only use a single texture on any given face. There was no simple way to wear skin, tats, underwear, and the other system layers on a mesh body (which is a type of prim - try adding multiple textures to a cube. You'll see the problem.) Designers solved the problem by making a body for each layer. We call it onion skinning. Each body is a TINY bit larger than the body copy inside it. These bodies are so close together there is no easy way to select a tattoo or shirt layer. HUDs are needed to apply textures to the correct layer. We call those Appliers. During this era of SL we simply hid the SL or system body with alpha layers and wore a mesh body.

All these onion skin bodies and the numerous textures they required was a massive hit on overall system performance, that grew worse every day. The Linden solution is BOM. Now we once again wear system layer skin, tats, etc. just as we did in the early days of SL and the BOM bake service puts whatever is on the classic/system avatar on the mesh body, provided BOM is enabled on the mesh body.

So... what has changed is one now needs to buy skins made for use with BOM and click a BOM button in the body's HUD. Otherwise things are pretty much as they were pre-2012-13.

You'll see designers saying BOM Ready or included or whatever. In prior days they would have system layers included.

Appliers are for the older mesh bodies made before BOM was a thing. Now appliers are used only with mesh bodies when we want to apply materials.

Body skins are mostly interchangeable. The body and brand are not all THAT important. However, some mesh heads look way better with skin made for the specific head. Demo everything.

Play with a mesh body demo and the classic avatar. Dress the classic avatar with system layers; skin, tat, shirt, pants... then add the mesh body and find the BOM button in its HUD. Once enabled all that you wore on the classic body should appear on the mesh body.

Other than the language of mesh and BOM there isn't much new stuff to learn.

[SandraWillow]

Nalates, 

Thanks for that great overview! 

[pizza7]

there are some good youtube vids for mesh heads. search there.