A quick question about Avatar Shapes

[Chou Ayashi]

So, I really want to buy this shape for Ceylon Head but it doesn't have a demo and it's marked as being a Shape for Ceylon Head 3.0. I just bought Ceylon and got 3.1.

Will the shape still work fine with my updated head, or am I just throwing money away on a gamble? I tried to ask the creator of the shape but got no response.

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, I'm really not sure and the only way to learn is to ask -- even if it shows just how much of a newbie I am.

(And yes, I'm asking for myself, before anyone else can make that joke - I'm asking for myself and not a friend.)

[steeljane42]

It will work fine as there's no rigging or mapping differences between 3.0 and 3.1 versions on any evo/evox heads. Only rigging change was when they've updated the first few Evo heads to the "boundless" rig, which happened in the 2.5 update, so none of the previous shape would look fine on that rig (they still include dated versions with those heads in case someone really doesn't want to change their shape, though).

It still will be a gamble, however. Depends how honest shape creator is. A good light (not just EEP, but also a rezzed lights around when taking a picture) and especially some post-processing like Reshade and extra editing via Photoshop combined with a perfect angle might make a shape look way more appealing than it does in "real time" even if you'll follow the style card to get the exact skin, makeup, addons, hair etc.

Edited February 18, 2023 by steeljane42

[Chou Ayashi]

6 minutes ago, steeljane42 said:

It will work fine as there's no rigging or mapping differences between 3.0 and 3.1 versions on any evo/evox heads. Only rigging change was when they've updated the first few Evo heads to the "boundless" rig, which happened in the 2.5 update, so none of the previous shape would look fine on that rig (they still include dated versions with those heads in case someone really doesn't want to change their shape, though).

It still will be a gamble, however. Depends how honest shape creator is. A good light (not just EEP, but also a rezzed lights around when taking a picture) and especially some post-processing like Reshade and extra editing via Photoshop combined with a perfect angle might make a shape look way more appealing than it does in "real time" even if you'll follow the style card to get the exact skin, makeup, addons, hair etc.

Thank you so much for this in-depth response. Not only did you answer my question, but you gave me even more info I didn't know and things I'll have to consider. Much appreciated.

[Rowan Amore]

You'll also want to consider what skin is being shown on the shape.  Different skins, even with the same underlying shape, will give a different appearance to the head.  Does she include a style card with the shape?  Those will usually show what skin and other add ons are used for the look.

[Chic Aeon]

Basically the mantra here on the forums is no demo - no purchase.   If it is a ten linden item or even 25 or 60 and you are willing to gamble then just be aware it IS a gamble.   

Your head likely came with some shapes. You can play around with those and make your own shape. It is a very good skill to learn and completely free, so trying that would be good.   Vendor photos  sometimes (fairly often) look better than what you will see inworld.  

So just be aware

[Chou Ayashi]

1 hour ago, Rowan Amore said:

You'll also want to consider what skin is being shown on the shape.  Different skins, even with the same underlying shape, will give a different appearance to the head.  Does she include a style card with the shape?  Those will usually show what skin and other add ons are used for the look.

I ended up buying it and it did come with a style card. I'm not sure if it was put together confusingly or if I just have reading comprehension problems (maybe both) but I struggled with several aspects of the card. Not to mention I couldn't find out why my head's skin tone looked so vastly different from my body, until someone saw me struggling and helped me locate the proper body skin. The style card completely omitted that (I tripe checked - no mention of body skin anywhere). But disregarding those troubles, I'm happy with everything.

25 minutes ago, Chic Aeon said:

Basically the mantra here on the forums is no demo - no purchase.   If it is a ten linden item or even 25 or 60 and you are willing to gamble then just be aware it IS a gamble.   

Your head likely came with some shapes. You can play around with those and make your own shape. It is a very good skill to learn and completely free, so trying that would be good.   Vendor photos  sometimes (fairly often) look better than what you will see inworld.  

So just be aware

Thanks for this. I'll keep this in mind in the future. I went ahead and took the gamble this time, and thankfully it wasn't a waste of lindens, but I won't be so ready to do that in the future.

[Stephanie Misfit]

There are some excellent shape sellers on the marketplace, who style the shapes really well and provide really comprehensive style cards. I find that service to be well worth paying for, and I trust those particular sellers to deliver something that looks like their vendor pictures. Look for positive reviews on their other shapes, avoid shapes that use artistic photos that have come straight from the creator's Flickr especially if they are posted at an angle (the shape could end up being good but I have been burned with that before). It's great when creators post pictures of the shape from different angles, or post a little video taken from in-world. Ultimately though it is good to limit how much you spend on a shape if you aren't sure of the seller. As for demos, I think they would be of limited use because with shapes these days you are buying a whole look with the style card, and it's not until you get everything on that you are going to look like the picture.