Alpha layer in shoes?

[Rosey Richez]

Ok. . . so I have been away awhile but I noticed a few things I have bought recently (mainly shoes) have an added alpha layer. What is this and because I'm not on viewer 2 do I need this? Many thanks!

[Ceera Murakami]

Viewer 2 users can use that alpha layer instead of invisiprims to make things like shoes work. On a 2.x Viewer, alpha layer stuff works better than the old invisiprims. For example, high heels made with alpha layer effects don't crop out Linden Water and alpha-textured surfaces, the way Invisiprims do.

The alpha payer will do absolutely nothing for you while you continue to stick with a 1.2x-based viewer. You can't even attach it, and can't use 2.x to attach it and then go back to 1.2x to use it. But don't throw it away. The time is coming all too soon when the 1.2x Viewers will be unusable, and you'll have to switch to a 2.x Viewer. When you do, you'll want that alpha layer with those shoes.

While you still use a 1.2x-based viewer, you may find that some of those newer products that include an alpha layer won't work for you in 1.2x. That is because some merchants are taking the easy way out and just switching to use of the 2.x-only alpha layers instead of invisiprims. It's extra effort for diminishing retturns to make new stuff that has both invisiprims and alpha layer invisibility, and some merchants don't want to expend that effort. Other merchants are offering their products with both an invisiprim version for 1.2x viewers, and an alpha layer version for 2.x viewers.

Still unsolved, as far as I know, is one serious problem with alpha-layer products. You can't combine alpha layers. So if you have, for example, a furry avatar that uses alpha layer effects to hide the head, that same furry can't wear alpha-layer shoes. (They could wear the old invisiprim-style shoes, however. One more reason for merchants to continue offering both options!) Despite the multiple attachment point changes in 2.x, as far as I am aware, you can only attach one alpha layer, for the full body, on an avatar at a time.

(I despise the 2.x Viewer myself, but the reality of life is that Mesh is coming in August, and it will make the 1.2x viewers useless once enough mesh-content is on the grid, because the 1.2x viewer can not display mesh properly at all.)

Edited to add: As Anaiya pointed out, some third party Viewesr do support alpha layers, even with the 1.2x UI. But LL's 1.2x viewers never will.

[Anaiya Arnold]

An alpha layer makes bits of your avatar invisible.  Even if you are not using V2, it is possible that your viewer is compatable with alpha layers.  Pheonix for example is compatable with alpha layers.  Try one on and see.

You can wear multiple alpha layers using V2...I'm not sure if this is true of Pheonix though.  I'm going to log in now and find out. You can only wear a single alpha layer at a time in Pheonix though....

Alpha layers in shoes replace the old invis-prim method.  Not only does it reduce unnecessary prims, but you do not get that halo effect that sometimes happens with the old invis-prims and there are no resizing issues (because alpha layers are textures) 

There is a very good chance that your view is compatable with alpha layers, but even if it is not, I would keep the layer because it's likely that you'll eventually be using a viewer that is compatable with alpha layers.

 

 

[Ishtara Rothschild]

In addition to the other replies: You only need an alpha layer if parts of your feet or ankles poke through the prim boots. After wearing the alpha layer, you often have to wait for a while until your feet turn transparent. Don't assume that your viewer does not support them because you don't see the effect right away

PS: Whatever you do, don't delete the alpha layers because they don't work in your viewer. Sooner or later, all viewers will support alpha layers, and you don't want to buy the same shoes all over again.

[Rosey Richez]

Thanks for the replies!! I don't run Viewer 2 not because I don't want to, I run Viewer 1 or whatever the standard Linden Viewer is because I have no choice! LOL My system is just too crudy to run Viewer 2. I have it installed but I get some kind of media plugin error and it doesn't allow me to log in! I guess I will post about the error in the viewer forum and see if I can get it resolved so maybe I can log in.

 

I'm actually not very wise in the ways of viewers. I have been gone for about 2 years and even when I left, I was still using the standard linden viewer. . . . it's all I know. Maybe someone can give me a quick tutorial about them. Are there any for low-end machines that make running SL easier on not so great graphics cards?

[Anaiya Arnold]

You might want to give Pheonix a go.  There is a good chance it will run as well or better than 1.23 on your computer, and it includes some of the features you would get in V2, and kind of bridges the gap between 1.23 and V2 in some features (for instance 1.23=no alpha, Pheonix=1 alpha at a time, V2=multiple alpha layers).

Pheonix also has some features that have never been in the standard LL viewers.  Personally, I love the temp uploads!

[Rosey Richez]

Thanks for the info! I will have to check into it. I guess I also have some heavy reading to do to get caught up on all these things that have happened since I have been gone.

[Marianne Little]

Sorry that I reply late. I think that Cool VL viewer is the safest one on low end machines. http://sldev.free.fr/ 

You should give Firestorm a try though. It is good to get used to the new features. http://www.phoenixviewer.com/

Using a viewer like Firestorm with Viewer 2  features is good, you will love the ability to use up to 5 of the same layers. Makeup is the new trend in SL, now that you have tattoo layers that go over the head, as opposed to the old clothing layers. I often wear freckles and dimples, eyeliner and blush over a "nude" skin, it is really fun to play with. 

And if you had problems with layering before, because you had a long top on jacket layer you could not wear a jacket over... now you can wear them together. And 3 more items on jacket layer! Same with all layers. 

[Numkang Niseru]

Im kinda disappointed with the alpha 2 layer..im using the SL2 viewer at the mo.but its the same with another viewer i use.  Anyways like with prim feet and shoes theres always this 'blank' spot that shows up around them when you view from a certain angle specially on beach sand and floors..am i doing somethink wrong, everyone else seems happy with the alpha 2layer ?!