Venus Petrov Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I know what I am about to write may be controversial. Smilers. You know, those things that you attach to yourself that offer up random smiles to your SL world? Why? I mean, why do people use them? I know it's all about 'Your world. Your imagination.' and I do not really care if someone wears one if it makes them happy. But, it also makes them look silly.A few years ago, I purchased one to see how it felt having a smile. It was awful. Venus smiled and anything and everything and sometimes at inappropriate moments because I would forget that it was attached (as most of the time, my view is of her backside). So, I removed it and trashed it a few days after purchase. It just did not feel right.In an ideal SL world, one could have as many facial expressions as one does in RL and have them occur whenever you wished, i.e., not randomly. But we cannot. The smilers, in most cases, cannot match text or voice chat when a smile would appear naturally. So, rather than look like someone is having a good time, one looks silly.To those who use the smilers, why do you? I really want to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ishtara Rothschild Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I've seen those :smileyindifferent: They're usually on a short timer and constantly change the face of the wearer from an indifferent stare to a mindlessly cheerful grin and back. I mean, I've heard of frequent mood changes, but this is ridiculous. If people want to smile all the time, they're better off editing their shape and pulling the corners of their mouth into a permanent Joker grin. There are also alpha masks that slightly open the mouth and display the teeth, which doesn't look that bad actually (although it gives many avatars a rabbit tooth effect). Anything is better than the creepy facial tic caused by smiler attachments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Deakins Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Venus Petrov wrote: But, it also makes them look silly. I totally agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenbro Utu Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Because it breaks the illusion that all SL faces have been rendered unable to move from too much Botox? I would rather see an occasional smile than a constantly stoic face. Perhaps it would be better to include a couple of other facial movements in the mix. That could get real silly, and real fun. It is about fun ain't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Silverspar Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 i like them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pussycat Catnap Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Never heard of these. Curious to go take a look and see what they do. Is this just something that's editing your shape up and down for a moment or so? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venus Petrov Posted July 24, 2011 Author Share Posted July 24, 2011 Kenbro Utu wrote: Because it breaks the illusion that all SL faces have been rendered unable to move from too much Botox? I would rather see an occasional smile than a constantly stoic face. Perhaps it would be better to include a couple of other facial movements in the mix. That could get real silly, and real fun. It is about fun ain't it? Like facial tics? Twitches? Random frowns? Oh, that might look funny, actually. Random frowns interspersed between the random smiles. :matte-motes-bored: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenbro Utu Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 These are actually built-in animations http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Internal_Animations that can be added by script. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venus Petrov Posted July 24, 2011 Author Share Posted July 24, 2011 The one I purchased nearly 4 years ago was an object like a hugger and you used a hud to set the frequency of the smile and how wide or small the smile was. It was pretty basic and I am sure they have 'advanced' over the years. Or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venus Petrov Posted July 24, 2011 Author Share Posted July 24, 2011 Do you use one Shelby? Or, just like seeing them on others? What about them do you like and do you forget that you have one on? Has anyone ever commented (pro or con) on your use of one (if you use one)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venus Petrov Posted July 24, 2011 Author Share Posted July 24, 2011 I think that first large table is a list of the animations you get when you first rez. They are a bit different from the smilers I am talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glory Takashi Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 They creep me out, that has got to be the most unnatural smile I have ever seen on an avatar anywhere and when I see someone with that creepy smile I just want them to go away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charolotte Caxton Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Hello, Venus. I will say that random smiles are kinda creepy. From like day two I made my main gesture a smile, which I can activate by pressing a button. Something is funny, I smile. Someone compliments me, I smile. Picture time? I smile but random smiles like while chillin or dancing and such? not so much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ry0ta Exonar Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I don't use it anymore, but my friend keeps on using it and he is very happy with that 'cause he looks kinda fierce without it but wants to give people a good impression. He is sometimes told he looks like he is going to beat the hell out of people. I suggest him he tweak the shape and eyebrow shaper a bit, but he is so stubborn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pussycat Catnap Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I can certainly understand the desire for them though. A -LOT- of human heads in SL have this blank distant angry glare, or glassy eyed vacant look. Anything one can do to get rid of either of those two looks can seem like an improvement. Many furry avatars have built in random animations to some of the features. Usually at least ears. Eyes these days tend to be prims separate from the head and either scripted to move randomly (Tokushi brand for example), or worn on the eye attachment points so they move just like SL avatar eyes move (most other furry makers). I'm not sure though if a smile would be the best choice for this. A better thing would be moving the mouth when typing - which most furry avatars do now. Or random chewing motions (like my cow furry does). I've another furry (Tokushi brand) that gets a sense of life to herself by doing random finger gestures (scripted to specifically -not- raise the middle finger alone, you have to trigger that on purpose. Even if it how people in Korea point at everything, that don't go over so well elsewhere.) Capable since she's got prim-claws. Do human avatars blink? I think so, and I have a human and a neko so I should know... but I can swear a lot of people I've met in SL don't blink... and if something is keeping them blinking, if I had that problem, I'd be getting one of these smilers to at least have my face up to something other than zombie-glare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ishtara Rothschild Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Pussycat Catnap wrote: Do human avatars blink? I think so, and I have a human and a neko so I should know... but I can swear a lot of people I've met in SL don't blink... and if something is keeping them blinking, if I had that problem, I'd be getting one of these smilers to at least have my face up to something other than zombie-glare. Human avatars do blink. Mine blinks whenever I'm taking a photo of her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charolotte Caxton Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 lol, I'm always like, really? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venus Petrov Posted July 24, 2011 Author Share Posted July 24, 2011 Now, that sounds pretty stubborn. He wants to give people a good impression but does not want to tweak his 'angry' expression? He would rather smile...randomly...at ...any...moment...?? /me smiles purposefully Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venus Petrov Posted July 24, 2011 Author Share Posted July 24, 2011 Laughs! I understand Ishy. I have lost count of the photos I have taken where Venus 'decides' to blink the moment I press the button. She is sometimes soooo uncooperative! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ishtara Rothschild Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I also use a smiling gesture. Whenever I'm smiling in RL, I hit F2. But I wouldn't want to randomly smile at people, furniture, trees and street lamps, neither in SL nor in RL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venus Petrov Posted July 24, 2011 Author Share Posted July 24, 2011 I wonder about those who have decided on one of those popular 'pout' skins. If they use a smiler, kind of defeats the purpose of the pout. /me laughs Because I do not want Venus to look unexpressive, I modified her shape long ago to give her a barely perceptible turn up at the corners of her mouth as if she, with just the right encouragement, would break out in a smile or laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pussycat Catnap Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 That's actually what I tend to recommend to people making their own shape - give yourself a 5% smile or frown. Enough to hint but not be obvious - draw the eye in but leave them curious about what they're looking at. That, or dial it up to 11 and go Chesire Cat Grin. Anything else in the middle and you're cheating yourself out of effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pussycat Catnap Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Ishtara Rothschild wrote: Human avatars do blink. Mine blinks whenever I'm taking a photo of her There's a setting in the Advanced menu for quiet snapshots to disk - it shuts off that blink. You can snapshot like crazy and nobody will know. And I guess they will blink randomly when not snapshotting right? I was just on my human alt and she was - but I'd thought that was my AO... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charolotte Caxton Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 hm? no, I don't think it turns off the blink. or Charolotte is just stubborn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pussycat Catnap Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Curious. It turns it off for me on my human alt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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