Sorting inventory can be really confusing for noobs

[MariahWhispers]

So you open your clothes section for instance and then you have all these pieces that belong to different things.  I am not always sure when I look at all of this what goes with what.  Is there some sort of easy way to take care of this mad confusion/

[Randall Ahren]

I never found a way. If it's all in the same folder it usually goes together, but sometimes you'll get a bunch of stuff from a vendor with a lot of unrelated stuff all in the same folder. I wouldn't worry about it. Just use the search function to find what you want and wear it. 

It's easier with third party viewers, because they have three inventory tabs, all, recent, and worn. You can also search by type, texture, clothing, body part, object and so forth. 

For viewers, try Singularity, Phoenix, or Imprudence and see if you have an easier time sorting through your inventory.

[Smoothie Perl]

I tell you what I'm doing and I hope it helps you

 

First of all sort your inventory the way you like. I always sort by name and unchecked the "system on top" that's the most confusing thing in inventory.

Then make your own files for everything (try to give short but clear titles) for example I put my clothes in "Smoothie's outfits and in there I have "clothes general" also in files  I have  tops - pants - underwear - jewelry -hair -accessories e.t.c. I have my full body/skin/eyes/nails in a separate folder and everything in a handy named file. Another trick is to shorting except by name by putting !!!! or ****  in front of files so the sorting it's going more detailed (more goes up in the inventory less goes a bit above). Try to move objects in separate files because after a while you don't remember what is for what.

(Example Files: Huddles - Dances - Ani Pose Balls - Buildings/Homes - Tools - Notecards 2009/2010/2011 also LM's by category and year or even more by month)

IF you have items that you don't need rez a box and put 'em in there with a info notecard if you want to remember what's those things are,  give it a helping title and then take it back and delete any copies you have separate in your inventory, that's a nice way to reduce items.

In time you can figure out your ways too

 

P.S. Take your time to avoid mistakes (sometimes when you drag items you can drop 'em by accident in a folder you don't want LOL that's happen to anyone, so be patience.

I didn't made my inventory instantly also.

 

 

[MariahWhispers]

TY you everone.  One thing that confuses me is sometimes when I buy something there is a box in the things that sort of looks like a straw basket or box, sort of checked, I never know what that is for. 

[Ceres]

---

Randall Ahren wrote:

three inventory tabs, all, recent, and worn.

---

Until Firestorm and Phoenix and Singularity has somehow brilliantly create a Pre-View mouse over on those items in your inventory, they serves no real purpose than trivial vanity.

She's having an issue with matching her clothings... now wouldn't it be nice if she can somehow keep what she had worn ( and liked ) as a 'link' and saved it so next time if she feels like wearing it, she could just expand and wear all of them? It wont remove the clothes from its original folders and she can always create another link with the same blouse but with a different pair of pants.

What phoenix/singularity can do is to save them in a folder and it will remove it from its previous placeholder which is kinda chumbersome. What if I want to wear my pink shirt with my white skirt from another folder?

[valerie Inshan]

---

MariahWhispers wrote:

TY you everone.  One thing that confuses me is sometimes when I buy something there is a box in the things that sort of looks like a straw basket or box, sort of checked, I never know what that is for. 

---

This called a coalescent object, meaning a box where several items are linked into. When you drag this box to the ground, several objects will rezz at the same time.

[Smoothie Perl]

That's mean it has many prims linked together (in most cases those are buildings or multiprim items)

Those items can be deleted (vanish) by accident if you rez 'em near or very close to region frontiers.

[Lyra Blackthorne]

I created folders and sub folders and file new items in the correct spot immediately to keep inventory organized.  If I do not have time to do immediately, I move the unfiled item into my objects folder temporarily.

Folder examples would be Clothes then inside Pants, Dresses, Evening Wear, Tops.  Or Shoes then Heels, Flats, Boots.  And, Jewelry: Silver, Gold, Evening: Inside those I have another set of folders named Sets, Necklaces, Earrings, Bracelets, Rings

Making outfits.  In the new SL Viewer, and Phoenix, you can make outfits to wear again.  Put on all the items you want to wear from your shape, skin, clothes...everything.  Then go into appearance mode and at bottom click "Make Outfit"  Name it something you will remember. This will save links to the items you are wearing in the Outfit folder in your inventory.  To wear this look again you can just drag on the folder or right click on the outfit folder you wish to wear and choose replace.  Saving items to an outfit leaves all parts in the original folders so you don't end up with stray bits.  And, when you are tired of the outfit you can just delete the folder because it is just links not the items.

Strays...when you do find loose items sometimes looking at who the creator is will remind you what outfit it belongs with.  If not, you could start with a folder named "Strays" tuck the unknowns into it and then as you wear things and find parts missing you can look for them there; hopefully  finding a match like sorting socks after laundry lol

Things not needed or at least not often: Have also deleted all calling cards...no idea what purpose they serve. Notecards and Lms rain down everyday...every log in I review/delete. Seasonal items like Holiday decorations go into boxes, as do extra bits of landscaping and furniture...things I am not going to accesson a regular basis and can rez when needed

Start some sort of organization now...it will get worse and worse the longer you are in world.  Once ordered, keep it clean and don't be afraid to delete items.  If you do not love something in your inventory get rid of it.  If you love it but never use it or wear it...get rid of it.  Even with vigorous monitoring, inventory grows madly over time!

Good luck and welcome to SL!

[Smoothie Perl]

A System with linked shortcuts for me it's unacceptable.

Imagine after months or years (if you are like me) some shortcuts stop to work!!!!!

Go find your original folders and oufits then!

 

P.S. that's why when I mentioned in V.2 discussions, I'm talking for a "noob" perspective design. A user (creator - designer in SL) after 2-3 years can have 25000-30000 and more items in he's/her inventory. 

[Melita Magic]

Open a second window. Inventory/New Window.

In that new window, Create/New Folder.

Right click that new folder. Choose Rename.

You can either name it MISC and drag all teh pieces in the folder (which doesn't solve much but at least it wont be at the top any more)

Or you can create a folder for different pieces. For instance: Brown dress. Or, Blue Pants Outfit. 

I've found the key is to begin making new folders and making them as specific as possible early on. Not one folder per outfit that already has a folder. But one category. Then drag the folders into each category.  It should be named category names YOU will remember so I leave that up to you.

[Dillon Levenque]

I use two of the methods suggested here and the combination works for me. Mind you I never really got going with V2 and I've only experimented a little with Firestorm. I'm guessing since you're new you'll be using the current Second Life Viewer 2 and I can't help with details but the ideas are identical.

Folders, and subfolders within them, are really a must. Not just for clothes, although you'll probably have a lot more clothes than anything else for a while. There's already a Clothing folder. I'd at a minimum create new folders in there called Skirts, Tops, Pants, and Dresses. I know some people who break those down much farther and while it's a bit of work at the start I think it worthwhile. It doesn't take long before you're familiar with your Folder tree and can click right through to the things you want.

As I said, it's not just for clothes. You should have a Footwear folder with subfolders. Also a Hair, ditto. If you're like a lot of us who really enjoy the holiday decorating aspects of SL you'll eventually want folders for, at a minimum, all your favorite holidays with perhaps subfolders in those for decorations, toys, clothes, etc.

In conjunction with folders I use "Make Outfit" all the time. It's a lifesaver and especially so for a new resident. I remember being scared stiff anytime I'd make a change to my avatar for fear I wouldn't like the change and not be able to find what the old version is. "Make Outfit" is like doing a 'save all' of what  you are wearing and what you are at any given moment. There are several good tutorials on it and I'd read them before I did anything else were I you. The new viewer allows features in outfits that don't exist on the old viewer which should make them even better.

 

This link will take you to the tutorial I found way back when and is still worth reading. It changed my slife.

Lum Pfohl on Make Outfit

This is Torley Linden's video tutorial on Outfit creation with the current viewer:

Torley on Outfits

Torley has a kind of goofy speaking style but he is literally a wealth of information, so get used to it :-).

The main thing is—have fun! 

Edited to add links

[SassyOne]

I also made folders and subfolders i.e clothing - dresses- blue etc , When i buy new clothes i immediately "make an outfit" and save it but i also add a photo of me in the outifit so next time i can just click the pic and see what it is.