I want to make my own shapes - not just change them using the sliders in "appearance".

[PraxisField]

I want to make my own shapes - not just change them using the sliders in "appearance".   shapes have their own icon, so I assume, they have their own file-type.  how do I uplaod such?  how might I make a transparent av?

[Rolig Loon]

All shapes are made the same way.  Someone has to sit down and fiddle with the sliders, or enter the numbers from those sliders into an XML file manually.  A shape is a shape is a shape.  All you are doing when you create a shape is manipulating the dimensions on the basic avatar mesh that we are all made from.  Now, thanks to very recent changes in SL, you can make a mesh avatar that is entirely different, if that's what you mean.  If you want to do that, you are creating a completely new, custom mesh.  That's a very specialized skill.  Start reading here for the basics and then prepare to enter a very steep learning curve if you are unfamiliar with 3D modeling >>> http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Mesh 

 

[Ariel Vuissent]

What do you mean, a transparent av? You can make any avatar "transparent" by simply wearing an alpha layer (or collection of alpha layers) that covers the whole body. I believe you can find a full body alpha, or at least several alphas that together cover the whole body, in your inventory in the "Library" folder.

[PraxisField]

thank you for your help. from this, I recon I then need to find/make a transparent shape and skin and maybe clothes too - and eyes/hair of course.