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What is Avatar Rendering Complexity How can I determine the complexity of my avatar? Why are some avatars solid colors and what is a JellyDoll? How can I find out if the complexity of my avatar is too high? How can I examine complexity values? How can I reduce lag while still drawing other avatars? In other languages: Deutsch Español Français Italiano 日本語 Português Pусский What is Avatar Rendering Complexity? Avatar Rendering Complexity is a numerical score representing how difficult it is to draw an avatar, ranging from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands. It is affected by your avatar's shape, clothing, and attachments. Since avatars are some of the most visually detailed objects in Second Life, avatars with complexity scores at the upper end of the range can severely impact performance of the Second Life Viewer. Being aware of your own complexity and that of those around you can be an important part of managing the performance of your viewer and how your avatar affects the performance of other Second Life Residents. How can I determine the complexity of my avatar? Whenever you change what your avatar is wearing, or add or remove one of your avatar's attachments, a small notice appears in the upper right corner of your screen to tell you your avatar's new complexity value. If you don't mind that other Residents may not see your avatar and you wish to stop receiving these notices, you can disable the message Warn me if my avatar complexity may be too high in the Notifications tab of the Preferences window, which may be accessed by choosing Me > Preferences. Why are some avatars solid colors and what is a JellyDoll? Avatars can be rendered as solid-colored silhouettes (a special form of impostor we call a JellyDoll) if they exceed the avatar complexity threshold set by the Maximum Avatar Complexity slider in the Advanced Graphics Preferences window. This greatly reduces that amount of work your computer must perform in order to draw complex avatars, resulting in improved performance. The default value of Maximum complexity is determined by your computer's specifications and what graphics level you choose, but can be adjusted manually in the Advanced Graphics Preferences window: Open the Preferences window by choosing Me > Preferences from the top menu bar. Click the Graphics tab of the preferences window. Adjust the Avatar Maximum Complexity slider to your preferred threshold. You may move the slider all the way to the right to make the threshold unlimited. There are other uncommon factors that can cause an avatar to be rendered as a JellyDoll, discussed in How can I examine complexity values? You may also check the Always Render Friends box to always render your friends fully, regardless of the complexity of their avatars. If there are other specific avatars you want fully rendered even if they are over your limit, you can right click them and select Always Render Fully. This specific allowance is only valid for the duration of your Second Life session, so you will need to re-apply it each time you log in. Your own avatar is always rendered fully, even if you are over your own maximum complexity threshold. ✏️ Tip: Some older avatars using the "transparent box" method of covering a system avatar may disappear completely if their avatar is above a viewer's maximum complexity. If you're unsure why someone may be invisible, right-clicking on their avatar nameplate and choosing Always Render Fully should resolve the problem. How can I find out if the complexity of my avatar is too high? When some of the people around you see you as a JellyDoll, their viewer reports that information to Second Life's servers. The servers in turn send you a message to let you know whether or not you are being fully rendered by the Residents around you. This message appears as a notification that also includes your avatar's complexity score, and is updated when one of the factors changes significantly. No specific information is provided to you about which Residents are able to render your avatar, or what their maximum complexity settings are. How can I examine complexity values? You can view the complexity scores of avatars around you by activating a feature from the Advanced menu. To use this feature, choose Advanced > Performance Tools > Show avatar complexity information from the top menu bar. This displays three values as floating text above each avatar: Complexity - The numerical complexity score of the avatar. Rank - How close the avatar is to your camera. The closest is "1", next closest is "2", etc... Attachment surface area, in square meters - This value can, uncommonly, cause an avatar to be shown as a JellyDoll. Each value is color coded from green to red to indicate how it relates to your own limits (values well under your limit are green, values at or over your limit are shown as red and may be in bold font). Values shown in gray are ones for which you have no limit, such as the complexity score of your own avatar. This feature does not tell you how the complexity of your avatar relates to the limits set by those around you. There is no absolute "good" or "bad" value for complexity; just a relationship between each avatar's complexity and the limits of those who are viewing it at any one time. How can I reduce lag while still drawing other avatars? You can reduce the performance impact of complex avatars without resorting to JellyDolls. The setting Max. # of non-impostors controls the number of avatars nearest to your camera that will be fully rendered; any avatars beyond that number will be drawn as an Impostor. An impostor is drawn with fewer lighting and texture effects, making them look less realistic (some people describe it as looking like a cardboard cutout). Impostors are also updated less frequently, which means their animations will not look as smooth as a fully rendered avatar. Drawing more distant avatars as impostors does not improve performance as dramatically as the maximum complexity threshold, but looks better because the impostor avatars retain their visual appearance rather than becoming a solid-colored JellyDoll. You can use both methods together by setting your maximum complexity threshold fairly high, so that it affects only the most expensive avatars, while setting the maximum number of non-impostors so that only avatars nearest you are drawn in full 3D detail. To access the Max. # of non-impostors slider: Choose Me > Preferences from the top menu bar. Click the Graphics tab on the Preferences window. Click the Advanced Settings button in the Graphics tab to open the Advanced Graphics Preferences window. Find and adjust the Max. # of non-impostors slider in the Avatar section.

Introduction to avatars in Second Life Using the Avatar Picker to choose a pre-made avatar Customizing a classic style avatar Understanding and customizing rigged mesh-style avatars Getting a rigged mesh avatar from the Second Life Marketplace In other languages: Deutsch Español Français Italiano Português Русский Türkçe 日本語 Introduction to avatars in Second Life Your avatar is your representative in the world of Second Life. By controlling your avatar, you can explore, interact with the Second Life world, and communicate with other avatars controlled by Second Life users. Because avatars represent you, they are an important form of self-expression and the first thing many new users want to do after arriving in Second Life is customize their avatar's appearance. There are many, many options for customizing your look, and there is a huge market for user-designed body shapes, clothing, makeup, hairstyles, accessories, and even complete avatars. This article will help you take your first steps toward finding a style that you and your avatar can be proud of. Using the Avatar Picker to choose a pre-made avatar If you are not yet comfortable with Second Life's editing tools or don't have the time to shop for a custom avatar, the Avatar Picker provides a very easy interface for choosing a high quality, professionally designed avatar model. These avatars are provided by Second Life maker Linden Lab free of charge, and you can try as many as you want, whenever you want! To use one of these pre-made avatars, follow these steps: Select Avatar > Complete Avatars from the top menu bar in the Second Life window. In the Choose an Avatar window that opens, click a category tab to see a preview of avatars in that category. The available categories may change over time as new avatars are added or removed. Click the image of your desired avatar to immediately wear that avatar. Custom animation overriders and pre-made avatars Some avatars in the Avatar Picker use a scripted attachment called an animation overrider (AO for short) to replace Second Life's default avatar animations for moving, sitting, and standing idle. Under most circumstances, you won't need to interact with this attachment; it's a small invisible cube attached to your avatar's chest attachment point, and it overrides your avatar's animations automatically. When you start to customize your avatar with new clothing and attachments, you may find that a new attachment has replaced the AO on your avatar's chest attachment point, in which case your avatar will revert to using Second Life's default animations. You may also acquire a third-party AO from one of Second Life's many merchants, either individually or as part of a larger package. If multiple animation overriders are attached to your avatar, their scripts and animations can conflict and cause your avatar to move in undesirable ways. If you prefer to use a third-party AO or Second Life's default animations, you can remove a pre-made avatar's AO by doing the following: Click the Appearance button in the Second Life Viewer. Click the Wearing tab in the Appearance window that appears. Find the AO attachment in the list, which will be named differently depending upon which avatar you have chosen. It may be called: Animation Overrider - Female, Animation Overrider - Male, or Animation Overrider - Zombie. Right-click the name of the animation overrider and choose Detach to remove the AO. Customizing a classic style avatar It is important to know that customizing a "classic" avatar in Second Life works a bit differently than customizing other types of avatars. A classic avatar is a humanoid avatar that has been created and customized using a combination of the built-in body part sliders, texture-based clothing, and avatar attachments. Classic avatars give you a lot of control over the details of your avatar's appearance, but are not designed to take advantage of recent developments in computer graphics technology, such as rigged mesh or normal and specular mapping. For detailed information on how to edit the many parts and features of a classic avatar, see the article Customizing a classic style avatar. Understanding and customizing rigged mesh-style avatars In addition to the "classic" avatars, you have the option of selecting one of the many newer rigged mesh-style avatars. These consist of a custom 3D mesh character model that is worn as an attachment and overlaid on top of the skeleton of a classic avatar. The classic avatar itself is typically hidden by an alpha mask, but the uploaded 3D model still makes use of the classic avatar's joints and animations. This type of avatar allows 3D content creators to design models in a third-party tool such as Maya or Blender, allowing them to take advantage of the latest graphics updates to Second Life and create highly detailed human and non-humanoid avatar forms. However, due to their nature as an overlay on top of a hidden classic avatar, mesh avatars may not wear the texture-based clothing made for classic avatars. Mesh avatars may also have difficulty interacting with attachments, accessories or animations that were originally intended for classic avatars; for help finding appropriate clothing, see Buying clothing that fits your avatar. Getting a rigged mesh avatar from the Second Life Marketplace Because mesh avatars are designed by a variety of content creators, the process of obtaining and wearing a mesh avatar may vary greatly by merchant; the following is a generic scenario: Visit the Second Life Marketplace and purchase a mesh avatar. Make sure that the listing claims "Mesh: 100% Mesh" on the right side of the screen underneath Permissions. If your purchase came in a box, open and unpack the box as described in Opening boxes. If your purchase was not boxed, skip this step. Find the new folder in your inventory containing your purchase and read the included notecards. Most merchants include instructions on how to properly wear, customize, and operate their avatars. If no instructions are included, right-click the folder and choose Replace Current Outfit. This removes all attachments your avatar is wearing and replaces all parts of your avatar with the entire contents of the folder. Be aware that many mesh avatars come with interchangeable parts that should not be worn at the same time, so you may need to remove the duplicate attachments manually if you Replace Current Outfit. Tip: If at any time you feel you are unhappy with the outcome of your avatar modifications, you can start over with a fresh default avatar by choosing from the Avatar Picker.

Wearing clothing and body parts from your inventory Wearing multiple layers of clothing Editing clothing and body parts Controlling avatar physics How to set avatar physics properties Hiding or turning off avatar physics movement Frequently asked questions Can other people make my body parts bounce? How do I make sure enhanced avatar physics doesn't slow down my computer? I can't get my avatar to look the way I want. Are there suggested settings? Why don't my attachments move with my breasts, belly, or butt? In other languages: Deutsch Español Français Italiano 日本語 Português Русский You can customize nearly any aspect of your avatar's appearance in creative ways, allowing for an infinite variety of styles and forms. Wearing clothing and body parts from your inventory The simplest way to change your avatar's appearance is to wear a new piece of clothing or body part from your inventory. Click the Appearance button on the left side of the Viewer window. The APPEARANCE window opens. Click the WEARING tab to see your current outfit. Click the Edit Wrench button at the top of the window to enter the appearance editing mode. Click the Add More... button to open a list of available clothing in your inventory. You may use the Clothing dropdown menu to filter by clothing type, or the Search button to filter by clothing name. Select a piece of clothing and click the Wear Item button to add it to your avatar. Any existing clothing of the same type is replaced. Tip: One quick way to see everything you're wearing is to search in your Inventory for "(WORN". (The open bracket is important, because different things are attached to different places; this catches them all.) You can also right-click your avatar and select Edit My Outfit to see items you're wearing divided by category: Clothing, Attachments and Body Parts. To remove a piece of clothing or an attachment, select it in the outfit editor and click the Close icon that appears next to it. You may use these same procedures to change your avatar's body parts (eyes, hair, shape, and skin) or attachments; just expand the Attachments or Body Parts list instead of the Clothing list. Note: Some body parts, such as your avatar's shape, can never be removed but may be replaced. Wearing multiple layers of clothing It is possible to wear multiple layers of the same type of clothing at the same time; for instance, you may wish to wear three different shirts or two pairs of gloves. To add a new layer over your existing piece of clothing, click Add More..., right-click the new piece of clothing and choose Wear Item. The new piece of clothing is then overlaid onto the existing clothing without replacing it. For information on how to wear multiple attachments at the same attachment point, see Avatar attachments. Editing clothing and body parts You may edit any currently-worn clothing or body part on your avatar, provided that you have appropriate permissions on the selected item. To edit a piece of clothing or body part: Click the Appearance button on the left side of the Viewer window.The APPEARANCE window opens. Click the WEARING tab to view your currently-worn outfit. Click the Edit Wrench at the top of the window to enter appearance editing mode. Select a piece of Clothing or one of your Body Parts and click the corresponding Edit Wrench to begin editing that item. Use the sliders to adjust the item's physical parameters to your liking. If available, choose a Fabric texture from your inventory or a Color/Tint from the provided swatch. When editing your avatar's shape (listed under Body Parts), you may choose its gender from the radio buttons at the top of the window. Tip: Only clothing and body parts can be edited with the appearance editor; to edit attachments you must use the Build Tools. You can also create your own original clothing. Controlling avatar physics Set avatar physics properties to customize the way your avatar's breasts, belly, and butt bounce and sway in response to your avatar's movements. You can make the effect subtle and realistic, or wild and crazy -- whatever you want. This feature is sometimes referred to as enhanced avatar physics. The following video shows identical avatars all using Enhanced Avatar Physics, but at different levels -- low/mid (left), high (middle), and off (right): If you don't want this feature to affect your avatar, don't worry -- you don't need to do anything to keep your avatar the same as it's always been. Your avatar won't move any differently unless you put on a physics wearable item, as described below. How to set avatar physics properties To add enhanced avatar physics to your avatar: Open the My Appearance side panel tab. Click the Gear icon at the bottom. Select New Clothes > New Physics. Click the body part parameter you want to change. Note: If your avatar is male, you can only modify your belly and butt. Move the sliders to change the parameters for the body part. Tip: Click the ? at the top right to learn what each slider does. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each body part parameter you want to change. At the top, enter a name for this set of physics parameters. Click the Save button at the top when you've finished. You are now wearing an enhanced avatar physics item. As you jump, crouch, dance, or move around, your avatar's breasts, belly, and butt bounce and sway the way you specified. Tip: If you start your avatar dancing before you create or edit your physics item, your avatar will continue to dance, and you can see the effect of your changes as you make them. You can wear, take off, edit, and create physics items like any other clothing item, except that you can only wear one physics item at a time. To learn more about using clothing items, see Editing your appearance. Hiding or turning off avatar physics movement If you don't want to see any avatar physics movement, including your own, you can disable it in your Viewer: Open the Me > Preferences > Graphics tab. Click Advanced. Move the Avatar Physics slider to the lowest setting. This only prevents your Viewer from showing you avatar physics movement. If you disable avatar physics in your Viewer but your avatar is using a physics item, others can still see your avatar physics movement in their Viewers. If you don't want others to see your avatar physics movement: Don't wear a physics item, or Wear a physics item, but set the slider for every Max Effect setting to 0. Frequently asked questions Can other people make my body parts bounce? No, absolutely not. That's one of the great things about this feature: you have complete control over how you appear to others. If you don't want your body parts to bounce or sway, you don't need to do anything to turn the feature off -- unless you choose to wear a physics item, you'll look the same as you did before . How do I make sure enhanced avatar physics doesn't slow down my computer? If you think Enhanced Avatar Physics is causing lag, you can control the frequency of avatar physics-related updates: Open the Me > Preferences > Graphics tab. Click Advanced. Move the Avatar Physics slider to the desired setting. A lower setting decreases the update frequency, so avatar physics movement will be jerkier. A higher setting makes movement smoother but may decrease performance. The lowest setting turns off Enhanced Avatar Physics. I can't get my avatar to look the way I want. Are there suggested settings? We don't have suggested settings, because avatar physics is all about customizing your avatar's appearance in the way you want. However, since Enhanced Avatar Physics is a wearable item, there is an opportunity for clothing designers to offer physics wearables with customized settings and behavior. Watch the Marketplace for Enhanced Avatar Physics wearables! Why don't my attachments move with my breasts, belly, or butt? This is a technical limitation. There is currently no way to create an attachment point that moves with your breasts, belly, or butt, so attachments can only move with your internal avatar skeleton.

Avatar types Which clothing fits which avatar types? Determining your avatar type General tips: Try on a piece of classic avatar clothing and see if it appears correctly Information for merchants How to label your clothing for sale Marketplace instructions Why create a brand to support clothing fit for your custom avatar? Example situations for clothing merchants In other languages: Deutsch Español Français Português Italiano 日本語 As Second Life has evolved, so have the avatars that inhabit the Second Life world. With the introduction of fitted mesh technology for avatars, it has become more complicated to determine whether or not a piece of clothing will display properly on your own avatar. This article will help you to determine whether your avatar is a Classic avatar, Standard mesh avatar, or a custom/branded avatar, and which types of clothing will fit each. Avatar types For the purposes of fitting clothing, avatars can be classified into three categories: Classic - Classic avatars are the original default Second Life avatars. They have a modifiable humanoid shape, and can wear clothing in the form of textures and attachments added to that shape. Most of a classic avatar's appearance and clothing can be modified by pressing the Appearance button in the Second Life Viewer, but cannot take advantage of newer graphical features such as normal and specular maps. Standard mesh - A standard mesh avatar is a classic avatar that is wearing a rigged mesh attachment, usually a full-body avatar, and whose classic body is hidden by a full body alpha mask. It is classified as "standard" if it was created using the standard fitted mesh model available on the Second Life wiki. Custom/branded - A custom avatar is a classic avatar that is hidden by a full body alpha mask and is wearing a customized rigged mesh attachment or attachments that otherwise replace the classic avatar body. These avatars can come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and each model typically requires clothing specifically designed to work with such an avatar. Which clothing fits which avatar types? Clothing may be labeled in one of the following ways to indicate which types of avatars it is most likely to be compatible with: Classic only - The "layer-based" textured clothing applied directly to classic avatars. This clothing type only displays properly on classic avatars and is rendered completely invisible by the alpha mask worn by most mesh avatars. Mesh only - An attachment that is designed to appear as clothing on a standard mesh avatar. It may appear to be a layer-based texture, but does not work properly on classic avatars. Mesh only clothing must be created outside Second Life in a 3D modeling tool. Classic/Mesh - Attachments primarily designed for standard mesh avatars that can be made to work on a classic avatar. In order to be classified as classic/mesh, the clothing must include an appropriate alpha mask designed to hide the affected parts of a classic avatar. Branded - A catch-all term meant to encompass the many possible custom avatar designs. Such avatars can typically only wear clothing specifically designed for that specific avatar; therefore each custom designed avatar and its compatible clothing may be considered a "brand". Likewise, clothing designed for a custom avatar shape should not be expected to work properly with classic or standard mesh avatars, or even other custom avatars. Determining your avatar type If you are new to Second Life or rigged mesh avatars, you may have a difficult time trying to determine which type of avatar you are currently using. Here are some tips on determining whether you have a classic, standard mesh, or custom mesh avatar: General tips: Check the name of your avatar or any notecards delivered with the avatar for details on how it was created and what type of clothing may be compatible with it. Ask the merchant who sold the avatar which type of clothing works best with it. Try on a piece of classic avatar clothing and see if it appears correctly When all else fails, there are a few procedures you can try in order to determine which type of avatar you have. Every avatar in Second Life has access to a shared library of items, some of which are outfits composed of clothing for classic avatars. By trying on some classic clothing and observing the results, you can find out whether you have a classic avatar: Log into Second Life and open your inventory by clicking the Inventory button. Find the Library folder in the Inventory window and expand it by clicking the triangular arrow next to it. Expand the Clothing folder in the library. Expand the Male Shape & Outfit folder inside the Clothing folder. Click the item called Boy Next Door Shirt and then press the Wear button at the bottom of the Inventory window. The shirt is then applied to your classic avatar shape. If you have a classic avatar, a gray shirt with blue stripes should appear on your avatar; if you have a mesh or custom avatar, the shirt will not appear on your avatar or may be partially obscured by the avatar's mesh body. Determining whether you have either a mesh or custom avatar can be more difficult, since both are composed of 3D models created outside Second Life and use similar techniques for hiding the default classic avatar. When standard mesh avatars become available in the inventory library, you may use clothing from those outfits in a technique similar to the method described above for determining whether you have a classic avatar. Information for merchants How to label your clothing for sale In order to help shoppers find clothing that properly fits their avatars, merchants can label their merchandise as described above in Which clothing fits which avatar types? Clothing for custom avatars should be similarly labeled by the seller as being compatible with a particular avatar brand. Marketplace instructions The Second Life Marketplace also provides fields for merchants to mark their clothing as compatible with classic, mesh, or branded avatars. To edit these fields as a Marketplace merchant: Click My Marketplace and choose Merchant Home. On the left side of the page, click Manage listings. For each clothing or accessory item you sell under Manage listings, click Actions and choose Edit. On the Edit Item Listing page, you may check boxes under Clothing Works With for clothing that is compatible with Classic Avatars or Mesh Avatars. If you are selling a custom avatar, or clothing that works with a specific custom avatar, you can provide that avatar's brand name under Custom Avatar Brand and provide a URL with brand information under Brand URL. Why create a brand to support clothing fit for your custom avatar? Mesh avatars that are not built using the standard mesh model provided by Linden Lab can usually only wear clothing specifically designed for that custom avatar. By creating a recognizable brand for each custom avatar you sell, you can help your customers identify which clothing and accessories will work with your products. Branding could be described as a way to group together custom avatars and their compatible accessories in order to prevent customer confusion about what clothing will fit their avatars. For example, if a merchant sells a custom avatar called Paper Panda, customers should look for clothing and accessories marked as compatible with the Paper Panda brand. Attempts to wear clothing designed for classic, standard mesh, or other custom avatars would most likely yield disappointing results and wasted Linden dollars (L$). Example situations for clothing merchants The following examples cover some of the possible situations merchants may face when selling an item of clothing in Second Life, and provide suggestions on how to handle communicating what type of avatars each clothing item will fit. If the clothing was developed inworld by clicking Edit my Outfit: On the Marketplace, mark this clothing as Classic avatars only. Inworld, convey that this clothing item only works on Classic avatars. In the clothing folder name, include the words "Classic avatars only" or similar. Linden Lab recommends this practice to help customers find compatible items in their inventories. If the clothing was designed to fit the standard fitted mesh shape and you do not wish to make the clothing work on classic avatars or create the necessary alpha masks: On the Second Life Marketplace, mark the clothing as Mesh avatars only. Inworld, convey that this clothing only works on mesh avatars In the folder name, include the words "Mesh avatars only". Linden Lab recommends this practice to help customers find compatible items in their inventories. If the clothing was designed to fit the standard fitted mesh shape, and has also been tested on a classic avatar with appropriate alpha masks to make the clothing look correct: On the Second Life Marketplace, mark this clothing as Classic and Mesh avatars. Inworld, convey that this clothing works with both mesh and classic avatars, provided that classic avatars use the included alpha masks. In the folder name, include the words "Classic and mesh avatars". LL recommends this practice to help customers find compatible items in their inventories. We do not recommend using the words "all avatars" because this clothing will not necessarily work with custom avatars, and may not work with avatar types introduced by Linden Lab in the future. If the clothing is mesh but was not designed to fit the standard mesh shape, and comes in preset sizes to match the variable size of classic avatars, including alpha masks where necessary: Some rigged mesh clothing pre-dates the fitted mesh feature in Second Life and has special sizing considerations. Merchants should take any steps they feel necessary to communicate proper fit for this type of clothing. Often, this type of clothing has been designed to fit classic avatars only. On the Second Life Marketplace, mark this clothing as Classic avatars only. Inworld, convey that this clothing only works on classic avatars. In the folder name, include the words "Classic avatars only". Linden Lab recommends this practice to help customers find compatible items in their inventories. If the clothing was created for a specific custom avatar: On the Second Life marketplace, mark this clothing as Custom and convey which brand the clothing is intended for. Inworld, convey which brand the clothing is for. In the clothing folder name, and/or in a notecard, include information the customer needs in order to locate the branded avatar.

Adding attachments to your avatar Editing attachments Removing attachments from your avatar Any object in your inventory can be attached to your avatar and worn as part of an outfit. Examples of attachments include customized hair, jewelry, shoes, weapons, and other accessories. Attachments may contain scripts, but they do not count against a land parcel's object limit. Adding attachments to your avatar The easiest way to add an attachment to your avatar is to click the Inventory button on the left side of the Viewer window, find ithe attachment in My Inventory, right-click it, and select Wear. This causes the object to attach to your avatar at its last known attachment point and rotation; if you position a hat object on your avatar's head and then remove it, it will reattach itself in the same location next time you wear it. If the object has never been attached to an avatar, choosing Wear attaches it to your avatar's right hand, replacing any attachment that is currently worn on that attachment point. If you wish to attach an object to a specific part of your avatar's body, find it in your inventory, right-click it, select Attach To, and then select an attachment point. Attachments move and rotate relative to the attachment point to which they are attached. For example, a wristwatch object attached to your avatar's left forearm moves with his arm, even if you use the Build Tools to edit its location. To wear multiple attachments on a single attachment point, find an additional attachment in your inventory, right-click it, and select Add or Attach To. Add works similarly to Wear but does not replace existing attachments. Editing attachments You can use the Build Tools to edit or adjust attachments on your avatar. However, some building options (such as linking and physics) are unavailable while the object is attached to your avatar. Residents commonly edit attachments in order to fit hair, clothing and accessories properly to their avatars' unique proportions. Removing attachments from your avatar To remove an attachment from your avatar, find it in your inventory, right-click it, and select Detach From Yourself. Objects worn by your avatar appear in bold text in your inventory along with a note showing where each object is attached. You can also right-click directly on the object and select Detach. Note: Remember that you can only remove objects made of prims; you cannot take off any body part but must replace one with another of the same kind, or edit the one you're wearing. For more information, see Editing your appearance.

Creating and uploading animations Uploading animations into Second Life Using animations Using QAvimator to create animations Creating and uploading animations An animation is a set of instructions that causes an avatar to engage in a sequence of motions. You can create custom animations with commercial and open source tools such as Poser, Blender, and others. Important: Animations should not be confused with gestures. For information about gestures, see Using gestures and animations. Residents have created several animation applications especially for Second Life, some of which are available on the Second Life Marketplace. Check out the Second Life Community Animation Forum for tips, tricks, and links to tools to help you create animations for Second Life. Uploading animations into Second Life To upload an animation into Second Life: Save the animation in biovision hierarchy (BVH) format Choose Build > Upload > Animation (L$10)... in the Second Life Viewer. There is a L$10 fee for uploading an animation for Basic, Plus, and Premium members. Premium Plus members can upload animations for L$0 per animation asset. For more information on uploading an animation, see Uploading assets. Using animations You can use animations in gestures, but don't confuse the two. To activate an animation in your inventory, double-click the animation name. This opens a dialog box with the animation name, a field in which to see or enter a description of the animation, and two buttons: Play Locally allows you to see the animation, but it will not will be visible to others. This is useful to make sure the animation is really something you want others to see your avatar doing. Play Inworld allows those within visual range to see your avatar perform the animation There are many scripted objects within Second Life that contain animations, such as furniture, vehicles, and more. Residents also often use HUD (heads up display) objects to animate their avatars with dances, new standing animations, and emotive animations like laughing or hugging. The interface for using animations inside scripted objects can look very different depending on the content, but most objects have basic instructions on how to use them included in their packaging. The Second Life Marketplace has an entire section devoted to animations -- some are designed to be purchased and then added to inworld content or to be played from inventory directly, while others might be sold as a tool like an animation override (AO) HUD or a dance HUD that contains several animations which can be played by a menu.

Saving an outfit Re-using an item in multiple outfits The Outfit Gallery Upload a photo Select a photo from your inventory Take a snapshot Wearing a saved outfit Replacing your outfit Adding to your outfit You may save and load many different looks for your avatar by using outfits. An outfit can include everything that makes up your avatar, including but not limited to your shape, skin, hair, clothing, and attachments. You may access your current outfits by choosing Me > Appearance... from the top menu bar in the Second Life Viewer. This opens the Appearance window, which allows you to browse, edit, and save outfits. Saving an outfit You can easily save your current outfit by using the Appearance window: Customize your avatar's appearance to your liking. For tips and helpful information about customizing your avatar, see Controlling your avatar's appearance. Once you've settled on a look, open the Appearance window by choosing Me > Appearance... from the top menu bar of the Second Life Viewer. Press the Save As button to save what you are currently wearing as a new outfit. Choose an appropriate name for your outfit and press the Ok button. If you want to save changes to an existing outfit, you can click that outfit in the Outfit Gallery or My Outfits tab of the Appearance window to select it, then press the triangle next to the Save As button to reveal and click the Save option. Re-using an item in multiple outfits The items in an outfit are actually links to the items in your inventory rather than distinct copies. In addition to reducing overall inventory clutter, this allows you to include no-copy clothing and attachments in many different outfits without having to purchase them more than once. The Outfit Gallery For each outfit, you can select a thumbnail image to help you remember what that outfit looks like. This can be incredibly helpful for Residents who like to maintain many different looks! You can access the Outfit Gallery by choosing Me > Appearance... from the top menu bar of the Second Life Viewer and clicking the Outfit Gallery tab. Every outfit in your inventory is shown in the Outfit Gallery; if you have not yet assigned a thumbnail image to an outfit, it is shown as a folder image with a clothing hanger on it. There are three ways to assign a thumbnail image to one of your outfits: Upload a photo You can upload an image from your computer to be used as the thumbnail for an outfit. The aspect ratio should be 1:1, such as a 256x256 pixel image. Open the Appearance window to the Outfit Gallery tab by choosing Me > Appearance... from the top menu bar of the Second Life Viewer. Right-click the outfit for which you'd like to upload an image and select Upload Photo (L$10). Choose an image file to upload from your computer. The file is uploaded to Second Life and automatically set as the thumbnail for your selected outfit. You can also now access this image in the Textures folder of your Inventory window if you wish to use it again later. Select a photo from your inventory You can select a thumbnail image from your inventory in Second Life rather than uploading or creating a new image. This method is useful if you already have a good image of your outfit in your inventory and you'd like to avoid spending L$10 on uploading a new image or taking a snapshot. Open the Appearance window to the Outfit Gallery tab by choosing Me > Appearance... from the top menu bar. Right-click the outfit for which you'd like to select an image and choose Select Photo. Choose a saved texture or snapshot from the Select Photo window, which automatically opens to the Textures folder of your Second Life inventory, then click OK. The image is set as the thumbnail image for your selected outfit. Take a snapshot You can use the Outfit Gallery to take a specialized snapshot at the correct size and 1:1 aspect ratio for use as an outfit thumbnail. Frame your avatar on the screen as you would like it to appear for the thumbnail image. Open the Appearance window to the Outfit Gallery tab by choosing Me > Appearance from the top menu bar. Right-click the outfit for which you'd like to take a snapshot, then choose Take a Snapshot. The Outfit Snapshot window opens, showing a preview of the snapshot image. If you are unhappy with the way the image looks, you can re-frame the snapshot and press the Refresh button to recapture the preview. Press the Upload (L$10) button to upload your snapshot and set it as the thumbnail for your selected outfit. For additional information and tips on using the snapshot tool in Second Life, see Taking inworld snapshots. Wearing a saved outfit You may either replace or add to your current outfit, depending upon both your current outfit and the outfit you'd like to wear. Replacing your outfit You may replace your current outfit, which means that all parts of your existing avatar are removed and replaced with the saved outfit. This is most useful when your outfit includes a complete set of body shapes, parts, and attachments that may not necessarily work with your current outfit, such as when changing from a human avatar to a creature avatar. To completely remove your current outfit and replace it with one you have saved: Open the Appearance window by choosing Me > Appearance... from the top menu bar of the Second Life Viewer. On the Outfit Gallery or My Outfits tab of the Appearance window, right-click the name of the outfit you wish to wear and choose Wear - Replace Current Outfit to replace your current outfit. Adding to your outfit You may add to your current outfit, which means that the contents of the saved outfit are added to your avatar without removing your previous outfit. This is useful for adding specific clothing parts to your existing outfit, such as an overcoat that includes several avatar attachments. To add an outfit to your current appearance without removing your current outfit: Open the Appearance window by choosing Me > Appearance... from the top menu bar of the Second Life Viewer. On the Outfit Gallery or My Outfits tab of the Appearance window, right-click the name of the outfit you wish to wear and choose Wear - Add to Current Outfit.

Creating clothing Creating new clothing in Appearance mode Creating new clothing outside Appearance mode Video tutorial Creating tattoos Creating clothing Clothing in Second Life® can refer to two things: Mesh clothing items - These include textures that are baked directly onto your avatar mesh in a specific location and order, as well as customizable settings like length and height. There are 9 types of mesh clothing including shirts, pants, and socks. This article covers how to create this kind of clothing. Objects made of prims - These attach to specific attachment points on your avatar. Many clothing designers make prim skirts, cuffs, collars, and shoes in tandem with mesh clothing to create a richer effect. You can learn more about attachments in our articles on building and attaching items. If an item of mesh clothing is modifiable, you can alter it using the My Appearance editor. Note: If an item in My Inventory says "no modify," it can't be changed. You can create custom textures for clothing using an image editor like Adobe Photoshop or GIMP. There are many ways to do this; visit the Clothing Tutorials wiki page for resources such as templates and guides. Creating new clothing in Appearance mode If you want to use a custom clothing texture, select Build > Upload > Image (L$10) to add it to My Inventory. (It costs L$10 to upload an image.) Right-click your avatar and choose My Appearance. The APPEARANCE window opens. Click the Gear icon in the bottom left corner and select New Clothes. Select the clothing item you wish to create (for instance, New Shirt). The item automatically appears on your avatar. Adjust the sliders until the clothing is the shape you want. Click the Texture box to select a clothing texture from My Inventory, or drag the texture from My Inventory onto Texture. It is applied to your clothing item and becomes visible within moments. If desired, click Color/Tint and add an additional color to the entire article of clothing. Click Save As at the bottom left of the APPEARANCE window. Add a description in the text box, then click OK to save your work. In the Edit Outfit tab, remove any item of clothing you don't want to wear by clicking the X to its left or right-clicking the item and selecting Take Off. Creating new clothing outside Appearance mode Click the Inventory button on the left side of the viewer to open the INVENTORY window. Choose a folder in which to create your new clothing item, for instance, Clothing. Right-click the folder and choose New Clothes > [clothing item name]. Rename the clothing item as desired. To add a texture or otherwise edit the new clothing item, double-click it to wear it, then right-click your avatar and enter the My Appearance editor. Click the Gear menu in the bottom left corner and select Edit Outfit. Click the Edit Wrench icon next to the item you wish to edit, or right-click the item and select Edit. Refer to steps 7-10 above to customize your clothing item. Note: All mesh clothing you make using New Clothes will show your name as the original creator. Modifying clothing made by someone else, even if you change the texture, will not make you the creator. Video tutorial This video visually guides you through the above steps. Creating tattoos You can apply images and textures of your own design to your avatar's skin. However, most avatars use the skin texture layer for wearing custom skins and use clothing layers to wear tattoos. Here we explain how to wear tattoos you have created using both the skin layer and the clothing layers. Tattoos, like other forms of texture transparency in Second Life, require a special part of an image known as an alpha channel. The alpha channel serves as a "hidden color" that shows where to draw the texture and where to remain transparent. One such use for alpha channels would be to "paint" a window into a wall without physically building the window. While detailed image editing and alpha channels are beyond the scope of this article, you can find Second Life's fashion templates and other useful information in the Clothing Tutorials page on the Second Life wiki. If you have a tattoo texture you would like to apply to your avatar, just choose one of the following two methods. Tip: Do not use the first method if your avatar wears a custom skin. To apply the tattoo directly to your skin layer: Import your texture into your Inventory by selecting Build > Upload > Image (L$10). (It costs L$10 to upload an image.) Right-click your avatar and choose My Appearance. Click the Gear menu in the bottom left corner of the APPEARANCE window and select New Body Parts > New Skin. Select the appropriate box: if the tattoo is designed for your face, double-click the Head Tattoo box. If the tattoo is designed for your chest, double-click he Upper Tattoo box. If the tattoo is designed for your legs, double-click the Lower Tattoo box. The PICK: TEXTURE window opens. Select and double-click the desired texture. It appears on the part of your avatar you indicated. Click Save. To apply the tattoo as a clothing layer (use this if you wear a custom skin): Import your texture into My Inventory by selecting Build > Upload > Image. Right-click your avatar and choose My Appearance. Click the Gear menu in the bottom left corner and select Edit Outfit > New Clothes > [clothing item name]. Tip: Tattoos usually work best when created on the undershirt or underpants layer so that they appear underneath clothing layers like shirts and pants. Adjust the sliders until the clothing is the shape you like. Keep in mind that tattoos should be skintight. Click on the Texture box to select a texture from My Inventory. Click on Color/Tint and apply an additional color to the entire tattoo if desired. Click Save As at the bottom left to name and save your work.

What is Project Bento? New bones, joints, and attachment points Getting started with Project Bento Creating content for Project Bento Creating mesh content Creating animations Frequently asked questions What do I need in order to use the new joints? What kind of content can take advantage of the new joints? I am using a classic (non-mesh) avatar. Can I use the new joints? How will Project Bento affect my old content? What are the system requirements for Project Bento? What features are available to help troubleshoot issues with my avatar skeleton? Show Bones Reset Skeleton More information about Project Bento In other languages: Deutsch Español Français Italiano Português 日本語 Note: Because Project Bento makes changes to the Second Life avatar skeleton, some avatars (specifically, those using the new joints, bones, and animations allowed by Project Bento) will appear to be distorted or "bunched up" to Residents who are not running the Project Bento Release Candidate Viewer. This is expected during the Release Candidate period and will be resolved once Project Bento leaves Release Candidate status. If you are running the Release Candidate Viewer and still observe a distorted avatar, you can reset your view of the avatar's skeleton by right-clicking the avatar and choosing Reset Skeleton. This resets the skeleton for you only; other Residents in the area (including the distorted avatar) will see no change. What is Project Bento? Project Bento is an extension to the existing avatar skeleton to include many new bones, joints, and attachment points. These new bones support rigging and animation to provide the opportunity for a much wider range of avatar body types, facial expressions, and animations than is currently possible in Second Life. The "classic" (default) Second Life avatar is not changing with the introduction of Project Bento, and all the existing joints in the avatar skeleton have not been altered. This means that all existing avatars and attachments will continue to function as designed and will not need to be updated. However, new mesh avatars and mesh attachments may take full advantage of the new joints and attachment points. New bones, joints, and attachment points A full listing of the new bones and attachment points can be found in the Project Bento Skeleton Guide on the Second Life wiki. A summary of the new bones and attachment points: New limb bones - For wings, additional arms, or extra legs. Tail bones - Include your tail in avatar animations. New hand bones - For finer control over hand animations. New face bones - For complex facial expressions, and animating ears and antennae New attachment points - Associated with the new bones. Accessorize your new limbs! Getting started with Project Bento To get started, you need to download and install the Project Bento Release Candidate Viewer from the Alternate Viewers page on the Second Life Wiki. Third-Party Viewer support for Project Bento will not be available until after Project Bento leaves Release Candidate status and is fully released. Once installed, log into Second Life to upload and test content with the extended avatar skeleton. Tip: To see an avatar's bones in the Second Life Viewer, you can use a new option in the Develop menu: Develop > Avatar > Show Bones. Creating content for Project Bento Creating content for Project Bento is very similar to the current process for creating rigged mesh content. With the addition of more joints, there are some new limitations and differences: Creating mesh content As with all mesh content in Second Life, meshes for Project Bento must be created in an external modeling program such as Maya or Blender. These meshes must be exported as Collada (.dae) files for upload into Second Life. Meshes may be rigged to any of the bones or collision volumes of the avatar skeleton, but may not be rigged to attachment points. Meshes may be rigged to a maximum of 110 joints; this is less than the total number of joints in the new extended avatar skeleton, so you must make sure that your mesh does not list more joints than you are actually weighting to. If you need to rig to more than 110 joints, you need to model in more than one piece such that each piece does not exceed the limit. Meshes may include overrides for the positions of some or all of the included joints to change the shape of the avatar. If you are wearing multiple meshes with different joint position overrides, only one of the meshes is chosen to provide the value for the joint offset. To minimize conflicts, define only as many joint position overrides as you need for each mesh. When uploading, you can choose whether to apply available skin weights and joint position overrides to the uploaded mesh. If skin weight or joint position override information is missing or invalid, these options are ignored. Creating animations Creating animations for the new skeleton in Project Bento is very similar to the process for creating animations for existing avatars, with more joints and a few limitations: Animations may be uploaded in .bvh or .anim formats Animations can be applied only to recognized avatar joints and attachment points, which are defined in "avatar_skeleton.xml". We suggest leaving attachment points unmodified, except for a mesh override so non-rigged attachments will behave as expected. The total size of uploaded animations cannot exceed 120kb For additional information on creating and uploading animations for Second Life, see our Knowledge Base article and our community-maintained wiki page on How to create animations. Frequently asked questions What do I need in order to use the new joints? Project Bento is currently available on the main Second Life grid (Agni) using the Project Bento Release Candidate Viewer. What kind of content can take advantage of the new joints? Mesh avatars and mesh attachments may take advantage of the new joints, and newly uploaded animations are able to move them. I am using a classic (non-mesh) avatar. Can I use the new joints? Classic avatars themselves do not use the new joints, but the joints are available for use by attachments. This means that while classic avatars can't suddenly grow extra limbs or use complex facial animation, they can wear mesh-based attachments that use the new joints and animations, such as wings, tails, or even animated masks. How will Project Bento affect my old content? Project Bento does not affect any existing content in Second Life. All existing avatars and animations should continue to function as they were designed. What are the system requirements for Project Bento? Some older graphics cards and drivers may encounter difficulty rendering the increased number of joints, and you may experience a change in framerate as a result. If possible, upgrade your OS or driver to the latest version. What features are available to help troubleshoot issues with my avatar skeleton? The Second Life Viewer includes some tools to help troubleshoot or fix problems you may encounter with avatar skeletons. Show Bones You can view avatar bones by selecting Develop > Avatar > Show Bones from the top menu bar. If you cannot see the Develop menu, you can enable it by checking Show Develop Menu under the Advanced tab of the Preferences window. While enabled, the Show Bones feature shows avatar bones as colored lines: Red - If there is a joint position defined for the bone. Cyan - If the bone is rigged to at least one mesh. Green - In all other cases. Note that the Show Bones feature can negatively impact the performance of the Second Life viewer and is not intended for routine use. Reset Skeleton When something has gone wrong with an avatar's skeleton or animations, you can reset the avatar's skeleton by right-clicking the avatar and selecting either Reset Skeleton or Reset Skeleton And Animations. Choosing Reset Skeleton restores the avatar to its correct state by resetting it to its default position, then applying the appropriate sliders and joint positions. Choosing Reset Skeleton And Animations resets the avatar's skeleton as described above, and also resets the avatar's animations. When applied to another Resident's avatar, this resets the state of their active animations but does not stop them; no changes will be visible to other Residents. When applied to your own avatar, all animations on your avatar are stopped, and other Residents are able to see the change. Note that Reset Skeleton and Reset Skeleton And Animations affects only your Second Life Viewer and do not affect other Residents (with the exception of stopping animations on your own avatar). More information about Project Bento Follow the discussion on our Creation Forum, or read our initial announcement on the Second Life Blog. For more detailed information on how to test Project Bento and provide feedback, please see Project Bento Testing on the Second Life Wiki. A full list of the new bones and attachment points introduced with Project Bento can be found on the Second Life Wiki, in BentoSkeletonGuide.

HUD basics Using HUDs Troubleshooting HUDs Moving your HUDs If wearing one HUD makes another disappear If you can't see your HUD Advanced usage HUD basics A heads-up display (HUD) is a two-dimensional user interface element that controls inworld elements, such as your avatar or animations. A HUD typically consists of a control panel with buttons that do certain things; you activate it by "wearing" it as you would an article of clothing. HUDs are created by Residents using LSL. For more information, see HUD. HUDs are used in many kinds of products where information needs to be directly communicated to you. Popular uses include: Animation overrides - Click buttons to change how your avatar looks when moving. Books - HUDs are useful for viewing info that may be tricky to camera-zoom in on. Combat systems and games - See your health, stamina, experience points, and other relevant in-game info. An HUD can be a whole game experience, similar to casual gaming in a web browser. (In fact, with Shared Media, an HUD can show Flash-based games.) Customizable attachments - Click color swatches to change your hair, clothes, shoes, or more exotic accessories like neko tail and ears. Make particle effects (like fire and smoke). Multi-tools - Gadgets that consolidate various practical functions in one HUD. Photo enhancements Vehicles - Use HUDs to display features such as dashboards with speedometers, gear indicators, and distance traveled. Location - Shows a GPS position indicating where you are on the sim with the X and Y location on a map. Tip: You can browse and buy many HUDs on the Second Life Marketplace Using HUDs After you get a HUD (and unpack it if necessary), it appears in your inventory, perhaps in a folder (with notecard instructions and a landmark to the store it came from). Right-click the HUD and select Wear to automatically attach it to the point the HUD creator set when they made it. If there are buttons, they may be labeled, and you can often safely explore by clicking them to see what they do. Note: Any Second Life object can be attached to any attachment point. However, attaching something as a HUD that is not designed as one may not be very useful. For example, attaching a house object may show up as a big, wood-textured square that obscures your field of view. Troubleshooting HUDs Moving your HUDs To move an HUD you're wearing: Right-click the HUD onscreen (not in your inventory) and select Edit. Drag the arrowheads to reposition the HUD. The HUD remembers its position the next time you log in. In some circumstances (like a sudden Viewer crash), the HUD may forget its position, so use this workaround in addition to the above: Right-click the HUD and select Detach. Find the HUD in your inventory, right-click it and select Wear. Reposition the HUD following the steps above. If wearing one HUD makes another disappear These HUDs are being worn on the same attachment point. To solve the problem: In your inventory, right-click one of the HUDs and select Attach To HUD. You will see the list of attachment points and, in brackets, which HUDs are currently attached to them. Select an attachment point that isn't already occupied. Reposition the HUD as desired using the steps above. Also, in Viewer 2.4 and newer, you can attach multiple objects to the same point. If you can't see your HUD Follow these steps to retrieve an off-screen HUD. Create a cube. Right-click the cube and select Put On > Attach HUD > Center. Move your scroll wheel down or hold Alt + left mouse button and drag your mouse cursor down. The screen reduces and anything offscreen becomes viewable. Locate the missing HUD and put it into edit mode by right-clicking on it and selecting Edit. Using the arrows that appear in edit mode, move the missing HUD back onto the screen. Scroll the mouse wheel or hold Alt + left mouse button and move the mouse up to bring it back to size. Right-click the cube you attached as a HUD and select Detach. If the HUD is hidden: Go to World > Show > Advanced menu. From the Advanced menu at the top of the Viewer window, select Highlighting and Visibility > Show HUD Attachments. Advanced usage For advanced information on using HUDs, see Creating HUDs.

Using gestures How to make a gesture Using voice levels to trigger gestures Troubleshooting gestures Using animations How to start an animation How to stop an animation Using gestures Gestures are a type of inventory item that trigger your avatar to animate, play sounds, and/or emit text chat. Created with a series of steps, gestures can be used for practical purposes or to amuse friends. For example, a cartoon "Squish!" noise accompanied by your avatar falling down. In Second Life culture, many gestures are openly shared because they make social activity more fun. You can trigger a gesture with: Local text chat Keyboard shortcuts Public voice chat volume There are a variety of sample gestures in your inventory's Library folder. Search your inventory for "gesture" and scroll down. How to make a gesture There are many approaches to making gestures. Here's a simple exercise to get you started: Click the Inventory button in toolbar. The INVENTORY window opens. Right-click the Gestures folder and select New Gesture from the context menu. Type in a unique name for the gesture. You can always change this later. The Gesture editor window appears. Under Steps there are sample steps. Click the Previewbutton to see and hear what the gesture does as a whole. For example: Click the first step, Start Animation: Wave. Click the dropdown below and select a different animation, like Afraid. The steps update to show this. Click Preview again. Add and remove steps using the Add >> and Remove buttons. Change the order of the steps by selecting a step, then clicking Move Up and Move Down. Enter a Trigger and/or Shortcut Key. Changing the Description is optional, but you should at least have one way to easily trigger the gesture. Make sure Active is checked. Gestures must be active to be triggered. When you're done, click Save button and close the gesture window. Test the trigger or shortcut key. Using voice levels to trigger gestures There are three voice level triggers for gestures, shown below, where 1 is the softest and 3 the loudest voice level: /voicelevel1 /voicelevel2 /voicelevel3 To use voice levels to trigger gestures: Search your inventory for the Speech Gestures folder (which is included in the Library > Gestures folder). Drag the folder onto your avatar. Experiment in voice chat by speaking at different volumes. Your avatar's arms should gesticulate more dramatically when speaking loudly. Like any other gesture, you can edit a speech gesture. Troubleshooting gestures If a gesture isn't working, one of two things is wrong: either you are using the incorrect trigger, or the gesture is inactive. Use one of the following methods to make sure that the gesture is active: Search your inventory for "(active)". There's a dropdown called Gestures to the right of your chat bar. Click it to see gestures sorted by text trigger. Go to Communicate > Gestures. A special window opens that shows you the trigger, key, and name for all your activated gestures. If the gesture is inactive, right-click it and choose Activate. You can also drag a gesture from your inventory onto your avatar to activate it. Conversely, you can follow the same steps, then choose Deactivate to turn off gestures. Tip: Switch between male and female gestures by activating or deactivating the gestures in the Female Gestures and Male Gestures folders in your inventory as desired. Using animations An animation is a set of intructions that cause an avatar to engage in a sequence of motions. You can use animations in gestures, but don't confuse the two. To activate an animation in your inventory, double-click the animation name. This opens a dialog box with the animation name, a field in which to see or enter a description of the animation, and two buttons: Play Locally allows you to see the animation, but it will not will be visible to other Residents. This is useful to make sure the animation is really something you want others to see your avatar doing. Play in World allows the Residents within visual range to see your avatar perform the animation. For more information, see How to create animations. How to start an animation When you take an animation into your inventory, it goes into the Animations folder. Play an animation by double-clicking it in your inventory, then clicking the Play In World button.There are many free animations in Second Life passed around in collections from one Resident to another, so don't be afraid to ask others for animations. Use inventory filters to easily locate all animations in your inventory. Click the Inventory toolbar button to open your Inventory window. Click the Gear Icon and choose Show Filters. Click the None button to clear all filter checkboxes, Select the Animation checkbox. When finished, click All to show all of your inventory. Places like nightclubs have scripted dance machines. To search for a club, click the Search button in the toolbar, then click Places in the drop-down selection to the right of the search field. Try searching for club, dance, party or another keyword. If you are unsure how to use a dance machine, try asking someone nearby how it works.Depending on how the specific machine operates, you can usually click on one to start dancing; clicking on it again should stop you. How to stop an animation Depending on how you started an animation, use one of the following ways to sop it: Choose Me > Movement > Stop Animating Me. If you have animation windows open, close them. If you started dancing after clicking a dance machine, click it again. If you are in a social environment like a crowded club, try asking one of your fellow patrons for help. Some dance machines work differently than others, and the regular visitors around you may be familiar with the one you're using. As a last resort, you can fly or teleport far away and restart Second Life.