Charlotte Bartlett

We stopped Gacha a fair time back. We always exchanged ours from mod/transfer to mod/copy if purchased from us - as H&G is pretty useless as no copy. For creators concerned about it, we found using a fatpack of mod/copy priced at a sale price at our own store created the same level of revenue as a gacha monthly event. So something you may wish to consider is switch your items to Mod/Copy and use a Mainstore sale / event to sell together at your own pace versus being held to an event deadline. We phased out gently as we did not want to impact resellers, and waited a full 12 months plus before packaging our items to allow resellers time to complete any sales of residual items they had from old gacha sets. Our customers love them, the revenue outpaces gacha over time and it also gives you control back on when you release your own items at your own store. The traffic it also drives allows you to cross populate visitors to see your other items.

Physics are a separate model generally that can upload with the house. I tend to upload in 3 sections - 1. Floors as the physics we want "thick" to ensure you can Rez items on floors. 2. Areas that need what I call strong physics - so areas like walls, doorways - things an avatar will interact with and 3. Weak physics areas these can be things like ceilings, or intricate roofs where a simple physics or none physics is sufficient. Also @Charalyne Blackwood that's a good viewpoint as if you use a separate face for interior wall to exterior wall it helps people whom want to retexture so always good to have separate maps like you do. For the OP I would look at it as: 1. Use Planes/Splines etc to make your model and plan out floors, interior and exterior walls, roofs, ceilings, and things like windows/doors (as these can be repeated throughout). Remember to have normals facing outwards for things like external walls and inwards for interior walls (SL Camera needs to see the normal to render it in world). 2. UV Unwrap 3. Add Materials/Set Baking/Rendering and Bake Materails/add baked texture to the color channel for upload *depends on your software you model in - this is how we do it in C4D for upload so textures load with the model. Be efficient if you have 3 walls the same you can use one baked texture, if you have 10 windows the same, do it once and apply the material to all the other windows. Use small outputs for things that can be blurry e.g. glass can be 64 x 64, iron railings you can get away with 256 x 256. Limit 1024 textures to any large UV maps (If I have a large tiled floor I do use 1024 x 1024). You can also plan out things so you can use repeating / seamless for some areas. For bakes you can also run them through things like photoshop to increase a bit of clarity/definition for a "sharper" bake. 4. Join Meshes based on the sections (e.g. how I mentioned) or based on your own workflow. 5. Create Physics model so for things like Floors never just have a thin plane (nothing will rez on it) you need a thicker physics model (I just extrude one edge of my floor then delete the poly leaving a vertice so the physics work). 6. LOD Optimization for SL uploads and save to daes. 7. Upload in batches per your sections with the relevant Physics model and LODS. 8. Analyze the physics model on upload / set to prim in world for physics for things like the doorways so you can walk through. Don't press Optimize for the physics that are floors, or strong physics or it will close up your doorway holes etc. I Optimize my weak physics section on that upload only. 9. Link the model in world - then the usual e.g. scripting doors etc. I do a silly thing when I upload, but it works for me. With each mesh I upload I upload a cube with them in the same position. I then make that the primary in the link set and use the super quick Firestorm copy and paste on coordinates to align each mesh automatically to the cube. Then I delete the Cubes when I link everything together. There are a multiple of steps/what ifs/things in between these and also it can vary dependent on specific software you use. But as you start to move forward with the house; hopefully this will give you a bit of a skeleton workflow to look at to create the method that works best for you.

Apologies I think you misread my comment and are applying the wrong sentiment due to some other posts in this thread. Let me expand so it's more clear - I should have done a better job of explaining my thought process so I apologise. I recommend using FREE Blender as it's what many SL creators use if just starting out. It has a wealth of free tutorials, support, and community to help new creators - specifically things like navigating the body kits (which all come with their own individual challenges). Just search these forums and you will find some incredible tutorials and support on it e.g. like Chic's ones. The OP's partner needed to convert a Blender file to Maya. They had been looking for tutorials but was not used to Maya and confirmed they found that aspect confusing. So they was looking for somebody whom knew how to do that (and offered to pay). Hence my recommendation on Blender use versus paying a hefty subscription fee for an application if they do not yet have the basic skills with to convert files. I hope that is clearer. My post is about not paying for software when you can use free software to do the same thing when first starting out - nothing to do with whether somebody is legally using software or not and nor did I state that. I hope that clarifies matter for you.

If somebody is paying the hefty monthly subscription to Autodesk for Maya of 215 USD, I would have assumed they would have first completed the basic tutorials including fbx files etc. If they don't have those basics, I would question their capability to weight paint etc or have even basic decent topology as that's all far more complicated that moving files between programs.. Also you would be FAR better off doing clothing if just starting out in a (legal) copy of FREE Blender. You can then use a plug in like Avastar (spelling)....that takes some of the pain out of the SL requirements for clothing.

You can type iQuit…. To get around it…. (so joking…. ) But this is the same vein on people who think these things are protection. I haven’t seen things like this since 2007/8.

Your points seem fluid and emotional. I am happy with my original logical outline of the commercial benefits to remain as is. I hope you find it less of an issue going forward using the forums. If you aren’t able to use any of the suggestions already mentioned to help improve your unique experience, I recommend the mute button if you find something particularly problematic. I am glad Concierge, Premium and Non Premium users all posted on this to share benefits.

Concierge users (like me) use and post on the forum so we are part of the equation. If it was just for Premium users, the Concierge users (who pay a minimum of 1,950 USD a year to LL as a starting point) with the Non Premium User's would also be excluded. Regardless, I have already stated my position which you kindly agreed with. Could I ask if your question is more about your own frustration with the forum. So that may be swaying your thoughts on this to a degree. I.e. asking for a solution that doesn't actually solve what the real issue is? I think my experience of a troll directly on these forums - well I can barely remember any - so you seem to be having a very individual experience, that others of us do not, is vastly different. You just ignore, don't engage, or do engage but understand what that entails. Conflict doesn't have to happen if you refuse to participate and direct yourself to other threads, whilst a dose of diplomacy can always help defuse if it's just a clash versus an actual troll. I personally believe It doesn't need a whole change to everybody's experience e.g. premium or not premium being "allowed" to post etc based on what I have read in this thread. If every other poster was saying the same, there yes there is a community problem. But when it one person, perhaps first best to see if my taking your own steps you can solve for the challenge you are facing without calling for a wider group of people to be impacted unnecessarily. Taking responsibility for your experience, can be hugely empowering! Therefore, perhaps the better question to ask yourself, is how you can change the way you use the forums, to better your own experience directly.

To the OP: I am not a premium user. I am a concierge user (so add some 000's to what I pay over the year due to region fees compared to premium user fees). However, I believe it's irreverent for the forums whether I am premium, non premium or concierge. Forums are generally here (I find personally) for 3 reasons. 1. Users to find answers and other users support that demand. - benefit to LL - less support tickets, lower costs etc. 2. To interact, communicate and participate in a community that has a common reason (in this case we all use Second Life). - benefit to LL - engaged users - remain users and the majority of users contribute to the SL economy* 3. To share from land for sale through to buying things. - benefit to LL - contributes to SL economy* Non premium accounts are just as essential for the SL economy in case that was another question based on the benefits I outlined. They buy Linden Dollars and spend it on products and renting land or services in world. For each purchase of Linden Dollars, LL takes a fee. Each time they spend that money with a creator and that creator cashes out / converts into USD - LL takes a fee (large one). Rinse, repeat in all the various activities that take part in Second Life. If LL cut off the forums to just a subset of "premium" conversely it would likely they cost them money as a result. I don't suspect that is something on their agenda. It seems more like the OP has a unique POV perhaps related to a direct experience that most of us don't share/or could be aware of.

I think their house is great - and there are so many varied tastes in SL - I know a lot of customers love this look so kudos to the creator who's work is above ❤️

Not one of mine but think Clairschen got it above! @Lillith Hapmouche - I have to say I do miss sometimes however my 2006 all white texture houses hah! I remember seeing some "shading" on white once and thinking dear god no. How far we have come now with mesh and texturing!

Agree with this. They did the right thing separating their Money Service Business for the reasons above. I think it was key particularly with the increased scrutiny over their legal definition of token (not yet tested before a regulator) to ensure they did not venture into the virtual currency definition. T The other reason for banning all those other exchanges was again to carefully avoid the definition of a convertible virtual currency in my humble opinion.

I think that was one benefit of Sansar - it may have helped to push them towards AWS (to some small degree). Removing the data center etc in combination with the goals of getting rid of their aging hardware as a result. https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/case-studies/linden-lab/

Don’t matter to me I used the word “only” in relation to the post before with 5-6 events, but happy to amend to “some” np!! Don’t worry I don’t see it as picking on me, always happy to hear alternative viewpoints.

I appreciate that may be you and your friends experience. But I would say most of the top tier creators I know personally who are doing multiple major events per month are a team. This is more fashion based versus H and G hence the rigging comment. I wasn’t saying it was wrong, simply that the many brands you see in many multiples of events a month are navigating higher volume.

The only brands that can do that at the ones who outsource and have a team. You can pretty much tell whom they are by the frequency and size of releases. I can sometimes do 4 releases a month if RL is very quiet, but I do houses so don’t have to rig for 108393 bodies.

The materials LOD one is a lifesaver thank you so much!

Yes pretty sure their audience is for shoppers versus non shoppers.

I think many people use: Seraphim sl - > https://www.seraphimsl.com

As a creator I just do the Saturday Sale at the moment as the organizers allow flexibility (you don’t need to do each week) and that is a lifeline when RL takes over as it often does as a hobbyist. I have found events useful especially a key few which are well managed like Fameshed to make the cost/benefit it takes to work on an item to be “covered”. I have found releasing in a sale environment and at my home region hugely beneficial. It also has allowed shoppers with a limited budget to snag a bargain before an item becomes “full priced”. It’s win win for my customers and also for me as there is a slightly higher volume when at sale price. So my reasons: Not greed - more so to simply direct traffic to my products in the above format. Only a few top tier creators I suspect make enough money from SL to even raise an eyebrow at the term greed. I still spend a lot of time on making the items. One event type I will never touch again is Gacha however!

You cannot mass discount on marketplace it’s a long outstanding request for many years so it doesn’t support “sales”. You can mass edit and set everything to say 200 linden but that obviously doesn’t work for most stores unless every single thing you have listed has the same price. Alternatively avoid a marketplace sale and do in world using a vendor system like caspervend which does have the functionality.

Those are really good points. In reality, willful Copyright Infringement requires proof of intent in court yes. However just "regular" copyright infringement does not and many cases do not aim for the willful test. Sadly we do not have a reasonable expectation that buying something from a content creator in Second Life means the product is original. In fact, more to the contrary sadly. There is a known and growing issue of multiple layers of IP issues from models which break EULAs from third party sites (e.g. creators who "borrow" 3D stuff from sites they should not, to sell) through to gacha duplication bypassing the SL perms, which creates an infringing "version" each time it is copied. Any decent lawyer would find a slew of examples. These would show that any reasonable commercial business seller would be negligent if they assumed something in Second Life was "golden" for copyright (without some basic due diligence). LL do not police IP. They only comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, so there is nothing to base "reliance" on. However, that all above is right at the extreme end of litigation and rarely happens - I can count on one hand the big legal IP cases with SL creators involved. I hope the OP's issues get resolved. If they don't find doing research on creators/items helps, perhaps they hopefully will find better creators to buy from in the future.

If a gacha reseller doesn't do their due diligence then they accept the risk they may lose their account and may also be party to a DMCA takedown and if the copyright is registered open to damages if court action occurs. Selling things is a business. Therefore due diligence is part of the requirement to protect a business. It's all about risk/reward. Linden Lab isn't using losing revenue (in the real sense - Marketplace fees are sinks). You need to educate yourself sadly- suspect each item before you purchase it. Resellers are legally just as responsible once you put something up for sale. You are a business at that point and you are intending to make a profit from a product. Part of your cost/benefit should include your time to do your due diligence. Do it that way, you should reduce your risk. If you buy blindly and then say "well I didn't suspect" that's on you I am afraid and your risk is increased as a result. Ignorance of the law excuses not - as they say. Googling SL brand names brings up a wealth of information (not just the item concerned). Some of it is just time, the longer you do it the more you know and more history you are aware of. It becomes less of an overhead. I would say within 30-45 seconds you can probably do enough of a search to get a feel.

You could do this - you would need to create a listing of each item and set to limited quantity 1. I am not really clear though why you would do that. Would it be easier to use Caspervend Gift Certificates or something similar. Those can be gifted and can be no transfer (so keeps your chain of custody) and just do it in world versus MP.

If you are selling something, you take on responsibility as you are listing something for sale and the TOS (plus US law) applies to you. The moment you enter as a reseller - you are using the platform commercially so need to do your homework. A simple way is just Google the name of something before you buy it. The obvious things are obvious (e.g. anything Disney etc). If you can't determine if the item is "safe" don't buy it, then resell it - simple way to protect yourself. Also know your creators. Good creators won't infringe copyright nor wade into trademark issues or trade dress etc (we also do our homework). If you find a creator who is selling things that are not permissible don't buy from them again - give them a very wide berth. A creator can always make a one off mistake, but it should only ever be that. Those who buy the items have the same issues - it is near impossible for a consumer to know all the ins and outs. So the same advice applies. Even then there are still pitfalls, some big name creators historically have been caught (e.g. furniture makers) ripping off 3d Models etc (so google the creator's brand name too before you purchase to resell). Think of it as your due diligence, check out the item and creator before you purchase, that way you should hopefully know the "problem" creators to avoid which should give you some better results. Re brand names in keywords - use descriptors where possible and only as they pertain to the specific item - keywords should be things like "pink jeans" not "Levi jeans". If you keep a clean house it is harder for anybody to abuse flagging etc. LL are not stupid and will know if something is (mostly) a legitimate flag.

It is, I worked on it with Scope and Max - they did all the building and I was the "client" albeit I did some plants for the indoor garden. I was a few months into Scarlet Creative back then (started it in 2006) and Scope was the one who taught me to build when I added pool water to the house above