Six Igaly

The basic principle is quite simple: The different LOD models are for viewing at different distances so If you know which distances the different models are used at and are able to figure out roughly which details of your at those distances, you're well on the way to make efficient mesh. I am still not sure what is the best way: create the model with all the details and then step by step breaking it down to LOD_0 or start with the most simple one and build it up step by step to the final model or building each LOD from scratch. (It is fun to figure this all out though.) But there is more of course. If you just upload your mesh with the perfect LOD models - the kind that looks decent at any distance even without that laggy RenderVolumeLODFactor increase irresponsible builders often recommend - you'll probably end up with a land impact a bit higher than most people here would accept. Exactly what happens most of the time. Btw, I have the RenderVolumeLODFactor set at default. I figured when a model looks good then it is really good. First is to eliminate unnecessary triangles from all models. Quite often you see meshes made completely from grids of equal sized triangles. That is usually a very bad idea - and a sure sign the maker doesn't understand mesh in Second Life. I don't really see any point explaining here - Drongle already did that so well in another thread only a few days ago: https://community.secondlife.com/t5/Mesh/Mesh-Landscapes-Quirks-amp-Oddities/td-p/3000259 I have read (and bookmarked to re-read) about all the significant threads about mesh, including Drongle's. That is one way how I learn. I guess it is just a matter of practicing, which triangles to remove and which not. A small hurdle for me is that most explanations are based on using Blender which I don't use (Cheetah3D here). Of course mesh is mesh, triangle is triangle and so on. So far I managed to 'translate' from one to the other. Second: don't do mesh for mesh' sake. There are lots of builds better done as prims or sculpts. I noticed yes. For me mesh comes in when I want to have more organic shapes which are not possible with prims (as far as I know). Third: Balance the weights. Far too many builders try to put too much into a single mesh. The general rule is: few large meshes give low server weight but high download weight, many smaller meshes give high server weight but lower download weight. It is the highest of the weights that counts as land impact so if you can find the sweet spot there - usually where those two weights are almost the same - you can save a lot of LI. I also think balancing in a larger context. The forest I mentioned has a LI of 8 on its own but it's all download weight. By linking it to objects with higher server weight than download weight I got a linkset with much lower LI than the individual parts had on their own. Clarifying! Fourth: Optimize for compressability. Download weight depends on file size but that is not the same as the amount of raw data. The files are compressed before they are transferred and before download weight is calculated. You can save a tremendous lot of LI by making the mesh as easy as possible for the compression algorithm to handle. This is a little bit of a black art with few fixed rules so it takes quite a bit of experience to take full advantage of it but the basic principles are easy enough for anybody to understand and even they can help a lot. Right! For now it still is but will get it one day or the other. Last but not least, remember: Content may be King but without Queen Context he's nothing at all. Take a look at the tree groups at the western end of the park. If you study them really close, you may notice that they are actually extremely simple meshes. The average number of tris per tree is somewhere between four and five. The only way to achieve that is to make multi-tree meshes in very strict geometric patterns. That doesn't look very good at all of course but the different meshes are positioned to break up each other's geometry and the result are small groves with trees in a very natural looking seemingly random pattern. You can find similar examples all over the park. Everything there is selected and positioned to support everything else as well as possible. Context is perhaps the most important secret behind my park and what SL lacks more than anything else. Too often we see scenes with lots and lots of lovely, elaborately made objects fighting each other for attention. It's like a rock band with 20 solo guitarists and nobody to play bass and drums. Build your virtual world with pieces that fit together and also fit in with what others have already placed there and everything just looks bigger, better, more real. That's the true secret behind good VR building really - and good RL building too for that matter. I will return as often as I need. I know I still have a lot to learn (but then again, most likely I will learn till the day I'll pass). I also know I'm in the right direction and that I understand more then I'd thought at first. Thanks for sharing Rey :smileyhappy:

I just wish I already totally understand the LOD stuff ..I mean, I know what it is, but still don't understand completely how to create mesh that does not collapse and yet is download and server friendly and such. Your tour just made me drool more but, also more determined to learn! Would be great to achieve that in this life though :smileyvery-happy:

In all my 8 year 8 months premium membershipness it's to count on one hand the times there was a delay in the stipend thingy. It never occurred it was not 'payed' at all. I would not worry too much about the $1,22 / € 1,15 if I were you.



Even a SMALL percentage of help is HELP. I won't argue the part about buying Lindens and upload fees though, of course that is a major source of income for LL. Funny though how people have no problems spending a lot of money just to look "good" and at the same time whine about the expenses for using land. Does that ring a bell? _________________________ YOU________________________________________________ I get tired of always paying for my land monthly (complaint one) (has LL ever listened to what we wanted)? (complaint two but disguised as a question) ______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________ME__________________________________________________ So, if you don't want to pay then go for free and stop complaining (is this really a complaint? If so then I'll have to apologize for not being an English speaking earthling by birth. I might use the wrong words/punctuation or whatever). ______________________________________________________________________________ A well, what does an idiot know. BTW, I'm impressed by your ability to make this psycho-analysis so quickly.

What you basically ask is free land right. I get tired of always paying for my land monthly.. Well, even after 8 year + with this account I simply can say: 'NO'. Premium members are helping LL paying their bills. And besides that, I've said it in other threads before and I say it again: LL makes this all possible for me. Creating, having fun, chat with people 1000 miles away from me, seeing my RL best friend every day which is impossible RL. I am glad to pay for all of this. Without (enough) premium members SL will vanish one day or another. So, if you don't want to pay then go for free and stop complaining, or put some money in it and make SL as you want it to be. Plain simple

Oh, I thought it was a pocket version for when one has to travel a lot!

I am sure females can have fun with this one too :matte-motes-big-grin-wink: And when not there is always this ancient one (m/f - m/m - f/f) :matte-motes-big-grin:

The low-budget one..

In SL Go to Avatar>Upload>Bulk Upload and when the dialog box opens highlight your art work files and then click open... This depends on the viewer I suppose. I use Alchemy and LL viewer. In both it is either: Build>Upload>Bulk Upload or via the inventory window by clicking the + (Add new item) on the bottom side..

Through the years it became a sport an obsession to keep my inventory as empty as possible. At the same time I frequently need something when I am building. This ended up in a system in how I organize my inventory. Now last week I had a cleaning session again (the hardest part of keeping a system is to maintain it) and I faced the same 'problem', a stuffed trash can. Thousands of items. I decided to just drop everything in some boxes, together with an inventory reading script, linked the boxes and took it in inventory and placed it in my back up folder. Then I flushed my trash. As for my system. I use HUDS for textures, animations/poses and sounds. Then for objects, I created a rezzersystem. Categorized boxes with the stuff inside, boxes in a multirezzer (some boxes are rezzers themself too for sub categories). Done. One copy rezzed. One copy in inventory. Besides that, when I buy something new I unpack it and then I place the orginal item in a categorized box, copy and no copy separated, and take that back to inventory. Oh, here is a glimpse of my inventory. It also shows my new personal record :matte-motes-big-grin:

I stopped accepting friendship offers long ago. Especially when it is offered only because I answered someones question or even better, talked with someone for 2 whole minutes. Even when it feels good and all, when you feel there is some connection, it still is not a friend. Some might become one, sooner or later. What I do since I stopped accepting (usually), is giving my calling card so one can find me back easily. 9 out of 10 never heard from again. Works great..

I'm glad to hear Valerie, I just think the Kudo's should go to the developer of this viewer :smileyvery-happy: And to be honest, I can't recall where and when, I stumbled on to this viewer somewhere on the forums myself a while ago :smileylol:

You're welcome :smileyhappy:

There is an other alternative as it comes to viewers. 'They' say this developer is Mac-orientated. I'm using it for a couple of months now and so far I'm satisfied (I like the graphics). It is on the 3rd party viewer list and you can find it here: https://www.alchemyviewer.org/pages/downloads.html

Ah, it's puppy porn..

Yeah, pretty much the same as what I do. The only thing is that it's only working for that current version, every update I need to take those steps again. But I can live with that..

Maybe like how I have to do it with every new viewer update, go in Finder/Applications then right click and open, enter your password. I think it is just another layer of protection.

RL is a game as well, I'm at level 54 now..

For me, as a parent (:matte-motes-sarcasm:), the most important thing to hide from them is my wallet!

I guess it should be WHINE bottle then..

I've read that too yes, and other posts. I just needed my own moment to ventilate..

<rant> How many people like to collect trinkets and save them in things like old cigar boxes? I bet more then one (me). And how many of them would be longing for a cigar anytime the cigar box is in sight? Well? Yet some person ( I would like to call an idiot but I can't so I won't) felt the need to flag one of my items because of this guideline: Depictions of or references to alcohol or tobacco use. Ridiculous, what is flagged is just a very old cigar box with some trinkets inside, an organizer! OK well, if it makes the person feel good. But hey! Do your homework! You still need to flag the demo that is also on my MP! </rant>

I never use Coverflow, but I tried and I could reproduce. Instant crash!:smileylol: