KirinGale

I believe that would depend on the userbase creating for the platform -- I think even SL sanctioned events make use of what creators put out. Second Life creators tend to be overwhelmingly female, though I don't know if this applies to land barons as well. Most sims that are gender neutral (IE parks, recreational, etc) don't have a specific draw to them aside from being public locations to do meet and greets. However, I've noticed that in the past two years male items and fashion are definitely more accessible and varied, though most of SL is still aesthetically feminine. So I'm not really sure how else to address it unless creators started making a lot more male-centric products.

I prefer appliers. I usually only use tights as crotch covers, but I will wear underwear if the outfit looks strange when alpha'd. Mesh undergarments tend to float over the body, and can be derendered, so they're not as effective IMO.

Thank you for the responses! Oddly enough I solved the issue by taking a different route. I use clip-studio paint, and originally was attempting a hard edge (no transparent pixels/anti aliasing) -- I am not exactly sure how alpha channels work in CSP, but I'll do some research for future projects. Regardless, duplicating a layer underneath it, creating a dark layer, and expanding the border edge did not seem to work. The fix came about by, instead of trying to line the cutout along the UV sections, simply taking airbrush tool and erasing/softening the edges down. So instead of spilling over the gridlines, they transition softly inside of them. I'm not sure why this worked, but it did -- there are no trace pixels or halos when using this texture as a tattoo or underwear layer. I'd say the issue is resolved, we can close thread

I'm attempting to create a crotch cover layer for the maitreya mesh body, but I keep winding up with a white seam around the points where it alphas out. I have tried both aliased and non-aliased edges, and have attempted uploading in transparent PNG and Targa. I'm new to creating additional layers and would very much appreciate any help. Thank you

I painted my own furry mod -- it's not the best and took 2 days to complete, but I'm pleased with it. Though I have to wonder if there's a basic shader AO for SLUVs, that would've hastened the process some ^^

This thread helped me when trying to figure out photos. Aspect ratios can be difficult to understand when most are used to pixel height & width.

Lurking here... I was on board with being more transparent and specific with consumers, the whole spiel about not worshiping TOS, or using TOS as a crutch or point to bully other users who want more open communications akin to what is available in other franchises and products. All good stuff until... whatever is happening now. Y'all have fun 😂

Right now it seems like doll-like kawaii/lolita avatars are very popular thanks to the release of the genus baby face -- I'm an adopter of the style too. It has a completely different feel to it than a standard, anime avatar -- the clothing is lolita, but the faces seem influenced by Korean and Chinese makeup. It used to be a niche style, centralized just within the Asian community in SL, but it has since branched out to westerners. Many models and creators on flickr follow the trend now, and make apparel and cosmetics for the genre. Credits to Nekotto and Akiyo Noguchi on Flickr Unknown K-Pop Idols below, for comparison

Picture I took today with my friend, Novel! I've never done compositions with more than one model, so this was a good practice piece.

Gonna be honest in that the destinations tab isn't a great resource when searching for regions. A majority of what pops under "what's hot" are dating sims, RP groups, shopping events, skill-gaming areas, and s*x sims. The other listed areas also tend to be RP focused or tailored to a hobby, like in-world boating or literature. As others suggested, groups and SL related discords are probably your best bet in terms of finding like-minded folks.

A minor edit of my vampiress from earlier today.

As a newish player who didn't get the chance to grow into SL's large community or history, I'd say everything about SL is difficult for a new user to pick up. Socializing in SL is predicated on real-world social skills -- you have to actively (not passively) engage others here. Sending deluges of obscure greetings or friend requests will not turn out well for you -- the SL community is not about curation of an audience like on Twitter or other social media. When meeting other people, the established users here expect a modicum of good etiquette and, regardless of if they're roleplaying or not, a desire to be acknowledged as a person -- not an NPC or something to entertain yourself with. I think it's hard for new users to grasp that SL is not like a chatroom where you can just jump in and say hello -- you have to learn to read the air and actually work to form relationships. The UI too is cumbersome, regardless of viewer, and there are tons of internal buttons, sub-menus, and functions -- all controlling an aspect like windlight, notifications, destinations, outfits, animations, building, etc. I think it's good practice for new users to refer to a viewer wiki or video any time they want to learn how to do something, especially if you don't have friends to guide you. And finally, as so many others here have stated, world and avatar customization are very difficult. Each body, head, cosmetic, outfit, and accessory literally comes with its own user-manual. While some items can function similarly, no two are the same, and you're going to be spending a long time just learning how to find matching skins for your head --before you even apply them. Building an avi that "looks good" requires some minor knowledge of fashion and human proportion -- as well as learning how parts function and which are compatible. There is no manual for avatar or building -- there are a few groups and video tutorials that can help establish the basics, but progress comes down to trial and error. I've learned how to do so much, but I've had 2 years to do so. I think new users should come in with the understanding that the SL learning curve takes a few weeks to acclimate to.

Oh wow, I rarely post in forums so I wasn't expecting this level of response -- so thank you! 😅 Yes, I am familiar with the quick-fill option; and while using a default prompt hastens the listing process I still find myself swarmed with multiple, open tabs, waiting on thumbnail uploads to each page, and double and triple checking that all listing information is accurate. Even when uploading a few packs of eyes it can be difficult to spot typos or unchecked permission boxes. So I'm fantasizing of a convenient, bulk-inventory editor -- which would cluster a selection of multiple items into a single page for editing. A bulk editor could also allow for mass edits to a single section of a product listing, without needing to rewrite other information -- say you posted in the improper category, or want to add an update log to the description, just open the bulk editor and tack the info onto all of the relevant listings. Further, given what you have stated, a lot of sellers are misposting then as some listings are indeed within root sections. It's not necessarily amongst older or widely-known brands, but it certainly occurs with fledgling creators. It's funny you bring up the shoes as an example, because I've often had this very trouble when searching for heels, pumps, and boots. With the latter issue, I believe then it would suffice to just educate new creators about using MP categories more effectively... I'm not sure if a bulk listing editor would be something that could possibly be considered. My qualms are minor, and I do appreciate you taking the time to read my post. ☺

As a customer and creator I've struggled with MP's less than intuitive UI. I wish there was an auto-fill,or grouping mechanism for listing, so I wouldn't have to open an individual tab for every item to paste info and wait for thumbnail images to be added -- I'd like to do it all in one fell swoop, and change minor info like the price or permissions (it would be great for gacha resale too). It would also be awesome if, like with other shopping sites, you could include or exclude word-sets and/or categories by ticking a box to get better search results. Sure, you can kind of do that by picking a category, or changing the relevancy, from the drop-downs -- but the results are (like OP stated) often inaccurate, or some creators simply choose to not use them and stick with posting into a broader section. So many potentially great items just get lost in the miasma of the MP... Recently I've stuck with using flickr and other blog sites to find stores or items I want because I simply have too hard of a time searching there.

ES makes kemono/utilizator skins separately from their catwa/genus/LAQ & maitreya/legacy/omega appliers. The tones "Light A, B, & C" match only with their utilizator heads skins, and the rest of the tones (peach, amber, albino, etc) are for their non-anime head appliers. The skins available for genus do not share the palette for their kemono appliers. It might be worth a shot, but the color definitely won't be exact.

This person is looking for a Genus skin that comes with a body tone applier for kemono. I was attempting to be polite in letting them know that such a combination does not exist, and that there is no secondary route through Omega.

Kemono needs kemono specific appliers, Genus can use genus appliers or omega. I tried looking up to see if there was an Omega relay for the Kemono body, but sadly they do not seem to exist. Also, to my knowledge, no one has made a skin-set for the Genus that includes a Kemono body applier. Most body appliers made to pair with Genus Head skins are for slink, maitreya, TMP, or other bodies. A neck fix might help with blending or sizing, but you might have to look into using another body to get the look you want.

I'm looking at the old VCO mesh heads and surprised you tried genus but didn't find a shape you liked. Almost all kawaii models on flickr are using it, if you take a look at these examples. Genus heads are very flexible and range from kawaii to realistic, and have lots of skins and shapes to meet your needs. https://www.flickr.com/photos/momomuchin/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/-gossip_girl-/

My biggest problems are organizing the objects and received items folders. I keep packages for copy items in case I break something or want to wear it on a different avatar -- this has the downside of not being able to keep up with the boxes. I recently trashed a few outdated items, but it's barely made a dent if I'm being honest. Everything else is categorized under its function and, if it's for an avatar, it goes into a related folder. I've also given every category a subfolder. I started doing this when I joined SL, and I think it needs an overhaul since I've retired a few categories/avatars.

life guard

I'm 28 and have the same problem. My suggestion is to look at discord servers and SL groups. This is where younger players tend to accumulate -- they more often frolic by themselves, and don't participate in the same sort of club-hopping, family circles that the older residents lean towards. A lot of the furry and kawaii/lolita crowd are younger people -- for example -- the people in the Genus chatroom, and Okaie eye's chatroom, are all around my age or younger (having profile pics to match). If you're looking for a social circle that uses familiar pop culture references and other tumblr, twitter, and redditisms those are the places to go. There's a site called Disboard and you should be able to find Discords related to SL there. In-World my only other suggestions would be FS Social Club or The Void -- but it can be bit of a waiting game as people aren't there frequently, and Social is mainly a hub for new users to learn. Discord has allowed me to chat and meet up in SL with a lot of people who I'm personally more comfortable with.

When I first started? Sure. I had many nice parts, and attempted to emulate my real self into an avatar... but eventually I became a bit frustrated that I couldn't achieve even a pleasing caricature of myself. A lot of body parts in SL are a glamorized, "air-brushed model" design, and they don't really match up with my stylistic tastes, idea of realism, or how I see myself.. There are a few bodies, heads, and skins that are less embellished -- they're more cartoony, painterly, or videogame-esque which minimizes uncanny valley -- but the selection is limited. After a while I just separated my real-self completely from my in-world looks and worked with what was available. I play now as different races, fantasy characters, creatures. My avatars are based around aesthetical interests, but they're not reflective of my real-world dress-style or appearance. Beyond appearances I've always been myself here.

I'd love to rename myself, change out my old user with my current display name.

Heyo~ I'm the mentioned friend. I also am into kawaii fashion; specifically lolita, decora-kei, and pastel casual/chic. My wardrobe leans on the between and extreme ends of preppy-street or vintage-casual -- but I also take some influence from goth, bohemian, and pagan aesthetics. I do most of my "shopping" through online-browsing -- keeping track of various creators' flickrs and seraphim to try to find things that fit into the kawaii aesthetic. There's a small pool of creators within that genre, and because of how niche it is their releases tend to be very sparse. Personally, I've been having a hard time finding creators (new or old) who keep to kawaii fashion. A lot of the best-known "kawaii" creators are changing demographic focus -- veering into more modern, urbane/metropolitan and body-con looks, or turning towards lingerie and cosplay outfits. Some have put apparel on a back-burner to focus on making accessories, decor, skins, and cosmetics. There seemed to be a boom in the genre between 2016 to 2018, but it has trickled off since then -- not as many creators are dedicated to "kawaii apparel" alone at least. If you are looking for stores, I know of a good few, I'll put them in a bullet-list and you can peruse at your leisure Parfait Hime-Dream Cherryish Ringo Hana Altair Mikunch (creator seems to be on hiatus) Zenith & The Mystic MomoChuu MOMOKO DAZED Chu-ing Amitomo (only recently switched to fitted mesh) ON-LINE (previously Sue-Cream) Sweet Thing C'est La Vie Pixicat Vincue DarkEnd Stare G-Field EVIE Insomnia Angel (previously Konpeitou) Violent Seduction Cubic Cherry Caboodle Kururu HornTail Nomi

Re-watching the End of Evangelion and reading up on the lore because I haven't seen it since I was 18. I'm actually surprised how nuanced the information for old anime has become -- so happy people actually use citations now, instead of speculating in forums. Yay modernization!