[Mesh: Does it make normal avatar skin and shape design redundant?]

If you want to see such stuff in action, log into IMVU.

Or wait until the IMVU folks will invade SL on day zero. Cause they will.

Btw., IMVU stuff is all but impressive, and i doubt that all the "supposed-to-be-fancy" mesh stuff will have much impact because an attachment does not count as a prim - and there are still many ways to create simple photoshop and prim/sculpt attachments which will definately not look worse than anything done by some 3D modelling hobbyists.

Consider that, as pointed out, rigged attachment will either need a complete avatar OR some serious appearance tweaks. Both options are not exactly user friendly out of the box and stuff which is user hostile as this is does not sell anyway.

[Mesh Schedule Announced!]

"Along with upload costs, that will limit somewhat how much stuff is ripped and brought into SL."

Thanks for the joke of the year!

ROFL

[Mesh Schedule Announced!]

"Is a copy of Evermotion Archmodels vol 4, window model 108.  It has the same geometry exactly.  And at 14,000 triangles it's way to complex for an SL window - who would want to pay 50 prims upload cost or parcel prim count?"

Oh? Interesting. I bet that teh holder of teh copyrights will file a DMCA immediately. Oh, damn, it´s up there for two years! Didn´t anyone tell him? Will you?

And btw, how do you know about the 50 prims? Linden Lab did not publish ANY informations regarding prim equivalents yet. And even if...it´s a minor task to reduce triangles. But you know that, don´t you?

[Mesh Schedule Announced!]

I´d agree with you if we were living in 1985.

[Mesh Schedule Announced!]

Yeah, but who the hell cares if they are "useful" or not? As long as someone buys them? Or simply pays the little upload fee? Btw, according to the mesh import apologists SL as it is now is totally unsuitable anyway. All these "not useful" PRIMS and SCULPTIES. A wonder that so many people were attracted by such a crap, right?

And no, these objects are not "stolen", nor are most of them "not usable" in SL. Most are absolutely sufficient. Go ahead and try. And dream on.

[Mesh Schedule Announced!]

"Kay, don't let the door hit you on the way out"

There will be a HUGE door hitting everyone one morning, anyway.

[Mesh Schedule Announced!]

Well, so now that they announced the unrestricted opening of SL for any content from the enormous free web archives, competitive sites like Frenzoo, MVU , Active Worlds and whatever you can think of: How can they expect that anyone will be willing to pay the hilarious price for a piece of virtual server space anymore? They exchanged the unique SL feeling and culture for a totally exchangable visual experience while being NOT competitive on this exchangable ground. One of the worst and most dramatical errors Linden Lab ever made.

[Secondlife performance at all time two year low , Sailors leaving Secondlife,,,,,]

"If this makes me an apologist, so be it. In my opinion, SL is not quite what it could be, but is on its way."

On its way? After SIX YEARS of showstopping, essential and never fixed, known bugs?

You surely are an apologist.

[Prims in Clothing Creation]

Google up the free 3D object  databases on the web. Download these free objects and convert them into Collada format. You MIGHT face the usual Linden bugs and their very own Collada format interpretation during the process, but these are everywhere in this crappy piece of software, so either eat it or not.

But honestly, don´t waste any time on learning some sophisticated pro applications. It´s not required with a million free and sufficient enough 3D objects on your fingertips. It´s enough to learn about the Collada converting and upload process (in Blender it´s "Save as Collada").

But i think the nice Mesh import evangelists on this forum will help you with a  few lines of advice on how to convert and import any kind of free object into Second Life.