update an old avitar

[Gazz Galatea]

So I am back on SL again, having come and gone a few times since 2004! :smileysurprised:

Anyway so much has changed and I am so far behind.

Consider probably 99% of my inventory predates mesh and most of that even predats flexies. :smileyembarrassed:

I keep seeing this message about my avitar complexity being high.

My current outfit (I rarely change outfits)

My dress is a mesh I think.

The rest of my clothes, boots, stockings, etcc. are "standard".

I wear flexi hair

I use a Vista AO

My skin is as old as I am.

I do not want to change my look so a new skin or avitar would have to be nearly identical.

What would be the best way to "update" my avitar or does it really matter?

[Trixie Wyx]

If you want to look identical or nearly identical, go ahead and leave it alone. most old things still work fine, except for minor details like invisiprims in some old shoes and slider makeup used by a few very old skins. If your own appearance starts to bother you, that's when to worry about how to update.

[Bobbie Faulds]

Only thing you might want to update would be the flexi hair. Flexis generally have a high complexity. Look around,, maybe at the same maker if they are still in SL, and see if you can find something you like in mesh. Also, if you are wearing any jewelry...same thing. Older prim/sculpty jewelry tends to have a higher complexity than newer mesh, but these are minor things. 

[Amethyst Jetaime]

The only time it would matter is in crowds or if you go among people that have their avatar complexity ratings set lower than your rating because their computers can't handle higher levels.  Then you will appear as a "Jelly Doll" to them.  You can read more about that here.

It may be that some clubs may say something to you about it too and ask you to reduce it or leave, although I haven't run into that myself.

From what you say it may be one of two things.  If your mesh dress wasn't made well, in the sense it has a ton of triangles making it up, that could be the problem or part of it.  The other thing is your hair.  Some of that old hair was made of as many flexi prims as they could link together to achieve the look they were going for.  More modern hair that has flexi prims is generally a combination of mesh and flexi.  Mesh as a 'base' and flexi's used to give it that movement that all mesh hair lacks. So maybe some new hair is in order.

So basically, if you don't care about other's seeing you as a jelly doll then you need do nothing.

I would suggest that you may want to search for a new skin if yours is older than a few years.  I too want to keep the same appearance but I've been able to do that with new skins that don't change my face much except to improve it a lot. It took some searching to find the right skin, but the effort was worth it.  I've used the same shape that I made back in 2006 still, so you don't have to change that.

 

[Marianne Little]

It doesn't really matter if you are happy with how you look.

The avatar complexity message can also mean that the avatars nearby has really, really bad graphic cards and so they can't see you, even if you avatar complexity isn't horrible.

First, detach all. Try then one attachment at a time and see where the problem is. I bet it's the prim hair. If your boods are made of prims, they can also be it. Crazy big textures can affect all parts of your avatar, also system layers, I think. Old AO's can also be made up of a lot of small prims who show on your screen.

Is the mesh dress new? You shouldn't buy things without a demo now if you are concerned about avatar complexity. The demo give you an idea about the complexity. Not necessarily the 100% correct complexity, since DEMO messages and other stuff attached to the demo can make it higher.

[Rhonda Huntress]

If you want to bring complexity down, boots and hair would be my initial guess.  Also any jewelery you might have on.  These are the usual suspects

[Pixieplumb Flanagan]

 From the picture in your profile (OMG - I remember getting, what was it, credits or rewards or something from other avis!!) maybe head over to the Free Dove and pick up a bunch of new skins and some clothes and hair.  You should be able to find styles that are similar to your original avatar's appearance.  

A lot of groups and stores have gifts out still from Christmas so hopping around the grid will repay you as well.  You might need to update a few landmarks, and sadly many of the stores you used to shop at will be gone.  The fashion sub-forum can help with new landmarks and suggestions if you have specific requests.

I do strongly recommend that you replace any footwear that used invisiprims.  These are not supported now, and most residents will see your avatar's feet through them, and even if they seem to work they still create huge 'halos' around the foot whenever it's in front of an alpha textured prim.

[Gazz Galatea]

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Pixieplumb Flanagan wrote:

 From the picture in your profile (OMG - I remember getting, what was it, credits or rewards or something from other avis!!) maybe head over to the Free Dove and pick up a bunch of new skins and some clothes and hair.  You should be able to find styles that are similar to your original avatar's appearance. 

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Oh yeah that old pic with the scoreing and the system hair...

This is what I look like now. You can't see it well but there is a flexi ponytail

 

My dress is only a couple years old, but I guess I am still wearing my siver hoops I think I got on my first day here.

[Gazz Galatea]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions.

Last night I was playing around with Firestorm and found a setting that shows the avatar complexity of all the avitars on screen.

Mine was far from the highest out of the dozzen or so around me.

I am just going to keep it the way I like it.