Search the Community

I would like to create a listing of Bento Mesh heads and the priority of their facial expressions, mainly to compose a list of mesh heads that are compatible to products that need to animate the head / face as well. I came across this topic as it seems various head makers use various policies about priorities for facial expressions. Some even seem to use priority 6 for simple background animations, thus making it impossible to override anything by 3rd party. Background Info: I am Mo Noel from MoDesign. Some of my product (as many products from other creators) use facial expressions to give a proper visual picture of the product in use. For example if you put a gag in ones mouth, the mouth eventually should stay open. Before the mesh heads era, this could be achieved by standard SL expressions, like „express_open_mouth“. The options where limited, but they worked reliable. Most mesh head brands do not support these standard expressions. Actually there is no brand I know that does scan the avatar animations for standard SL facial expressions and transform them to the corresponding mesh head expression. This renders the head incompatible to many products that animate the standard face. For basic animations, there is a reference about what priorities should be used for what kind of animations. It goes about like this: Priority 0 Used for many of the internal animations which are intended to be overridden with an AO. Priority 1 Used for internal emotes. Priority 2 Priority 2 is a good choice for stands in AOs. Priority 3 poses while moving (e.g. a walk) or that should override regular standing poses (like kneeling, a hug or standing with a handbag), but usually walks, dances, sits and most other animations that want to override standing poses Priority 4 enforced 1 (lower body) restricted walks, to overpower restricted stands this could be a walk in leg cuffs or humple walk when loosing a shoe Priority 5 enforced 2 (upper body) this could be enforced poses that need to override enforced walks like handcuffs, that should override the upper body even while walking in leg irons, as a leg iron walk also would animate the arms. Also a neck corset should be priority 5. Priority 6 anything that is even more restricting then priority 5 and we forgot to think about this could be special furniture things, for example, where a body might be folded as tiny as possible to hide it, e.g. to simulate a magic trick (Yes, some AO makers violate these rules, with the effect that A others do as well or B items don't work as expected) Example: Handcuffs and leg irons: 1. Avatar is standing: Prio 0: SL standing animation Prio 1: - Prio 2: standing animation of the AO Prio 3: - Prio 4: standing with restricted legs Prio 5: standing with restricted arms 2. Avatar is walking - same animations but * animations added Prio 0: SL standing animation Prio 1: - Prio 2: standing animation of the AO Prio 3: * walking animation of the AO -> overriding any stands Prio 4: standing with restricted legs Prio 4: *walking with restricted legs overriding the previously active prio 4 stand Prio 5: standing with restricted arms -> still overriding the arms of the restricted walk 1. Avatar is standing again - same animations, but the * animations from above stop: Prio 0: SL standing animation Prio 1: - Prio 2: standing animation of the AO -> takes over from the prio 3 walk Prio 3: - Prio 4: standing with restricted legs -> takes over from the prio 4 walk, still overrides Priority 2 stand Prio 5: standing with restricted arms -> still overrides loose arms of Prio 4 stand For a head, we need something similar. As there is no SL preset overriding face expressions by Bento animations, we could use the full range of the 6 priority levels. As a first sketch, the following "Mo-Rule" could be an idea to discuss: Priority 0 used for minor 3rd party animations or things that really don't matter and should be overpowered by standard face animation Priority 1 used for standard animations/emotes to keep the head alive while no one else is doing something Priority 2 Animations that override standard emotings, this could be smiles talking head whistle smoking etc. Priority 3 same as Priority 2, but for 3rd party items Priority 4 enforced 1 special effect animations e.g. avatar gets electroshocked Priority 5 enforced 2 real physical enforcements open mouth by a gag closed eyes by glue, death or something (e.g. a zombie avatar or a ghost) open eyes, hold open by matches etc. Priority 6 anything that is even more restricting then priority 5 and we forgot to think about (yes, some really may say this comes a tad late, but better late, then never.) (and yes, similar set of rules would be great for hands and feet and tails and ears …)