Revisiting Shapes

Jun 3, 2014 | Images, Monday Memes

This week’s Monday Meme from Strawberry Singh is a new look at the What’s Your Digit question, as well as asking our opinions on fitted mesh. Easy peasy challenge this week! Still, I thought I’d just stand against the wall and look cute rather than post actual digits, because these days mine conform to mesh standard sizes so there’s nothing really remarkable about them. I usually am either in an exact large (as in the pic above) or a medium… the mediums seem to fit better in most mesh clothes so I probably wear that more often, but I really prefer the way a higher body fat setting looks and always keep it higher if I’m stepping out in texture layer clothes.

I did check Ravensong’s height, she’s currently 6’1″ in the Slink flat feet, and 6’4″ in the mid height feet, and her body proportions remain on target for an average human.  I think she’s come down in height two or three inches over the years, but she’s still pretty tall.  I rarely make more than minor adjustments to the face unless I’m switching to a new skin, but I tweak body shape settings not related to the standard sizes all the time. I’m happy with how Raven looks right now, but my avatars will always be works in progress.

Onward to the questions:

1. What are your thoughts about Fitted mesh? • So far I haven’t had much success with getting fitted mesh to work with my shape. With only on or two exceptions just about everything I’ve tried seems to fit if you wearing a small or below, but on my shape some of the clothes clip through the avatar at their edges, so you couldn’t even hide that with an edited alpha. Hopefully everybody will continue to include standard sizes in their releases even if they go to fitted mesh.
2. Have you tried any of the new fitted mesh avatars released by Linden Lab? What do you think of them? I played with them here and here. I, along with every SL photographer out there, love the zombies. The rest didn’t impress me.
3. Have you tried any fitted mesh avatars/bodies created by residents? • I have a petite, but I’ve never tried a full mesh body for a regular sized avatar. I keep meaning to pick up demos just to see what they look like.
4. Have you tried a mesh head? What are your thoughts about mesh heads? • I think they look really pretty, and are very well done, but unless mesh heads begin to offer the same degree of facial  customizing that I can do on the basic avatar I’m not interested in one for myself. It’s like the petite avs… they’re cute and pretty, but the faces all look the same.  I’m way too attached to my face to use a mesh head.
5. Do you foresee a lot of changes to our current Second Life avatars because of fitted mesh?  Among the fashion and avatar photography community, sure, of course. They will always be innovative and showcase the newest things available to make SL look stunning.
   Among the general population, I don’t think fitted mesh will make much difference. Lots of people don’t wear mesh clothes or hair now, or buy mesh replacement bits for their avatars. I’m not sure they’d see a reason to buy fitted mesh, which still requires demos and some degree of adjusting one’s shape to make it fit properly. A full mesh replacement body would probably require a new wardrobe as well, especially if you didn’t have many mesh items to begin with. It may be too big of an investment for it to become the common standard for all SLers. Still, this is all early in the game. It will be interesting to see where it goes.