Here Comes The Sun

We are ready for the sun up here in the northern hemisphere. Now is the time to ditch the snow and get your second life beach spruced up for the summer. The perfect way to do this is with the KiX Beach Towel and Windbreak and the KiX Beach Raft from the KiX On The Beach range

Both items are KiX original mesh and animations with texture change options and many props.  Both items currently have a promotion offer where if you buy the adult version, you get the PG version free.

Beach Towel & Windbreak > https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/KiX-Beach-Towel-and-Windbreak-Adult-PROMO/8991848

Beach Raft > https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/KiX-Beach-Raft-Adult-and-PG/9406423

Demo available in the Main Store > http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Miso/181/174/28

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TO MESH OR NOT TO MESH Part 2 -MESH HEADS - Dean Lawson Reporting

If, in your journey through Second Life, you encounter a severed head floating through the air it may be poor Yorick, or at least his ghost, but more likely, it is a mesh head whose body has yet to rez. In a previous article I asked Second Life Residents to discuss the pros and cons of using a mesh body, this time we discussed the heads.

In an interview with Ilsa Hesse-Heron (ilsa.hesse), Ilsa replied : “for some reason, and I can’t really tell you why, I love mesh bodies, feet, hands, etc, but mesh heads kind of creep me out O.O. … maybe its that to begin with they all kind of looked the same … that, and they were all kind of emotionless...

Barry Smithson replied : LOL it’s funny you came up with this because me and my better half was at a venue and all we saw were mesh heads and no bodies.

When asked why she purchased a mesh head ღƧραиƘʏღ (bigcupofstfu) responded : my friends pressured me into it lol … I was not use to using a whole alpha system so that was confusing. Also the mesh takes longer to rez but it looks much better quality wise … the only downside I notice is the rezzing. It takes a while for me to see my own head and sometimes I have to relog so other people can see it. Other than that I have no problems.

Blogger and Second Life photographer Barbara Mali had this to say on the subject : “pros, i think avies look much better and realistic, more proportioned, some of the animations are nice, also the blinking ... it is good to take pics … cons: you have to use another hud, some are complicated, i think we are losing our “identity” we all look in the same way now … i think they are working in new projects so you can modify them so they can be personalized, now there are many options and models, trying demos is a nightmare, there are appliers and so many add ons, it is insane … another con, they are expensive

https://freebieaddiction.wordpress.com/

Mesh Builder Lakota Valkai had many insightful comments on the subject :  I am a fan of mesh, but i will also say it can be a pain in the ass for the new and inexperienced to work and deal with … inexperienced users have trouble with mesh sometimes due to whats known as “rigging” ... rigging either will, or will not permit you to modify an objects size and proportions ... With clothing, modification is almost always necessary … and if its "Rigged" then you cant alter its size … the realism with mesh is more easily attained … But mesh is expensive because of the time involved in creating it

SL Artist and Machinima producer Ozymandius King replied : Mesh is great for photography and machinima but I think the next step is to start creating mesh heads that the user can customize, not just the color of the skin and the hair, but the cheek bones, the nose, the brow the lips etc. As of the moment I prefer to use older system human heads over mesh because I can change the expression and manipulate the facial features to create a unique avatar which is important for visually telling a story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwNM1DppSMQ&list=PLThpLfGotClLbUtMa2Os3Ddo2_KpdiDDL

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TO MESH OR NOT TO MESH- Dean Lawson Reporting...

Maitreya Mesh Lanai  vs. Standard Primmed Lanai

 

The pros and cons of getting a mesh avatar 

 

As someone who enjoys the virtual world with a basic shape and skin avatar (also known as a primmed avatar ) I’ve always wondered why my fellow Second Life Residents would spend their lindens on expensive mesh avatars. Are there benefits to using mesh that I don’t know about? Is the choice to go mesh purely aesthetic? To mesh or not to mesh? That is the question, here are some of the answers I received from the good people at Builder’s Brewery.

 

Ryo Ichikawa (bartimaeus.brandenburg) wrote: “I love using mesh ava… they look very elegant, but customizability can be a bit of a pain… and most are expressionless... "

 

Trixie Seomun replied : "i personally think it is a waste of everyones time. . . they take longer to load . . you have to purchase specific clothing that works with THAT spefic mesh body,  and i just dont see the upside to  them."

 

Evie Moriguchi concurred : "In Trixie's defense, some of the bodies are kind of "bloated" there have been a few where it takes a few minutes for the full body to rez … I'm more of a fan of hybridding.  I really wish there was a system that broke the body into limbs or fitted attachments when huge parts of the body are going to be invisible anyway"

 

Ryo Ichikawa (bartimaeus.brandenburg) added : "Well, some of the issues with mesh is blatant IP violation. Some people upload my little pony or Halo avas. Beyond that, I don't care how heavy my vanity ava can be to anyone's computer. I'll flaunt it 'cuz I've gots it."

 

Josie Edwardstone (tess.edwardstone) asserted : "i like the mesh  its more detailed … i see some for for as high 6 k and up"

 

Kyrese Okami (kkay1991) explained : "the pricing to mesh is high becuz it takes longer and more time to create"

 

Eressëa (eressea.karsin) stated : "Until Bento releases, an avatar's head is not animatable. It's a ball on the end of a stick. After Bento, we'll see…"

 

Trixie Seomun added : "oh another reason i didnt want to git a mesh body was because of all of the clothing i already had that i would not be able to use"

 

Sex Goddess Daisy Jolie

 

In a private conversation with SEX GODDESS DAISY JOLIE (daisy.stoneshield), Daisy replied : "I was sceptical about using a mesh avi because when you first purchase one sometimes they are confusing ... but they are more life like than the primmed ones that makes me like them … on the primed avi's the feet are hideous then when you purchase slink feet which are cute you get this line that never goes away so spend way to many lindens on trying to buy jewelry to cover the lines up but with the mesh avi I have it comes with feet and hands so those lines no longer exist"

 

 

Issabella

In another private conversation Issabella (issabellabeauclerc) stated : "i have the maitreya and the slink … the slink is cheaper but for a first time mesh body not the easiest … i also know a little about the tmp … maitreya is the easiest to use ... i spent over 10k for my slink i dont use ... the slink hud is a nightmare for a beginner … what i suggest to my friends is the maitreya with a sl cat skin cause it has appliers for alot of the mesh bodies"

 

Sizzelle

In a conversation with Sizzelle, the SL Artist replied : “ I’ve grown attached to my avatar’s appearance and with mesh clothes the body doesn’t really matter. However for images that feature "nude" subjects I use the mesh project body." 

 

 

Mage

Othella the Editor of MAGE Magazine elaborated : "We use both mesh and system avatars for our magazine images and machinima videos. Mesh is very good for close ups while basic avatars tend to distort as you zoom in to the face. For non human avatars such as Aldo the Alien, Yayo the Minotaur and Mez the Werewolf, we use mesh. For human avatars we create mesh hybrids. The down side is that there are seams around body parts where the mesh connects like the wrists and ankles but we cover this up with bracelets, anklets, collars or I “airbrush" out the seams in the editing process ... I also found full permission hands and feet which are used by the MAGE models. The hands cost 50 lindens and the feet were free… Based on my own experience mesh furniture, props and clothes create less lag than objects made with prims."

 

Mage

 

So it seems the choice to adopt a MESH lifestyle is a debate over aesthetics, affordability and performance that remains undecided. But why not decide for yourself? The Mesh Project offers a free mesh body and both Maitreya and Slink offer demos at their main stores. For those of you who have experience with mesh, I invite you to leave your comments.

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Top 10 Fitmesh Designers in SL Female – Joymell Reporting...

Second Life has enabled designers to import 3D models (mesh) created in popular tools like Blender, Maya, 3DS Max, and so on. The introduction of mesh models has allowed the creation of more detailed clothing and accessories that are complex, realistic and creative and are the most sought after by customers.

In the market, the merchants selling network, is responsible for communicating to customers that the item is partially or entirely composed of mesh content, and that may not render properly in a viewer that does not support mesh.  All customers, before buying, should view the data of what is being bought in order to make informed decisions about whether the content is appropriate for your current viewer. It is recommended that older viewers should not just used for accessories, objects, garments, etc. with mesh content as they cannot be seen.

"Mesh" content itself is not inherently different from other content from a consumer perspective. However, in the hands of talented content creators, mesh offers the opportunity to create highly detailed and amazing objects in Second Life, and it is this quality that has attracted consumers to buying mesh.

With the variety of Mesh bodies now available, creative designers have developed clothes and accessories to meet the increasingly demanding requirements of consumers.

Looking around Second Life, I found excellent shops with high quality goods and discovered a variety of mesh bodies.

My TOP 10 list of FitMesh Designers in SL, for women follows. FitMesh, also known as Fitted Mesh, is a rigged mesh system.  FitMesh garments move along the body as it moves, the same way mesh items do. It makes garments fitt significantly better and provides opportunities to create more variety out of the same garment, such as; bigger size clothes, smaller or bigger breasts, maternity clothes, children clothes, etc). FitMesh garments also respond to body physics, such as; breast and bottom wiggles.

To make up the list I considered the following criteria:

ü  clothes and accessories quality, considering: realistic detail, texture and creativity;

ü  variety of clothing and accessories;

ü  stores that offer products for different mesh bodies;

ü  fitmesh Designers;

ü  shop in the marketplace;

ü  affordable.

Top 10 Fitmesh Designers ( Female)

Addams: Belleza (Freya,Isis,Venus), Maitreya (Lara), Slink (Physique, Hourglass)

Taxi to Marketplace; https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/158302 and

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/167972

Apple May Designs: Belleza (Freya,Isis,Venus), Maitreya (Lara),  Slink (Physique, Hourglass)

 Taxi to Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/7738

Blueberry: Belleza (Freya,Isis,Venus), Maitreya (Lara),  Slink

(Physique, Hourglass)  Taxi to Marketplace https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/113388

CandyDoll: Belleza (,Venus), Maitreya (Lara), Slink (Physique, Hourglass)

 Taxi to Marketplacehttps://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/40578

Neve by ColdLogic creative: Belleza (Isis), Maitreya (Lara), Slink (Physique, Hourglass)

Taxi to Marketplacehttps://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/103006

DE Designs: Belleza (Freya,Isis,Venus), Maitreya (Lara), Slink (Physique, Hourglass)

Taxi to Marketplace https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/2191

Just Because:  Belleza (Freya,Isis,Venus), Maitreya (Lara), Slink (Physique, Hourglass)

 Taxi to Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/22086

Pink Pearl Designs: Belleza (Freya,Isis), Maitreya (Lara), Slink (Physique, Hourglass) < TMP

 Taxi to Marketplace:  https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/56275

Rebel Hope: Belleza (Freya,Isis,Venus), Maitreya (Lara), Slink (Physique, Hourglass)

 Taxi to Marketplace:  https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/961

Zed Sensations: Belleza (Freya,Isis,Venus), Maitreya (Lara), Slink (Physique, Hourglass)  

Taxi to Marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/123286

In general, stores inform consumers that the mesh body or other item is compatible with standard shapes as well as the newer mesh bodies.  With most items, Fitmesh, is included in the package:
- 5 Size Classic Rigged Mesh (XS, S, M, L, XL)
- 5 Size FitMesh Rigged Mesh (XS, S, M, L, XL)
- FitMesh Rigged (compatible with different mesh bodies).

Remember to try the demo before you buy anything and happy shopping!

Additional Information:

 Images from SL Marketplace

 URL: https://marketplace.secondlife.com

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Top 10 Fitmesh Designers in SL for Men – Joymell Reporting...

Most guys I know in SL want to be fashionable, but they are too lazy to look for stores and shopping is just a chore.  What’s more the arrival of mesh and now fitmesh has many of them just plain confused.  Let me try and simplify matters for you.

As consumers, it’s important to understand the benefits of the techniques that allows Mesh clothing and avatar bodies to be adjusted using an avatar Body Shape slider in the appearance editor.  This results in clothing that can be adjusted to fit your avatar's own personal body shape and style. Legitimate Fitmesh for Mesh Bodies will fit perfectly to your mesh body, and will adjust smoothly with your shape sliders.

FitMesh garments move as the body moves, the same way mesh items do.  This allows significantly better fitting clothes and provides opportunities to customize the items i.e make clothes a bigger or smaller size, or adjust a specific area such as the chest.  FitMesh garments also respond to body physics such as chest and bottom wiggles.

My list TOP 10, FitMesh Designers SL for men:

This list contains only designers who make special mesh designed to fit mesh bodies. Therefore NEW FITTED MESH for standard sizes, which allows the mesh to be adapted to the body shape for a perfect fit.

Standard fitmesh designers (default number) are not included in this list, although some listed stores also offer this option.

For my list, I considered the following criteria:

ü  clothes and accessories quality, considering: realistic detail, texture and creativity;

ü  variety of clothing and accessories;

ü  stores that offer products for different mesh bodies;

ü  fitmesh Designers;

ü  shop in the marketplace;

ü  affordable.

Top 10 Fitmesh Designers ( Male) -

AR2 Style: Adam, Aesthetic, Slink and TMP

Taxi to marketplace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/73430

Ascend : Slink and TMP

Taxi to marketplace:  https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/183255

Balkanik2.0 : Slink and TMP

Taxi to marketplace:  https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/51276

Invictus:  Aesthetic, Slink and TMP

Taxi to marketplace:  https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/128534

Not So Bad: TMP

Taxi to marketplace:  https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/14443  and

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/27457

Pink Pearl Designs: Adam, Aesthetic, Slink and TMP

Taxi to marketplace:  https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/56275

Swagga: Slink and TMP

Taxi to marketplace:  https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/98456

Tease Me! Boutique: Slink and TMP

Taxi to marketplace:  https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/136110

United Colors: TMP

Taxi to marketplace:  https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/159240

Zed Sensations: Adam and Slink

Taxi to marketplace:  https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/123286

It’s important to remember to always try the demo offered, before you buy anything, and if you like the product, or have a change to suggest, leave a comment for the designer. If you have any problems or questions, contact the store before leaving a negative rating in the marketplace. Visit the store inworld to view more items

What you buy is the result of many hours of study and hard work. Designers always thank us for help and comments to further improve results.

Good shopping!

Additional Information:

Images from Stores SL Marketplace

URL: https://marketplace.secondlife.com

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Mesh bodies are growing in popularity- Which are the best ones in SL? - Joymell Reporting...

Although mesh bodies are expensive for most SL residents, they have been growing in popularity and becoming indispensable for those who want to keep an updated avatar.
For many people, dealing with anything mesh is difficult.  It’s said that it’s hell trying to manipulate these bodies and trying to dress or change clothes takes much longer.

People also have a rough time with the numerous adjustments that need to be made to match skin tones and hide parts of the body. The HUD system that comes with the bodies can be confusing and is a headache for most.  However, despite the criticisms, the evolution that is the mesh body is a very good project and let’s face it, who doesn’t have dreams of acquiring one.

One question that people ask is: "Which are the best mesh bodies in SL?" The best answer is: there are a number of mesh bodies on the market and most of them are fairly similar, although each has its own charm. You should look for what is best for you and works best for what you want and are looking for.

The purchase of a mesh body is an expensive investment, so ideally you should try a demo first.  These are available through the stores, but you need to pray that you do not need support, because it is difficult and exhausting. Try the body for a few hours and make sure that you are comfortable with it to make an informed decision before buying.

To help with this decision, do tests with the DEMOS, observe the characteristics and limitations of each body, see the pros and cons in all of them.  There will certainly be a mesh body out there for you; it all depends on your taste and how much you are willing to spend.

Here are some of the elements normally included in the packs.  You will need to get your head around these in order to make an informed opinion on your prospective new mesh body:

HUDS - Each mesh body comes with a HUD which controls certain characteristics (showing layers, skin applicators, etc.). The buttons "mask mode" under the tattoo and clothing layers are there to use if you have two layers. Some Hud's are easier to handle than others, but this is a step to be overcome to the extent that you become familiar with the HUD;

Alpha - Every mesh body comes with a selection of alpha cuts that make possible the invisible parts of the body, for a better adjustment of mesh clothing. This is very important because the mesh body cannot wear an alpha system like the standard body can. You will notice that some huds are better defined than others and there are many differences in the alphas cuts, which may make easier or hinder the adjustment of clothing;

Omega applicators - the omega is unique universal applicator that allows to apply to clothing for any party or body organs. Many skin designers and designers’ applicator / tattoo are making items Omega, then it is advisable that the body mesh is compatible with the Omega system;

Clothing and accessories - it is important to check which mesh their bodies SL favorite designers are developing, clothes and accessories. acquire the mesh body ready for more shopping. The stores offer items for most of the mesh bodies, and for each there are more options than others.

  A comparison of some popular mesh bodies available in Second Life:

Mesh Body	Price	It comes with hand and feet?	Can I use Slink hands and feet?
Belleza Freya, Isis & Venus Female  Mesh Body	3.999L	yes	yes
Eve Slim or Pulpy Female  Mesh Body	1.690L each	yes	yes
Maitreya – Lara Female  Mesh Body	2.750L	yes	yes
Niramyth -Aesthetic Male  Mesh Body	2.799L It comes with mesh head	yes	no
Slink Physique Female and Male  Mesh Body	1..250L	no	yes
Tellaq Broderick Male Mesh Body	3.000 It comes with mesh head	yes	no
The Mesh Project Female and Male  Mesh Body	Free 0L Starter1.000L Basic 2.500L Deluxe 5000L	yes	no

In conclusion, buying a mesh body requires a few hours of dedication to personalize settings. The fact is that this is a path of no return. After you have bought a mesh body, your old standard body will be forgotten forever...

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