When Mesh first came to Second Life, I was worried.
Somehow I am wired in such a way that whenever I try Mesh software such as blender, my brain implodes and escapes my head via my ears.
So I was very excited to hear about ‘Mesh Studio’, this tool allows you to turn something build with regular prims into mesh with just a few clicks.
You build your object, stick the mesh script in it, tweak it a bit, experiment a little and then you click a few times and you have your building turned to mesh.
Of course it takes some getting used to and you’ll need to learn a few tricks, but it is still a zillion times easier than any software I know.
I’ve been turning my entire Berlin sim to mesh with it ever since and only get into trouble when I want to create something that is fluid, like a blanket.
Everything that is hard to make with prims, is hard to turn into mesh with Mesh Studio.,
Anyway, this got me thinking.
Linden Lab could/should pay these creators and add this mesh creation option to the build window.
Mesh is good for everyone, it brings down the amount of textures used, gets rid of laggy sculpts and generally makes SL look better and more detailed.
But Mesh is not easy to make if you don’t have Mesh studio or spend some very long nights trying to figure out how Blender works.
This creates a rift between those who can make mesh and those who can’t.
Shopkeepers without this ability are being left behind and new people may decide to never even try and make stuff because they know they’ll have to put in such a huge effort.
I think it would be a swell idea to add a big red mesh button to the viewer’s build window, especially now other 3rd party viewers are also offering this option.
Till then, make sure you give Mesh Studio a try.
Without it I would probably still be trying to figure out Blender.
Oh how I wish you could make clothing with it.
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Blender makes most people head explode. I know other 3D software, I get along swimmingly with – Hexagon, Truespace, Zbrush, Cinema4D, Carrara, Bryce. Blender is responsible for me literally hair pulling. I’m having to use it to rig a horse for SL. I ended up buying Avastar (plug0in) for Blender after having saved months worth of my SL profits for it.
SL has long needed a way to convert prims to some other format. It has needed more creation tools in general.
Hexagon 2.5 btw is free, but you’ll need Carrara, Blender, Daz Studio, or some other 3D program capable of exporting collada to convert it for SL.
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Every word you have said here is what I feel too. I’m a good builder and am proud of all my accomplishments. But I’m an ‘old school builder’ with prims. Every time I tried Blender or any others, my brain hurt, and I don’t have all that time to learn all over again so I gave up alltogether. I still build with prims, for the fun of it and to make gifts for friends ect.
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Try ” Art of Illusion ” 3D modelling, open source freeware, very good, easier, great results
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