INTRO SECOND LIFE FASHION SERIES

Notes

Please note that we are using the Robin Wood's 1024 by 1024 px JPG avatar Top template with the video above. The higher resolution will give you much more control when your are matching seams on the UV map. You must make sure your garment goes about 3/8 inch over all the edges [focus on the highlighted edges] to avoid white lines on the avatar where the garments seams meet.

Before you save your custom image to preview it in Second LIfe [before you pay and upload it] you should go to IMAGE>IMAGE SIIZE and change the size to 512 X 512 pixels. Upload your files as a 32 bit TGA file format. [note: you are selecting 32 bit instead of 24 bit because you have an alpha transparency channel created]

TIP It was not bad using Illustrator PEN tool over a locked template avatar UV map layer. Once I had the line drawing complete I filled it with a custom pattern and removed the stroke. I could easily control how far over the edges I wanted it to go and I could use the "transparency" palette to see through to the avatar UV seam markings. I saved it as a AI (making the template invisible on the layer palette) and opened the image in Photoshop.

You can carefully "test" your custom designed garment in the preview viewer in SL [before you pay $10L and upload to SL] . There is a drop down menu for "top," "skirt" and "male" and 'Female" avatar.

Carefully review your garment from all sides to make sure there are no white [halo] lines around the seam edges. Hold down your left mouse button and drag to move your item right and left and backward and forward in the preview viewer. If you also press the CTRL key while doing this you will rotate the image on another axes. You have to be very careful about inspecting your garment from all angles before paying and uploading it.

If you spot some defects just back up to the step that needs to be corrected. For instance if you have some white halo pixels on the edges back up to the 1024 by 1024 layered image in Photoshop and check the SMUDGE layer. If there is a seam issue with drawing the edges of the UV garment back up to the Illustrator file - correct it and duplicate the remaining steps and test it in the preview box again before you pay and upload.

You can use any of the repeat TEXTURE designs you develop.

Upload only TGA files formats - 32 bit because you are using an alpha channel transparency. It's the only format that supports transparency, so for items like clothing, windows, etc, you have no choice but to use it.

RGB color images without transparency have 24 bits per pixel, and those with transparency have 32 bits per pixel so if you are saving your TGA files without an alpha channel [for your transparency effect], you only need to select 24 bit before you save your file. If you are setting up a transparency effect by using one alpha channel you need to save it as a 32 bit for the alpha channel to be included. You can test if you are saving it correctly by using the preview before you upload to SL.

Here is a Robin Wood resource link for transparencies for SL.

Upload custom avatar garments using the avatar UV map in a 512 X 512 px file size. since you are working on an 1024 by 1024 px size to prepare the UV map - be careful to go to image>image size and change the 1024 by 1024 px to 512 by 512 px just before you save it as a 32 bit TGA file to preview in SL.

SL will let you upload 1024 by 1024 pixels or even 2048 by 2048px but this will require far more processing power.

FASHIONCAD.INFO INTRO SECOND LIFE FASHION SERIES Open CourseWare by Elaine Polvinen Professor, Buffalo State College Fashion Textile Technology
[only for non-commercial use]
Module Six: How Clothes are Made in Second Life: UV MAPS and More File Permissions
	Another way to create fashion in SL is to download the UV maps and create garments directly on to the UV amps an upload them to SL and apply them on your avatar in APPEARANCE. Avatar UV Maps are 2D presentations of a 3D virtual avatar. The markings on the UV map serve as guides to help with matching the fashions that are created that will then be virtually "mapped" on to the 3D avatar. If you used Robin Wood's T-Shirt Template [above] to create a custom T-shirt - you have already used a UV Template for the upper avatar body. Once you get the idea how UV maps are used from Robin's T-shirt template you can download a full set of her UV templates from her site and move on to creating more UV mapped garments. Robin’s site is an excellent resource and there are additional links to how to make lace textures, how to add transparencies, adding patterns to cloth and so on.

Just like in the real world of fashion there are many different quality levels of fashions in Second Life. The UV Mapped garments in particular require an exceptionally high level of digital graphic illustration skills. There are many extremely talented and highly skilled digital virtual fashion design artists in Second Life. SL fashion design artists use their digital illustration skills on the UV Maps to create highly detailed garments from scratch and they often enhance their creations with prim attachments like flexi-skirts, hats, collars, shoes, belts, etc. UV Maps are also used to create a variety of custom avatar skins as well as tattoos. There are many beginner SL fashion designers and amateurs that create and try to sell tons of rip-off or knock-offs of fashion items just like in the real world of fashion. Many of the freebie garments in Second Life are created by placing the front and back of a Web image on to the UV Map. Some of these images are then modified and others are just copied "as is" from the real world item. Also as there are technical "product quality" issues in the real world there are also digital quality issues such as "are the seams closed?" "are the seams matched?" and what is the digital overall quality level of the UV Mapped garment? in addition to creative originality of the virtual UV Mapped fashions. The creation of TEXTURES correlate somewhat to the creation of print patterns that fashion designers in the real world need to make but the skills needed for UV Mapped garments and PRIM building in Second Life are only remotely related to the skills that real world fashion students require. Real world fashion students need to know how to create fashion product sketches [flats or fashion croquee], technical product specification and costing sheets, a variety of client presentation boards as well as to gain flat pattern drafting and pattern-making skills to actually create the garment pattern and then acquire the skilll to assemble the garment in the real world. The file organization skills that are required to create and sell fashion garments in SL are excellent organizational skills for fashion students as well as learning to work in a 3D immerse environment. [ex: store layout & design and fashion show production] Here are three excellent links from Natalia Zelmanov’s Blog that explain the UV Maps and how to use them to create clothing in Photoshop. Natalia has a variety of and well-illustrated excellent step-by-step directions on how to build all sorts of fashion related items for Second Life. Clothing Texture Templates: A discussion of SL clothing templates (Robin Wood's in particular) and how the flat template files map onto the avatar's body Creating Clothes Pt 1: Making clothes using the Second Life texture maps Creating Clothes Pt 2: Making clothes using the Second Life texture maps
Using a UV MAP to create a very simple Bodice Description: Using Robin Woods flat Jpg UV map 1024 px by 1024 px in Illustrator and then in Photoshop to create a very simple bodice. Once the bodice is previewed and then uploaded into SL a skirt from Appearance along with a custom texture is added in addition to customizing a flexi skirt [with open permissions] from the Buffalo State island to create your fashion outfit in Second Life.
Notes Please note that we are using the Robin Wood's 1024 by 1024 px JPG avatar Top template with the video above. The higher resolution will give you much more control when your are matching seams on the UV map. You must make sure your garment goes about 3/8 inch over all the edges [focus on the highlighted edges] to avoid white lines on the avatar where the garments seams meet. Before you save your custom image to preview it in Second LIfe [before you pay and upload it] you should go to IMAGE>IMAGE SIIZE and change the size to 512 X 512 pixels. Upload your files as a 32 bit TGA file format. [note: you are selecting 32 bit instead of 24 bit because you have an alpha transparency channel created] TIP It was not bad using Illustrator PEN tool over a locked template avatar UV map layer. Once I had the line drawing complete I filled it with a custom pattern and removed the stroke. I could easily control how far over the edges I wanted it to go and I could use the "transparency" palette to see through to the avatar UV seam markings. I saved it as a AI (making the template invisible on the layer palette) and opened the image in Photoshop. You can carefully "test" your custom designed garment in the preview viewer in SL [before you pay $10L and upload to SL] . There is a drop down menu for "top," "skirt" and "male" and 'Female" avatar. Carefully review your garment from all sides to make sure there are no white [halo] lines around the seam edges. Hold down your left mouse button and drag to move your item right and left and backward and forward in the preview viewer. If you also press the CTRL key while doing this you will rotate the image on another axes. You have to be very careful about inspecting your garment from all angles before paying and uploading it. If you spot some defects just back up to the step that needs to be corrected. For instance if you have some white halo pixels on the edges back up to the 1024 by 1024 layered image in Photoshop and check the SMUDGE layer. If there is a seam issue with drawing the edges of the UV garment back up to the Illustrator file - correct it and duplicate the remaining steps and test it in the preview box again before you pay and upload. You can use any of the repeat TEXTURE designs you develop. Upload only TGA files formats - 32 bit because you are using an alpha channel transparency. It's the only format that supports transparency, so for items like clothing, windows, etc, you have no choice but to use it. RGB color images without transparency have 24 bits per pixel, and those with transparency have 32 bits per pixel so if you are saving your TGA files without an alpha channel [for your transparency effect], you only need to select 24 bit before you save your file. If you are setting up a transparency effect by using one alpha channel you need to save it as a 32 bit for the alpha channel to be included. You can test if you are saving it correctly by using the preview before you upload to SL. Here is a Robin Wood resource link for transparencies for SL. Upload custom avatar garments using the avatar UV map in a 512 X 512 px file size. since you are working on an 1024 by 1024 px size to prepare the UV map - be careful to go to image>image size and change the 1024 by 1024 px to 512 by 512 px just before you save it as a 32 bit TGA file to preview in SL. SL will let you upload 1024 by 1024 pixels or even 2048 by 2048px but this will require far more processing power.
ASSIGNMENT Use the UV MAPS to add either a custom bodice, skirt and/or pants to enhance your fashion outfits. Make sure you use the SL Preview manu to really inspect your UV Mapped garment from all angles before you upload it and pay $L10. Make sure you place the UV Mapped garment in the correct sub-folder under the MY_COLLECTION folder in your inventory. Also set the file permissions.
IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO REVIEW AND KNOW THIS INFORMATION How to Fill in your SL Profile - link to video tuTORial Second Life Tutorial - How to manage your inventory- link to video TuTORial Saving Objects back to Your Inventory - link to video TuTORial More Inventory Management Tips - link to video tuTORial
Module Seven How Clothes are Made in Second Life: PRIMS
Intro to SL Main Page
[FashionCAD. INFO home]
©, 2008 by Elaine Polvinen, all rights reserved