User:Dz/Avatar Scale

Avatar Scale
This project was the result of a recent discussion on the difficulty of creating realistically proportioned avatars in OpenSimulator. With 7 years of experience "tweaking" my own shapes, and helping friends with "body makeovers", it is clear that the process of using the sliders in [edit appearance] to create a reasonable shape is not a simple task for most. Being able to generate realistic or even attractive shapes can be frustrating, and new users who are "stuck" using avatars they think look "weird" are less likely to continue experimenting and improving this important skill.

Unfortunately, I cannot change the process of how avatar shapes are modified, But what I can give you is a way to measure the results of your shape changing efforts. This scale is not the "silver bullet" to making attractive avatars, but it has been a useful technique I have used to generate the "rough shapes" I build my avatars around. This project consist of 3 parts. An LSL script, a very basic BVH animation file, and a note card describing the features and some web references that might be useful for future investigation.

As with all OpenSimian projects posted here, You are free to copy/modify/and IMPROVE the functionality to fit your needs.

The scale relies on the ability to move a seated avatar via script. This functionality has been the focus of a number of MANTIS reports, and may not be working unless you are using a very recent release. It is still possible to use the script but you will have to edit the script and adjust the calculation that sets the initial sit position.

If you have feedback on script errors, please post it to the page discussion User_talk:Dz/Avatar Scale

The script
I'm not going to write a lot about this script. It is relatively simple and I haven't really spent a ton of time refining it. Read the comments for information about use and distribution..

CheckProportions BVH file
This is a very basic animation that stands the avatar upright with feet together and hands hanging down. It is a close enough match to the references included in the note card. You should be able to upload this file as an animation file and use it with most avatar models that the scale is appropriate for. The script expects the uploaded animation to be named "CheckProportions". Feel free to change it, but then you will also need to change the script.

I recommend that you set the animation priority to 4 and set the animation to LOOP when uploaded. This will help insure it remains active while the avatar is on the scale.

Information Notecard
This is an optional add-on. It is not required, but I have included it to help explain the use to a novice user. I recommend that you at least READ through the note card before you attempt to use the scale for yourself. If you intend to re-distribute the scale, Please Please Please include this or something like it to minimize the support questions that may result.