How To Upload Mesh

What fields must you fill in on the model upload dialog?
These are the values that I always fill in, some are only recomended, others are absolutely necessary for physical structures like buildings. Since OpenSim 0.9.0 and ubODE many people have had problems with mesh they upload, even with mesh that were uploaded in previous versions. These problems are all based on the Physics Level of Detail, pay special attention to that section below. You now MUST enter a Physics Level of Detail.

Model Name: (recommended) This model represents... (recomended) Level of Detail (highly recomended) Physics tab, Level of Detail (MUST CHOOSE HIGH for physical structures)

All other fields in the Upload Dialog can be ignored

===Model Name:=== This field is the name the mesh will have in your inventoy, come on fill something meaningful in. ===This Model represents...=== Pick the closest one. I'm not sure this effects anything. Many mesh are used as part of something else so the most common choice is "Building Component". Does that mean part of a house or other architectual structure? Or a component of a build made with other prims? I don't know.

Level of Detail
This determines what your mesh looks like as you view it from farther and farther away. The default values make objects look bad from a distance, I recommend a little higher than that. Some people over-react this by setting all of them to the max, I don't recommend that either. The HIGH setting defaults to all your triangles and vertexts. You see this when close to the mesh. I recommend increasing the MEDIUM setting to half the triangles of the HIGH setting. I recommend increasing the LOW setting to half the triangles of the MEDIUM. I recommend increasing the LOWEST setting to half the triangles of the LOW.

Physics tab, Step 1 Level of Detail:
View your mesh in the Preview window, it will initially be gray. Rotate it (with CTRL-LEFT-MOUSE-DRAG) and zoom it (with SHIFT-LEFT-MOUSE_DRAG) until you can see it at a good angle. As you select different Physics Level of Detail values, yellow triangles appear on top of your model.

If your model is a building and you want to walk through doors, you will probably want HIGH. If a yellow triangle appears inside a doorway in a building in the preview, you will not be able to walk through that door. If you don't need to walk through doors, if you don't need to walk on your mesh, if it is a vehicle then select LOWEST or leave it at CHOOSE ONE.

Calculate Weights & Fee
Press this button after setting the four fields above. This may take a long time, may never finish, or give you errors. What can you do about that?

If you don't need to walk on your model or walk through the holes, try setting the Physics Level of Detail to LOWEST or CHOOSE ONE (this last one means none) Setting the Physics Level of Detail to HIGHEST sometimes allows a model to load successfully when other settings do not. If you must have a physics model, try uploading it on another region runing BulletSim, ODE, an older version of OpenSim or some combination. Carry the mesh home in your suitcase if necessary. Your model may have gaps, tortured quadrangles or too many vertexes. Try simplifying it or cleaning it up and then upload it again.

Upload
The Calculate Weights & Fee button will change to Upload, press that. Your mesh will be uploaded and appear in your Objects folder in inventory. This may take a long time, may never finish, or give you errors. See the suggestions above.

==After You Upload A MESH== ===Rez a copy and check it out=== * Depending on what version of OpenSim you have, what physics engine it is using and other parameters, your mesh may rez in a mode that you don't expect. * Depending on weather your mesh is used as a root or a child prim, it may rez in a mode that you don't expect. So rez a copy of your mesh, link it to something else if necessary, edit it and look at the Features tab in the build dialog. The Physics Shape Type has the following values: NONE means your mesh is phantom (if a child prim). Root prims still use the PHANTOM setting in the Object tab for this. CONVEX HULL means your mesh acts like it has been shrink-wrapped with an invisible shield. You cannot walk through holes in it. PRIM means your mesh "collides" like the yellow triangles you saw in the Preview picture while setting the Physics Level of Detail ===Why Do Some Mesh Not Allow Physics Type PRIM=== If you uploaded your mesh and forgot to set the Physics Level of Detail to any value (left it as CHOOSE ONE), you may never be allowed to set PRIM. * In older versions of OpenSim, with BulletSim or ODE physics, if you forgot to set the Physics Level of Detail then HIGH was assumed and Physics Type PRIM worked. * In OpenSim 0.9 with ubODE physics, if you forgot to set the Physics Level of Detail then YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK THROUGH HOLES IN THE MESH. * If your mesh was loaded in an older version of OpenSim, did not have a Physics Level of Detail and has worked fine for ages, when you update to 0.9 with ubODE YOU WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO WALK THROUGH HOLSE IN THE MESH. * If you still have the DAE file, on OpenSim 0.9 with ubODE you must upload the mesh again and this time REMEMBER TO SET THE PHYSICS LEVEL of DETAIL * If you no longer have the DAE file or you got the mesh from some unknown source YOUR ARE S.O.L. * If you got the mesh from someone else, ask them to give you a new copy after SETTING THE PHYSICS LEVEL OF DETAIL