Stylish

Standard Sizing

I love shoes, and even though this post isn’t about shoes, in RL I am a 10 or a 41 depends on where the shoes are made. If I go into any shoe store in the world, generally I can just ask for a 41 or a 10 and depending on the style of the shoe, it should fit me perfectly. When the saleslady comes out and tells me they don’t have it in a 10/41 but would I like to try a 9? I growl internally, because if I could fit a 9 I wouldn’t ask for a 10.

It is a great comfort to have that level of assurance no matter where you are, and a team of like minded content creators have developed that kind of security for Second Life. Minnu, Thora, Emma and Siddean, better known as LeLutka/Celoe, Surf Co./Mon Tissu and SLink have combined their skills, as well as their customer base, and by polling as many as participated come up with “Standard Sizing” for Mesh.

This concept isn’t only for the customer though, it is an idea that if other stores take on this “Standard Sizing” option, will assure their customer base that what is made in Mesh will fit their avatars in the same way as other stores they shop in that also adopt the “Standard Sizing” options. The sizes are Extra Extra Small (XXS), Extra Small (XS), Small (S), Medium (M), and Large (L).

This made many of you exhale sharply I know, but this is where it gets interesting, and very very handy. First off as a customer, the “Standard Sizing” is a broad range of fits. The thing about Mesh and how it moves with your body, is that it actually does that more than just shifting with your movement. If you are 100 tall or 20, the same pair of pants will fit you to the exact same length on your body, and it is more than that, if you fit a size S (small) you could look completely different in shape than the girl next to you also buying an S (small). There are 78 Sliders that determine your shape – I counted – and only 8 of those have an effect on your shape for Mesh. All you have to do is try and see, I mean rather than throw your hands up and scream NO NO NO NO NO! give it a try, maybe the first things you tried didn’t work for you, but don’t give up trying Demos in stores that are making Mesh. Examples of how the same fit can have different shapes HERE , HERE and HERE

Now where it benefits content creators is many ways. The first one is learning. Mesh is new to so many content creators. You may or may not have made sculpts in the past, blender/maya – or whatever 3d application you use, may be new or not to you, but either way, when you open that program as small as the screen may be, that grid space can seem very very big when empty. By downloading the “Standard Sizing” Mesh Files, you will have a model to work off in 5 different shapes from the very start. No need to do everything off Ruth, or try and make your own. Not only is this a great starting point, but its a consistent one through all your products.

On a side note lol, if you use the models in your software, even if you do not make clothes, you have a much better reference. Say you make furniture, it is a great way to see where an avatars legs will bend for a sofa, or if you are making a building, how tall your average doorway should be based on heights, there are many things you can use them for as reference.

Back to clothing though, many are going to look at the slider numbers for the Standard Sizing and know immediately that items will not fit them, the most obvious will be if your breasts are much larger. Because once you have Mesh on and the Alpha layers, your bigger breasts will look smaller, and for some thats a no go. But consider this as a starting point and as a content creator think again of RL. In RL you don’t just have size 10 bras, you have 10a, 10b,10c and so on. So if you know for a fact that you have a large enough customer base that are loyal to your brand and also have larger breasts, you could still use the Standard Sizing, but add the a,b and c options. A tad more work yes, but you will be the one that decides if it is worth it to you or not.

Other than clothing, the Standard Sizing can also work for Shape Makers. Over the years many shape makers have included System Skirt Shapes, with the Standard Sizing shapes and numbers being available to all for free, this could be something that shape makers use to include in their products, that way also assuring new customers that the shape they choose will have the ability to shop in any of the “Standard Sizing” stores.

I hope you all consider this as it is intended, to help the grid and community as a whole. No one is trying to change you, I myself have taken my bum down by two to fit the new items and I am fine with that, it didn’t do anything to my overall look. Remember too that alpha layers will still play a major part in Mesh fit, so again don’t be so one minded about sizes and shape changes, just be open minded about trying Demos, it is fun and you can always do it in the privacy of your own home.

Also think about what this means for gifting, you will also be able to know that your best friend, partner, wife etc is a certain size in the Standard Sizing system, how easy is it going to be to make sure she is well fitted out in Mesh this Christmas.

So now for the info from the “Standard Sizing” team, because you are all dieing to check it out for yourselves I know. You can get the full perms kit and info pack at Standard Sizing on Marketplace and the Standard Sizing Avatar 3D Files here.

 

We are Minnu Palen & Thora Charron (of LeLutka), Siddean Munro (of SLink), Elie & Anouk Spot (of Mon Tissu) and Jaden Celoe & Shay Sibrian (of Celoe). With the rising popularity of rigged mesh clothing and accessories, we have discovered that it is difficult for shoppers to be sure that designers are creating mesh clothing in sizes that will suit their avatar shapes. Likewise, it is impossible for designers to know how to size their rigged mesh clothing because of the extremely wide range of shapes used in Second Life. In response, we have developed a solution: the Standard Sizing system. The following questions and answers will inform you about the details of this system and hopefully encourage designers to implement it and consumers to take advantage of it.

The following questions are answered below:

– What is Standard Sizing?

– What is the purpose of Standard Sizing?

– How do you know the Standard-Sized shapes are accurate?

– Where are XL and XXL?

– Won’t we look like a bunch of clones if we’re all using the same 5 shapes?

– Where can I get these shapes and how much do they cost?

– What if my own personal avatar size doesn’t match one of the Standard Sizes?

– I am a creator. How do I make use of the Standard-Sized shapes, and how do I let my customers know I am using Standard Sizing?

– How do I let my customers know what Standard Sizing is?

– I create and sell shapes. Can I use the Standard-Sized shapes as a base for shapes that I sell?

(At the very bottom you will find the Standard Sizing measurements.)

– What is Standard Sizing? Standard Sizing is a system created to standardize avatar shapes so that rigged mesh clothing can be created to fit most adult human female avatars and so that consumers will be able to objectively identify their own avatar with one of the Standard Sizes, enabling them to comfortably purchase rigged mesh clothing and accessories. We have created a group of 5 shapes representing the 5 most common adult human female avatar sizes in Second Life: Extra Extra Small (XXS), Extra Small (XS), Small (S), Medium (M), and Large (L).

– What is the purpose of Standard Sizing? Creators and shoppers would benefit greatly from having a common language to communicate about sizing of garments and accessories for avatars. As a consumer, you can determine which Standard Size is closest to your favorite shape and buy clothing in that size. As a creator, you can fit your designs to the Standard Sizes, guaranteeing that they will fit a wide range of customer shapes.

– How do you know the Standard-Sized shapes are accurate? The numbers we used to create the 5 Standard-Sized shapes were calculated using the results of a survey of over 500 adult human female avatars. The survey information focused on the following measurements: Body Fat, Torso Muscle, Breast Size, Love Handles, Belly Size, Leg Muscle, Butt Size, and Saddle Bags. Because rigged mesh responds to variations in Heights (including Height, Torso Length, and Leg Length) and Widths (including Body Thickness, Shoulder Width, Hip Width, etc.) on its own, these measurements were not included in the survey.

– Where are XL and XXL? Based on our survey results, very few users identify their avatar shapes as XL or XXL. Limiting our sizes to XXS-L should make for an easier transition into widespread use of the Standard Sizing system. If a designer wanted to create clothing larger than Standard L, they absolutely could.

– Won’t we look like a bunch of clones if we’re all using the same 5 shapes? Being able to express your individual personality and style through a unique avatar is one of the foundations of Second Life. We do not want to limit that any more than is necessary to provide a basic reference point for avatar sizing. Of the dozens of measurements that make up each person’s shape, only 8 of them are relevant to each of the 5 Standard Sizes. Even those 8 can be tweaked and still fit that size. This allows a person to largely preserve their original shape, with the added benefit of knowing their Standard Size, and being able to shop comfortably for rigged mesh clothing.

– Where can I get these shapes and how much do they cost? You can download all 5 of the Standard-Sized shapes for free from the Marketplace here: ( https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/100141 ). They are full permissions, so you are free to modify them or use the numbers as you please. However, note that making changes to the following measurements may compromise the way Standard-Sized rigged mesh garments fit you: Body Fat, Torso Muscle, Breast Size, Love Handles, Belly Size, Leg Muscle, Butt Size, & Saddle Bags (We recommend that these measurements be changed only slightly, if at all).

– What if my own personal avatar size doesn’t match one of the Standard Sizes? Your shape will most likely fit into one of the Standard Size categories. Since all rigged mesh clothing will probably include alpha bases, minor size variations of the 8 measurements listed previously will be will hidden, along with any glitching due to posing or animating. If this is not the case, you may want to modify your shape so that clothing fitted for a Standard Size will also fit you.

– I am a creator. How do I make use of the Standard-Sized shapes, and how do I let my customers know I am using Standard Sizing? You can download the 3d files here ( http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6003454/Standard%205%20sizes.zip ). Once you load the Standard-Sized shapes into your 3d programs, you can build your clothing around them. Included in your download is an icon that represents your use of Standard Sizing. You can display this icon in your store, on your vendors, in your blog, etc. Hopefully, as Standard Sizing becomes more widely used, this icon will be easily recognized in the Second Life community. You can also have your store listed in the directory of shops offering Standard Sizing by filling out the form under “Stores/Creators”, found here: http://bloggingsecondlife.wordpress.com/ . Be sure to check the boxes next to Standard Sizing and Mesh.

– How do I let my customers know what Standard Sizing is? Feel free to distribute the information provided here any way you’d like!

– I create and sell shapes. Can I use the Standard-Sized shapes as a base for shapes that I sell? Yes.

A directory of shops offering Standard Sizing can be found here: http://bloggingsecondlife.wordpress.com/?page_id=1363 If you have any questions or comments please join the in-world group “Standard Sizing System”. This is a discussion group for Standard Sizing issues where you’re free to voice any concerns or suggestions via chat.

Below you will find measurements for each of the 5 Standard-Sized shapes:

-XXS Body Fat: 0 Torso Muscle: 21 Breast Size: 32 Love Handles: 22 Belly Size: 0 Leg Muscle: 40 Butt Size: 24 Saddle Bags: 22

-XS Body Fat: 5 Torso Muscle: 31 Breast Size: 48 Love Handles: 25 Belly Size: 2 Leg Muscle: 45 Butt Size: 34 Saddle Bags: 30

-S Body Fat: 7 Torso Muscle: 35 Breast Size: 52 Love Handles: 28 Belly Size: 3 Leg Muscle: 50 Butt Size: 38 Saddle Bags: 33

-M Body Fat: 11 Torso Muscle: 38 Breast Size: 58 Love Handles: 31 Belly Size: 6 Leg Muscle: 56 Butt Size: 44 Saddle Bags: 36

-L Body Fat: 24 Torso Muscle: 48 Breast Size: 71 Love Handles: 39 Belly Size: 14 Leg Muscle: 69 Butt Size: 62 Saddle Bags: 45