When Backdrops Fail: A Creative Solution in Second Life

I'm aware of the hand clipping. Someday I'll be able to get Anypose. 

I recently popped over to Backdrop City for the first time in a while. Anyone who takes lots of pictures knows they have a HUGE selection of Second Life-inspired background images. I was met with a sign announcing changes to their setup. Now, instead of having all the individual background builds, they have rezzers, making it possible to offer even more options. This sounded like a great idea to me, so I decided to give it a try.

I wanted to use my Supernatural (TV show)-inspired Impala as a prop, so I thought it would be a good idea to start with a gas station or garage image. I scrolled through until I found the perfect one, tried to rez it, and a "region full" error message popped up.

Dang it.

I tried a few different ones (the definition of insanity) to no avail, and finally gave up and TP'd back home. After some thought over a game of BubblePop, I came up with a solution.

Since it was a car-themed shot, why not just head down the road a bit to the nearest rez zone? I have the region to myself most of the time anyway, so it's not like I'd be blocking traffic—well, except for the occasional pod tour, but I'm used to dodging those. I adjusted the environment settings, added some light, the car, a pose stand, and some fog. Above is the result. There's another angle on my Instagram page, if you'd like to check it out.

I think places like Backdrop City are great, but sometimes we get used to the convenience of using premade atmospheres when we have everything we need right in our backyard. 

Think of all the quirky little builds along SL roadways and how cool they'd be for a photo backdrop. Granted, rezzing props would be an issue, but you can get creative with attachments. 

What tricks have you learned for getting the perfect shot?

Let me know below and we'll talk again soon!

Character Designer, Freebies and Dean Gets a Makeover

 

Before and After

Did everyone get the free head from Lelutka this Christmas? I decided Dean needed a glow up, so I sent him to get one. We played with the settings, I think the facial hair makes him look more mature. He could probably use some head hair, eventually. And a change of clothes. His career as an adult club greeter is over, so the "gym bro with a touch of organized crime" look needs to change. Something more casual, laid back. Unemployed. 

He also got a new freebie AO (animation override) from the marketplace. He didn't have one before because he was stuck on his SmartBots stand most of the time. It's actually pretty good and you can't beat the price. At least he's no longer standing there waving his ginormous, splayed out hands around like he's looking for a booty to smack.

I'm still holding out before using him to experiment with the new A.I. Character Designer. Currently, if you have multi-factor authentication enabled on your main account, you're not able to connect. This makes me a little nervous, for a few reasons. For the time being, I'll just keep my fingers crossed that this changes in the near future. 

It's a little surprising to me that people have such strong opinions about the use of artificial intelligence.  As someone who watched a lot of 80's sci-fi, I'm excited to play around with it. It's not the flying cars we've been waiting for, but it's something.

Would you try the shiny new Character Designer? What attributes would you give a new A.I. companion? Let me know below. I'd also be interested to know if you want nothing to do with it. 

I hope all ya'll have a safe and happy New Years!

TTFN