Wearable (BOM) Layer slots for Materials (specifically)
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Glizzy Rizzler
As an applier creator for body materials and tattoos for mesh bodies using the SLUV - it is tiring and quite redundant to program applier scripts for each body (and heads) that I would like to support. It would be an infinately more efficient system overall for
all
bodies if they could simply utilize a specified UUID channel that grabs those textures from a BOM wearable to get directly applied as materials on the rigged mesh wearable. Something like additional AUX layers that had multiple channels for normal and specular (or even PBR materials) for head/body UV in them. Almost all mesh body wearers have updated to BOM skin for bodies and heads, and often struggle with adding and removing materials in HUD based systems. Implimenting a system like this would make changing materials on bodies easier for base line consumers who are about to experience materials for the first time when all viewers have updated to PBR.
Along with this request, I need to stress the importance of 2K bakedown service for these materials to be worth making a BOM asset. The payoff being - bodies would not need to add another stack of scripts to compensate for PBR materials on their mesh bodies and heads, which consumers are already wanting. Addressing 2K BOM requests with the ability for materials to also be BOM would greatly combat an increase in constantly running scripts in bodies and heads, and would make the entire community much happier for it!
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Miro Fairelander
I am commenting just to say that I have a TON of tattoo/materials ideas that I'd love to make, but currently can't because of this applier issue.
To give one example, there are now a lot of heads that use the Lelutka EvoX UV map/skins, including third party heads. While there is an applier system for the Lelutka brand heads; these applies do not work with the third party heads (obviously) - and some of these third party heads don't have an applier system at all.
So, currently, I cannot make materials for all the heads I want to support, without providing the raw textures - and not every user knows how to apply those.
And though Lelutka COULD make an applier system that works with 3rd party content (like eBody Reborn did) I still think that it would just be far easier to have BoM materials, because then it doesn't matter if a head creator does or doesn't use an applier system. BoM Materials would also mean support for FUTURE content that hasn't yet been released; if I made BoM materials for the EvoX head map, then those materials would continue to work for every head that uses that UV going forward.
This is just one example of many, but my point is, I'm currently not making all of the content I want to make because of the annoying applier limitation. I don't want to have to make a different applier for every single brand of head & body, especially when the reality of being a creator is that you'll probably get requests from customers to add even MORE appliers for the heads/bodies you didn't include. BoM materials would instantly eliminate this issue.
TommyTheTerrible Resident
We had this with Omega and can still have this with Omega if the body creators would cooperate. Even without Omega, it's as simple as a script listening for commands on a per texture area basis from the owner.
And even if we had this new system, it would still require the body creators to cooperate as well by either adding support or allowing mod.
I'd rather see a policy requiring popular common use items to conform to a standard than just create a new standard the creators can ignore.
Because no matter what you provide, the body creators need to conform and there's nothing forcing them now to conform.
Glizzy Rizzler
TommyTheTerrible Resident
Appliers and Listening scripts are not inherently user friendly. Most SL users barely open up their body or head HUDs unless directed by a CSR that they have to in order to do something. This request is asking for a similar application of BOM for materials. BOM is easily understood by the vast majority of SL users and residents, and in concept would be a smoother and easier update for bodies/heads to comply with rather than adding more lines of code to listening and applying scripts.
My suggestion also creates a unified system that they (body and head brands) all would/could conform to. Since Omega is no longer active and no longer offers support - asking for/providing another scripted service like this seems like a step backwards, when a BOM service would be provided by LL themselves.
If scripted, there would also not be a way to combine materials via stacking, like we currently can do with BOM.
An example of a BOM stack could look like:
Body Skin > Muscle Shading add ons > Blush Add ons > Scars add on
These types of items could only be done via onion layers before BOM was introduced, and is why bodies like Legacy and Maitreya have them.
Maitreya has since removed those layers and made them an optional add on (for users to still wear that older content.)
However modern bodies do not have onion layers (great, this is more efficient)
Lorelai Mistwallow
let me preface this by saying this as an end user and creator
I. HATE. APPLIERS. With a passion.
We need this feature like yesterday!!!!!!!!
Let's just hope the bodymakers would be on board making their bodies compatible with this.
Also a very good idea that was pointed out was to implement SPECIFIC BODY SLOTS for material appliers. I don't
think
material layers would stack though (and it's not really something I'd care too much about). Depending on if it's PBR or Blinn-Phong specific it would be nice to tint emissive and/or specular as well that wouldn't require a janky ass HUD to do so (Looking at you Legacy)Nyree Rain
That would help so much.
Kyrah Abattoir
There is a huge problem with that and it is one of the reasons it hasn't been made for regular materials: How to handle transparency & layering. Specifically with normal maps.
Glizzy Rizzler
Kyrah AbattoirI would imagine that material creators would need to come out with a base material for other materials to bake down onto - currenly I have one in my store called "Dewy Skin" and this is the base that other materials like "Osteoderm" get baked down onto when I am creating a new material applier currently.
If what LL produces are stackable layers, you would need to have the "base" material under any additional materials so they would bake down in that specific order.
Normal and Specular Maps with alpha channels would bake down respectively to produce a combined material.
As for PBR, I am unsure how this would work, or if stacking would be at all possible. However if they intend to work on PBR for this material enhancement layer, I would prefer it over legacy materials - even if it meant you could only wear one at a time.
Kyrah Abattoir
Glizzy RizzlerThe We already use the alpha channel of normal maps for gloss on old materials so it isn't available for that.
Darlingmonster Ember
Yes, so much yes.
Alia Baroque
I was going to open my first JIRA specifically about this topic, thanks for the head start.
Adding my own 2 cents:
With the introduction of PBR SL users will get more used on wearing materials on their genetic layers, be it skins or tattoos. At the moment materials are handled by custom appliers for each brand reverting to the applier system before BOM.
If not addressed, creators of mesh bodies will need to provide a system for applying PBR and legacy materials, and creators of genetics will need to spend weeks configuring and pasting uuids for said appliers.
Since the Materials file has been already implemented, making an additional wearable layer, like the universal as Glizzy mentioned, with slots for the Materials files would be ideal.
I know this is something that doesn't concern many creators, but it will definitely be something that will affect SL residents in the future a lot.
Starting already with a simplified system for everyone, creators and users, is a must.
Please help us out to not return to the nightmare era of appliers.
Cayenne Republic
Alia Baroque would be so helpful in giving ability to match materials to different parts, like heads. So cumbersome now.
Lance Kent
Very much would love to see this.
Cynos3D Resident
It would also ensure future compatibility with PBR on older bodies that may not receive support or further updates, i'm all for this!
Spidey Linden
tracked
Issue tracked. We have no estimate when it may be implemented. Please see future updates here.
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