Click Here for Main Page on our OnP Deluxe Flexi Skirt Maker

Note that there are two sections below - the quick answer, and then notecard 2 with more detail

Notecard 1: Make a Skirt Quickly.

Important note for simplicity:  If your package includes both a "fast" and a "turbo" option, use the "fast" one as being easier to work with for now.

This notecard skips over many of the options that are discussed in the general help notecard. Its goal is to help you make your first flexi skirt with this skirt maker within minutes. To do that, we use many of the pre-stored settings.

PART ONE: MAKING THE SKIRT
1. Copy the Skirt maker for safety and rez a copy to the ground
2. It should raise about 1.5 meters above ground (3.01 and later).   Adjust its location to suit yourself
3. Click it for a menu if the menu is not already showing
5. Choose “Material”
6. Select “Cone 0.7” – this means a cone shape (part of cylinder) 0.7 meters high
7. Press “Make Skirt” – which is in the second row, far right.  As you click this selection, be ready to answer "yes" to a dialog permissions screen that should pop up on the right.
8. Now wait about 30 seconds while the skirt is made and it says “DONE”
9. Save it to your inventory memory and find its location.

PART TWO: WEARING AND ADJUSTING

1. Find the skirt you just made in your inventory and right click it and choose “wear”
2. If the above item does not work, right click it and select attach to pelvis
3. Use a posing stand and sit on it to hold your avatar still
4. Move the skirt, editing it and using arrows, most likely higher, till it sits near your pelvis area in the center
5. Now left click the skirt for a menu and choose “Adjust”
6. Click on Flexi
7. Set the flexi settings to suit
a. Softness means more flexible
b. Gravity is downward pull. The more gravity and tension, the more control
c. Drag – the higher the more the skirt lags behind your movements
d. Wind – There is always an SL wind. We suggest zero or low value like 0.2
e. Tension – the higher the setting the more the skirt tries to keep original shape
f. x,y,z – generally not used and set to 0

Walk around and see if you need more flexi adjustments. Look out for too much drag (skirt way behind you when you walk) or too much bouncing. Also ensure enough movement to be realistic. You might need to play with the settings. Remember softness and drag give movement, tension and gravity mostly give control. Wind is more of a gimmick that we seldom use or use very little of.

Center and Oval Adjust? X open., Y Open or XY open? These will be discussed in notecard 2 but control the center opening if you wish.

Wrong size? Back on the posing stand and we suggest going into the "Adjust" menu and changing Length or Width or Depth to suit.

PART THREE – FINAL TOUCHES
Remove the software from the main item such that you can now transfer or sell the item. If permissions still block you from transferring and selling it, rez the item to the ground that now has zero software or other junk in its contents, and then take it again into inventory or take a copy. We found that that works when we had this issue. Not sure why SL does not know when software is removed. But when you take it into inventory, and not just detaching it, SL seems forced to again look at what real permissions should be. For multiple reasons especially if you transfer the skirt, the software and items inside should be removed. One is for permissions. The second is that software ties up sims. The third is that honestly, once the skirt is made, the items inside just get in the way and clutter up SL.

Right click and edit the skirt. You can change texture and all of it will change at once, or color and all of it will change at once. You can also adjust transparency under edit.

Done. We did not show the optional adjustments. See the General information notecard for that.
 

The Notecard 2: General Skirt Making Information – for this software

DESCRIPTION
This is a small cylinder with software and stored samples inside that can make flexi skirts from all three varieties of flexible prims allowed in SL: boxes, cylinders (cones), and prisms. Different sizes of each are stored along with the program. There are several parts to making a flexi skirt. With this software, you need not be a genius and get it all right before making the flexi skirt. The flexi skirt maker has an automatic distance adjustment if you wish to use it. I do. Always. And much can be adjusted and likely should after the skirt is made – such as all of the flexi settings, and also allowed are some center opening adjusts, including oval if you wish, and also some sizing – including separate adjustments for length width and depth of the skirt pieces are allowed AFTER the skirt is made. In some cases, you can used our pre-stored values in our software and all you need to decide is the material to start with – choosing from different size boxes (rectangles), cylinders (cones), or prisms. You can also use your own samples - but we find the samples included fit all of our needs - since they can be adjusted so much after the skirt is made.
-------------------------------------------------------------
STARTING CAUTIONS

Note:  You cannot make (link) a skirt while wearing the controller.  You must rez the controller to ground for the first stage of making the skirt.  However, once the skirt is made, you can then wear it and adjust the flexi settings, the center opening for circle or oval, the texture using the texture spreader and much more.  If you have a choice of controllers, the "fast" one is easiest to work with since it will only ask for permissions to link the skirt pieces once.  It will do that as you press "make skirt".  The turbo option is faster, but you must be ready after you press "make skirt" to click on the topmost permission request first.  If you do the top first, SL will take it away and then put the next one in the same place, such that you need not even move your mouse much.   You just need to click four times somewhat quickly.  For turbo, the last permission request after you click yes, is the main one that will start the program.  What do you do if in trouble and made errors?  Start to click the no button as much as you can.  Then you will get another chance to set permission again after you press the make skirt button.  But for turbo, you must have agreed and said yes four times for the program to run correctly.

BASIC STEPS TO MAKING A SKIRT for YOU, or to SELL to others
0. Ensure of course you make and save several copies of the skirt maker stored safely in inventory.
1. After rezzing the skirtmaker, if it does not raise itself above the ground, raise it to 1.5 meters or so above the ground.  It need not be exact.
2. Make the skirt using the cylinder skirt maker as shown below choosing material, and modifying number, angle or (less likely) distance as you wish. Note that if choosing an internal sample, no distance info is needed from you. It is calculated.
3. As you press "Make Skirt", you will then see permission requests on the top right side.  Always click the top one first and fast such that SL can then move the next one into the same place for you.  There will be one permission request for "fast" skirt makers, and four for "turbo"
4. Take the skirt into inventory, and then wear it (attach to pelvis or similar) and then adjust flexi or size while wearing it using mostly our software still inside. Also adjust center opening, or oval center shape, length or width or depth of skirt material.
5. When the skirt is basically right, then remove all software to ensure permission are fine for transfer or sale. Note that with SL permission roughness, that you might need to rez the skirt to the ground with all software and other items out of it and take it back into inventory or take a copy to get SL to remove the permissions issue. Then change texture, color, transparency or other as SL allows.

ROTATION – how the software works
Note that if you use one of our stored samples of boxes, prisms or cones, that you need not worry about this section. It only has to do with using a sample that you supply. At this point, we ourselves are quite content with using stored samples since so much can be adjusted later anyway.

Rotating a sample item or stored item before you insert it into the contents of the skirt maker should have little to do with the rotation in usage. Since the skirt must be rezzed, SL demands that we tell the rotation for rez required. So rotating it ahead of time does nothing (to our knowledge). Now here is the secret… why does the program ask if you wish to use a cone, box, prism or other item? The answer is to set the rotation as the software makes the skirt. Since flexi items are flexible at the top normally instead of at the bottom when we need them, the skirt maker automatically rezzes boxes, prisms, and cones (cylinder portions) upside down, so they are flexi down, like a skirt. In addition, the skirt maker rezzes prisms reversed such that the angle side is outward looking like a skirt crease. While material types can be changed after the fact, cones and boxes can be changed and so can prisms and boxes – even though we think it yields not as good as answer as the stored kind. But you cannot really change cones to prisms after the skirt is made at all. The reason is that they face different directions to look good. (different initial rotation settings required).

MENU USAGE
Note that many menus will read out current values to you on the top so that you can see what you have set so far.

MENU USAGE 2
Note that many menus will have numbers that allow you to fast set a value, or may also have + or – values that allow you to set a number even more accurately. For example if you want 0.6 and there is no value like that, use perhaps 0.5 and then hit +0.1 to add to it to get 0.6. Remember that “ignore” puts the menu away. Clicking the skirt or the cylinder start piece will get it back. We do not suggest using “block” – and that is a new SL feature that sounds like it will damage usage – at least for a time. The “block” option on menus is new to SL and us. We would just suggest to never use it for this item.
------------------------------------------------------------

GETTING STARTED
Rez the skirt maker to the ground. In version 3.01 and later it might readjust its height to a good working height for you.  If not then right click it and edit it and raise it up a few meters. You can adjust x and y to where you want it to be if it matters to you. What needs to be set before making the skirt? Only choice of material is demanded. The rest have some suggested starting values. If you choose a pre-stored item for material, the software can figure out how to deal with it and will automatically set the distance for you. You can change it if you wish, but it gives you a start. If however, you choose “sample” and put your own starting strip of clothes or other item that must be named “sample” into the contents of the skirt maker, then you need to set some adjustments. We suggest you tell it if it is still a cylinder (cone), box or prism, or “other” to ensure the rotation is set correctly. If you wish, also enter the length (height) of the item so our software can help with the distances. If you are not making a skirt, then you might need some trial and error. Remember that telling the software box, cone or prism or other determines rotation – where “other” should be no rotation. For skirts – easiest to use the samples. If you want the samples to be in your own name for sales purposes, we suggest just copy each of the stored items for values on tab 2 and for exact title (the title must be exact for the software to call it) and then store your versions.

OTHER OPTIONS – these are preset, but you can change them to suit before making the skirt

ANGLE – this is the angle for the skirt piece away from going straight down. We preset it to 60 degrees but you can change it. If 60 degrees seems like a lot, it will seem less like a lot as soon as you add flexi and the skirt falls. This is the Angle BEFORE the skirt falls due to flexi – and not the angle afterwards.

NUMBER – This is the number of pieces of skirt material to go around the sides. It must always be a multiple of “4” – such as 20, 24, 36 or 72.  Earlier versions of our skirt maker before 3.02 and above had preferences for some number of skirt pieces, but that has been fixed.

What to do if you want a large number of skirt pieces in a skirt?  The answer may in fact be easier than waiting a huge amount of time to make huge skirts.  I would suggest for example that if you want a 120 piece skirt, that you make a 60 piece skirt, adjust its flexi and texture and more where you wish it, then remove the software and save it.  Then copy it in your inventory.  Then rez two copies of it .. one directly over the other - by a very slight amount.  You might want to rotate one by perhaps 3 degrees or so if you want overlap. the combine the two.  Right click and select "edit" on the lower one.  Then hold down the shift key and left click the upper one such that both are selected.  Then ctrl and "l" (small 'L') will link the two.  Now save your multi skirt.  It should have 120 skirt pieces, but also two center pieces for 122 total prims.  Does this work?  This is what we used to do in the early days of making flexi skirts.  It works quite well.

DISTANCE – This will be the radius, the distance from the center point of the skirt piece to the center. If you use a pre-stored skirt piece or use a sample and give info, the software will calculate it for a closed center – or at least very close. We recommend using the auto adjust Note for the geometry folks that it is the radius, and NOT the diameter. However, remember also that the skirt piece is slanted, such that, no, it is not just half the length, but a geometry equation. Lol That is why we ALWAYS use automatic ourselves.

CENTER and OVAL – (USE AFTER AUTO ADJUSTMENT IS SET )  In earlier versions of our software before skirt maker 3.01 we did allow trying to set center and oval before making the skirt.  But we learned that the routine after the skirt is made was better and also allowed us to do adjustments while actually wearing the skirt. 

PERM – This is for permissions. When you rez the skirt maker it will ask you to give permissions. If you miss doing that and go to make the skirt, second life will get upset. Just press “perm” and give permissions and then again do make skirt.

RESET - if you are getting an odd operation and do not wish to re-rez the skirt maker, just use this setting in the main menu. What it will do is to reset BOTH of the two software programs used in the skirt maker. It does not kill the skirt attachment however.



MAKING THE SKIRT

After you have decided on what material, and decided if you wish to change options for angle or number or distance or center, and you are sure you gave permissions, choose to “make skirt”. Please do not worry about “Adjust” or “Kill” at this time. They are useful after the skirt is made.  If your permissions were not set this rez period before using "kill", it will ask for permissions now - one to four times - one for "fast" and four for "turbo".

Timing– Please be patient. Second Life software requires a time lapse when rezzing and when linking items. It takes about 30 seconds to make and link a 24 number flexi skirt using "fast".

KILL – Remember that the skirt you make does not have flexi added as yet. But if you hate the skirt that you made and it is all done linking and said DONE, then you can press “Kill”. What kill does is to break the skirt away from the cylinder with the software skirt maker. This allows you to right click the skirt made which should all be linked together and delete it all at once – but leaving the starting cylinder with the software - and start over if you wish.

RESET - does reset all 3 main programs, but does not kill the skirt attachment.


AFTER THE SKIRT IS MADE

Many adjustments are allowed AFTER the skirt is now made. We suggest taking it and storing it in your inventory. Then choose to wear it. If it does not attach correctly, then detach it. In your inventory then right click it and choose attachment to your “pelvis” – our first choice, or to stomach (second choice – our opinion) – or other. Now wearing it, let’s adjust it. There are some items SL always does allow you to change, and some where this software provided for you allows even more changes.

Items our Software Can control –
All flexi settings of gravity, drag, wind, tension, softness and x,y,z, plus length or width or depth of skirt pieces, size of center opening or making it oval, and some material changes .  And now we have added a texture spreader that can make your skirt textures much more realistic and fun - but save texture spreading for the very end.  It is covered here in notecard 6. 

Items SL allows you to change – the whole skirt size at once -

NOTE IMPORTANT - If you change the size of the skirt using the normal SL method below , that all is fine and we do it as well. However, if you do that, go to the main menu afterwards and select "reset". This will cause the second program, the flexi adjust program to read the new settings and distances.  We do however, suggest instead using the "length" menu option instead which would keep width, depth and center opening the same.

Texture, texture sizing, rotation and start point, color, transparency, amount of shininess or bump, and overall sizing.  Most of this by editing.  For overall size change edit the skirt, and hold down shift and control. Then you should see gray boxes. Pull a box inward to make the skirt smaller or outward to make it larger. Recall that this will keep all length, width and depth in the same proportions. But note that our software can change width and depth to change the proportions in those directions – after you are done with the major gross size adjust. Keep in mind that for a bit, yes, you can go between editing using our software and using normal sl techniques both.  And also, as we noted above, notecard 6 now will tell features of texture spreading for complex textures across your flexi skirt and also textures for bottoms or inside lining.

DETAILS OF COMMANDS – no menu? Click the skirt to get one. ‘ignore’ to put it away

FLEXI COMMANDS – we suggest wearing the skirt, walking around, dancing while changing settings
Softness – has few settings – integers from 0 to 3 – allows flexi the higher the setting
Gravity – downward pull – along with tension helps to stabilize skirt from flopping
Drag – When you move, the higher this is, the slower the skirt will move with you. We like it low
Wind – there is a constant wind in SL – we suggest zero or low
Tension – the amount that causes the skirt to keep its shape and not be flexi too much
X,y,z – not used much and mostly 0’s. Causes forces in those 3 SL directions – but all of the time.
If you play with some of the flexi commands – and you can with this software, note how softness, gravity and tension can give different skirt shapes and different amount of movement.

WIDTH and DEPTH and LENGTH
First of all, please note. An SL oddity means that these items may change quickly but that your screen may be delayed or not show it. At times, we had to click the skirt and then rotate the image with our camera or move it out of viewing area in back to see the changes we did. Not sure of this SL issue, but sorry, it is not the software. It is an SL oddity. And it does seem to be mostly a viewing issue.
WIDTH – can change the skirt width keeping its length and depth the same
DEPTH – similar but the distance inward to the center instead of the width.
LENGTH -  a bit more complex.  The software also keeps distance the same from the central controller and at the very end will fix the xy center opening (circle, oval) for you.  During the time the length is being changed and before the final center opening correction, yes, the skirt pieces may seem odd - such as far out or overlapping.  That gets fixed when the xy opening is fixed.

X OPEN, Y OPEN, XY OPEN
These settings can open up the center area or even make it oval. XY open changes both x and y direction at the same time to the same number. Remember the number is a radius (distance each item to the center). Multiply 2 to get the diameter (full opening across from one piece to another.) Note that on settings that you can set an amount, or use the + and – buttons to get to another amount.. And yes, the center opening claimed may be a little off due to the material being hollow or sliced, or cone cut. If these items seem odd to you, do not worry. What it means is that the numbers given are close and just do a fine adjust using the plus and minus options to get you where you want to be.

OTHER ITEMS
ADJUST – is just the name for the menu for the major adjustments after the skirt is made
HOLLOW – Makes the skirt items hollow at 95%
SOLID – Makes the skirt items solid meaning 0% hollow - we love using this if we intend to have a lace bottom of the skirt for example - such as a small version of a petticoat style.  It adds body for a lace texture
CONECUT – like just for the cones (cylinders). Allows you to choose our favorite of 50% cut that just shows the outside bubble for a skirt round fold, or you can make it more or less severe or even a full sided cone

MAIN – of course means to go to the main menu screen
FLEX – go to the flexi menu for the gravity, drag, softness and other flexi changes
ADJUST – means to go to the sub-main adjustment screen that controls flexi and other items after the skirt is made.  Once in ADJUST menu, you can then go further and choose TEXTURE menu for texture spreading or adding textures to the skirt bottom or inside lining
SHOW/HIDE - refer to the center controller piece.  Note that if you hide it and cannot see it to click it, try the approximate place it should be.  If not, note that SL allows you to use "strl" and "alt" and "t" to show transparencies, or if that feature is on, it will shut it off.  SL will show transparencies as red items using that feature.
--------------------------
DONE?
Recall that we now include a texture spreader if you wish help on applying a custom texture to the skirt. You can reach the texture spreader menu from the main menu, by first selecting the "Adjust" menu, and then on the adjust menu, select the "Texture" menu selection near the bottom. In the texture menu you can ask for a help card, or just read notecard #6 here included. While there are many options - you might normally only have to load a texture, give a value to "Hphotos" (how many photos to take going across your texture) and then return and press "Do Normal".  Note that "DO Normal" tries to line up skirt texture middle with the exact skirt front.  "DO Offset" gives a slightly different view, offset a little, but without exact skirt front and texture middle agreement.  But "DO Offset" at times may be what you need to see lettering better that you added, or may show some pictures or scenery on the skirt better.

When all done - Remove the software from the main item such that you can now transfer or sell the item. If permissions still block you from transferring and selling it, rez the item to the ground that now has zero software or other junk in its contents, and then take it again into inventory or take a copy. We found that that works when we had this issue. Not sure why SL does not know when software is removed. But when you take it into inventory, and not just detaching it, SL seems forced to again look at what real permissions should be. For multiple reasons especially if you transfer the skirt, the software and items inside should be removed. One is for permissions. The second is that software ties up sims. The third is that honestly, once the skirt is made, the items inside just get in the way and clutter up SL.

Feel free to edit the skirt for slight size changes as needed to change texture, or color or transparency or other.

MODIFYING THE SKIRT OR OTHER SKIRTS LATER
Sometimes after a skirt is done and you wish further mods, here is what you do. First of all rez the normal skirt maker to the ground. Now edit it and under contents save all of the contents from it to a folder in your inventory. Now later, when you have a skirt that was made by this software and the software is removed, you might again to be able to put in at least the three software programs into it again (or perhaps also the custom textures) to make more flexi or other adjustments. But an oddity with SL seems that you cannot do it while wearing the skirt. Rez the skirt with no software to the ground. Then put the software items in its contents. Then save it. Then wear the skirt and make the new adjustments. When done, again remove the software, Yes, recall again that the only way to fix permissions seems to not wear the skirt, but to rez it to the ground, ensure both software programs are gone, and then save it again or save a copy. Yeah, SL permissions can be rough - but these should be the ways to make it work.
 

thanks!  Hope you enjoy our products

Visit us at the Owl and Pussycat Mall in Second Life at Tissela
look under classifieds for Owl and Pussycat ..or

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tissela/64/92/102