Help! Mini Avatar Info, Anyone?

Hey, forum dwellers. I just ran into a roadblock. I can't find any answers to what I think is a simple question. How are mini avatars? Not how are they doing, but what do you use to make your avatar mini? Please don't tell me you buy a mini avatar shape and equip it, I know that. I need to know how people make the shapes.

I am looking to change my avatar's shape to fit into an advanced suit I built but don't know where to start. Should I make an animation override? Perhaps edit the mesh directly (seems godly annoying) or stab myself in the chest to relieve the frustration?

Help!!!!!

Many thanks for reading; More thanks for responding.

*Not actually emo and will not stab myself in frustration. Do not proceed to call any emergency services as it is unnecessary and will be akward.

It's done by making the av as small as possible with the sliders, then using an AO to twist the resulting shape down even further. Strategically placed invisi-prims may also be used.

Mini AV's are a result of creative use of shape and AO (folding up the arms and legs...and body too, most likely, but I don't know the folds used)

I had once heard there was a freebie animation available to use in an AO, but I hate to admit I don't have a clue where to find it.

This should go into building tips but I'll give it a go. First off if you simply need a smaller shape then play with the sliders. you can go down to a chubby 3'8" at the minimum. Or if you need something skinnier just go a little taller and turn down muscle and body fat all the way. Now if you need smaller then that then you will have to make/buy animations that ford up your avatars limbs. So you can get down to knee hight to a normal avatar. To go smaller then that you will have to use invisibility prims (they are free and full prem in many places). They will make parts of your avatar invisible but not prims.

I appreciate the help. I didn't know about AOs until now. However, I need to make my avatar skinnier also. Unless you can fold up you whol torso into thirds height ways, that won't work for me. I know there is a way to make a usable avatar shape.

Thanks again and I am sorry for not making it clearer that I don't want a mini avatar but rather that it was the closest thing to what I am trying to do. I now understand that mini avatars are done in a way that doesn't help me and will revise my topic post.

For future responders, I need to make my avatar thinner (specifically in stomach, thighs, and feet), not just smaller.

Invisiprims may be your solution.

They hide alpha textures, and avatar meshes.

So, you could hide a foot, thigh or torso with an invisiprim, and then place another prim inside of it to be the body part you want (just be certain the prim you want to see is not transparent or have any transparency in the texture placed upon it).