Wonky Symmetry?

Another humble plea for information. I've learned an incredible amount from this forum!

I've been working on some things for quite awhile now, and I finally have a design process I like - up until a point. I work the right side of an outfit, outlined in paths which I fill in later. I check them in AvPainter until they're *just* so at the seams, and then I try copying and mirroring the paths.

This is where I'm banging my head on a stone wall. No matter how closely I match the mirror (I've gotten pretty good at transforming paths!), the left side seams are, well, borked. Things that match up perfectly on the right are several pixels off on the left, so that straps are misaligned/not connecting, etc.

I figure there's one of four problems:
1) I'm obviously not as good at this as I think. Even with four billion guides to help out.

2) I've got the wrong position for my guides for centers of the front and back of my upper body. Possible, but I took a great deal of care with this step. A calculator was involved!

3) The UV map itself isn't symmetrical from right to left, or at least the upper body one. After all the trouble I've had with them over the past eight months, I wouldn't doubt.

4) Pixes are changing my images when I save them as Targas. In this case, I'll need to research pixie prevention.

Has anyone encountered this before? I know I'm incredibly fussy about my work, but I have OCD issues with symmetry, and it makes it very frustrating for me. I'm willing to keep trying, but it would help if I knew where the problem was occurring. If it's me, I'm willing to work harder at lining things up. If it's the UV map, I'm willing to modify how I work.

I'd be deeply grateful to anyone who can shed some light on this matter.

Hey Tina. The UV's are indeed symetrical, so if you're having problems, it's got to be either your templates got moved, or else you're just not lining things up as well yous you thought. To safeguard against the former, re-download the templates so you're sure you have fresh copies to work with.

If you're using the Linden templates, the vertical center line for the front upper body is at 130px across, and for the back upper it's at 387px across. Put a vertical guide at each of those locations. If you're using Chip's or Robin's templates, double the numbers since those templates are double size.

Now, when you duplicate a paths and flip it, make sure the duplicate is the exact same distance from the guide as the original (but in the opposite direction, of course). This can be done in several ways. Here's one.

Place a guide so it intersects an anchor point on your path. Then place another guide the same distance away from the centerline, on the other side. Duplicate and flip your path, and then move it so that the same anchor point intersects the second guide at the same point.

Ah, thank you, Chosen! I was placing the center line improperly. I'll give it a try with your numbers. I was attempting to center on the line down the front of the templates, and it looks like true center is just a touch to the left of that.

I'm going to owe you cookies one day, I swear!

I have a plate of prim cookies somewhere. Collected on a caffine laced freebie binge, I think, during my nooby noob days.

Chosen deserves kudos every day.

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