Second Life Forums Archive - Avatar Outline?

Rayner Exonar

Registered User

Join date: 14 Nov 2008

Posts: 1

12-07-2008 22:01

Hi,
I was wondering is there a way to make an Outline for an Avatar?

I have read the "Cell Shading" posts here, but they seem to be for working on Prims.
I'm working on my Avatar that is not made of Prims...

Thanks,
Rayner.

Rolig Loon

Not as dumb as I look

Join date: 22 Mar 2007

Posts: 2,482

12-07-2008 23:00

Outline? You mean like the chalk outline at a crime scene?

SuezanneC Baskerville

Forums Rock!

Join date: 22 Dec 2003

Posts: 14,229

12-07-2008 23:24

He means an outline like Cel Shading. It makes things look like a cartoon that's drawn with a thick pen. It's done in SL by using a bug in the way that alpha textures are rendered. There's a tutorial on it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xc4arKZ1jQ .

I don't think there is a way to create such an outline around an avatar.

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Nexii Malthus

[Cubitar]Mothership

Join date: 24 Apr 2006

Posts: 400

12-08-2008 18:19

You could easily do it via sculpties.

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Ceera Murakami

Texture Artist / Builder

Join date: 9 Sep 2005

Posts: 7,750

12-08-2008 19:44

From what I understand of the cel shading trick, it would have to be a full-prim avatar - one where no part of the actual avatar skin is visible, at all.

It's done by making a hollow shape that matches the external prim shape, but is only textured on the inside face. So yeah, if you are REALLY good with sculpties, I suppose you could make a full-prim Human avatar, make the matching inverted hollow shell, and make it just a bit larger, and then come up with an entirely prim wardrobe, since normal clothes won't work on a full-prim avatar...

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Chosen Few

Alpha Channel Slave

Join date: 16 Jan 2004

Posts: 7,496

12-09-2008 00:40

Just for clarification, the twist method for spheres demonstrated in Suzanne's link has nothing to do with any alpha rendering bugs. Notice no alpha textures were applied to the sphere in the video. What's actually happening is a reversal of normals. The extreme twist causes the outside of the sphere to face inward, and the inside to face outward.

That's not the only way to do it, by the way. A more reliable method is simply to put a transparent texture on the outside of any hollow object, set the inside to a solid color such as black, and then put a smaller non-transparent copy of the object inside. The result is what appears to be a solid-colored outline around the smaller object. This works for all shapes, not just spheres, and it doesn't depend on any bugs, so it will always work.

For added effect, set the objects to full-bright to kill in-world lighting effects on them. This will make them look more 2-dimensional.

To create a similar effect for an avatar, one way to do it is to encase the avatar in inside-out scultpies, as has been mentioned. Another is to use a bunch of attached spheres and cylinders to closely follow the avatar's body shape. Hollow them, give their outsides a transparent texture, and their insides a solid color. If you do either method well, the effect can be fairly convincing. It will never be perfect, though, since the attachments can't flex and morph the way the avatar body does as it animates, and since you can't full-bright an avatar.

Avatar Outline?
Rayner Exonar Registered User Join date: 14 Nov 2008 Posts: 1	12-07-2008 22:01 Hi, I was wondering is there a way to make an Outline for an Avatar? I have read the "Cell Shading" posts here, but they seem to be for working on Prims. I'm working on my Avatar that is not made of Prims... Thanks, Rayner.
Rolig Loon Not as dumb as I look Join date: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 2,482	12-07-2008 23:00 Outline? You mean like the chalk outline at a crime scene?
SuezanneC Baskerville Forums Rock! Join date: 22 Dec 2003 Posts: 14,229	12-07-2008 23:24 He means an outline like Cel Shading. It makes things look like a cartoon that's drawn with a thick pen. It's done in SL by using a bug in the way that alpha textures are rendered. There's a tutorial on it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xc4arKZ1jQ . I don't think there is a way to create such an outline around an avatar. _____________________ - So long to these forums, the vBulletin forums that used to be at forums.secondlife.com. I will miss them. I can be found on the web by searching for "SuezanneC Baskerville", or go to http://www.google.com/profiles/suezanne - http://lindenlab.tribe.net/ created on 11/19/03. Members: Ben, Catherine, Colin, Cory, Dan, Doug, Jim, Philip, Phoenix, Richard, Robin, and Ryan -
Nexii Malthus [Cubitar]Mothership Join date: 24 Apr 2006 Posts: 400	12-08-2008 18:19 You could easily do it via sculpties. _____________________ Geometric Library, for all your 3D maths needs. https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Geometric Creator of the Vertical Life Client
Ceera Murakami Texture Artist / Builder Join date: 9 Sep 2005 Posts: 7,750	12-08-2008 19:44 From what I understand of the cel shading trick, it would have to be a full-prim avatar - one where no part of the actual avatar skin is visible, at all. It's done by making a hollow shape that matches the external prim shape, but is only textured on the inside face. So yeah, if you are REALLY good with sculpties, I suppose you could make a full-prim Human avatar, make the matching inverted hollow shell, and make it just a bit larger, and then come up with an entirely prim wardrobe, since normal clothes won't work on a full-prim avatar... _____________________ Sorry, LL won't let me tell you where I sell my textures and where I offer my services as a sim builder. Ask me in-world.
Chosen Few Alpha Channel Slave Join date: 16 Jan 2004 Posts: 7,496	12-09-2008 00:40 Just for clarification, the twist method for spheres demonstrated in Suzanne's link has nothing to do with any alpha rendering bugs. Notice no alpha textures were applied to the sphere in the video. What's actually happening is a reversal of normals. The extreme twist causes the outside of the sphere to face inward, and the inside to face outward. That's not the only way to do it, by the way. A more reliable method is simply to put a transparent texture on the outside of any hollow object, set the inside to a solid color such as black, and then put a smaller non-transparent copy of the object inside. The result is what appears to be a solid-colored outline around the smaller object. This works for all shapes, not just spheres, and it doesn't depend on any bugs, so it will always work. For added effect, set the objects to full-bright to kill in-world lighting effects on them. This will make them look more 2-dimensional. To create a similar effect for an avatar, one way to do it is to encase the avatar in inside-out scultpies, as has been mentioned. Another is to use a bunch of attached spheres and cylinders to closely follow the avatar's body shape. Hollow them, give their outsides a transparent texture, and their insides a solid color. If you do either method well, the effect can be fairly convincing. It will never be perfect, though, since the attachments can't flex and morph the way the avatar body does as it animates, and since you can't full-bright an avatar.

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Avatar Outline?