Best Building Tool

Hi everyone. I'm not a very good builder and I'm terrible at aligning prims. I've looked over Skidz Primz and Virtual Builder Studio Pack and I still have no idea what to buy to help me out.

Can I have some advice please?

Thanks.

I have Prim Docker. I'm pretty happy with it. But I only use it for big builds that I want to get done in a hurry. Even then, I'll probably end up tweaking a few pieces by hand.

To me, and I have tried them all, the best and most efficient tools you can have are the ones you are born with. Learn to use them and you can build as fast as switching from special tool to special tool. I have noticed that some of the available tools have some less than desireable quirks like adding additional prims and moving them in a strange way, some do this and some do that, nothing does it all. The learning curve on the ones you can buy is sometime longer than the amount of time you would save by using them. The only tool that I use consistantly is a texture aligner (IM me if you wanna know which one.) That just saves a lot of time. All in all, the best advice from someone that has built a lot of things is save your cash...run what ya brung....(the linden tools)

Practice, practice, practice

Your imagination

AND - the Ivory Tower of Primitives.

Thanks everyone for your advice. Can someone please let me in on the secret of perfectly aligning prims? I know about the copy prim tick box in the build menu, but what if I am trying to join the flat faces of say a box and a cylinder?

It's very simple actualy if you know how to add numbers.
The best tecnique to position/align prims is using the XYZ boxes in the Edit Object tab instead of using the RGB arrows.

This is what I do when for example if I want to align two 0.5,0.5,0.5 boxes in X position:

*Rezz a standard box
*If it is in an odd position like 127.214 I change it, let's say to: 130, a clear and round number, that will help to align easily.
*Make a copy draggin X arrow and holding shift.
*Change X position of the object copy to 130.5 and they are aligned.

Both boxes are size 0.5 so if one is at position 130 the other one to be perfectly aligned must be at 130.5 (130 + 0.5). If they were size 1 (130 + 1 = 131).

There are other cases of aligning of course, If you have doubts IM me.

Gah! The grid! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k-XoIPycm8

take the time to visit the Ivory Tower of Primitives and learn.

Id say what most here have said.. learn it. It is invaluable to be able to do everything WITHOUT resident made tools. (Not including sculpties)

I've been able to do everything I need without a tool because I took the time to learn how. A while back I was looking to hire someone for my business, another builder, and I asked them to align some things essentially perfectly and they failed to do it.. in every aspect. That saddened me immensely honestly. If you love to build, take the time to learn to do it right. Once you get it down, it's really quite easy, so try it

The ivory tower library of primitives is the 'tool' you need. Helps you learn lots.. was useful to me, and i still visit it sometimes to see if they've added anything, or to make sure I remember it all.

Have fun and good luck!

i second that advice. There aer several good tutorials on You Tube on how to align your prims.

Trust the Grid, Luke.

Hello all, by far the best tools of the trade are your eyes and a calculator..save your money and just practice. I have used prim docker and it was more hassle than help to me. Just pay attention to your axis numbers in the object box and you will be fine, that is all these tools do for you. It will make you a better builder in the long run as well...Have Fun!!!

Calculator..calcu..OH! One o' them new-fangled addin machines! OK.. no.. Im too young to say that...

Usually what I find is people try to do the math in their head, which can be downright frustrating if you aren't working with whole-number-sized prims.

Best tool ever, would be the calculator that comes with either a Mac or Windows machine right off the bat (Linux too? iono...)

In case you didnt know, at least with windows, you can paste a number into the default calculator app, and copy the result from it as well, that way there is no awkward 'typing it in right' with two windows.

To paste INTO it, highlight the position or size or rot in SL, and hit ctrl+c. Now switch over to the calc, and hit ctrl+v. This pastes it directly in, easy enough. Then once you have your result, while still in calc, just hit ctrl+c, no highlighting needed. Then ctrl+v it into the slot you need it in in SL!

TADA!

Probably pretty much the same on a Mac

I use prim.docker, it is nearly always on my window. I even sometimes
sleep wiht it.. yes.. I have and I can use my eyes and the ciffers and
the calculator, i does that to figure out right prim sizes.. But the fastes
do the right job tool is (for me) Prim.Docker. I have tryes skidz prims
and Virtueal Builder, they are waste of Linden in my mind.
I think it is importen to align prim as exact as posibel... It looks and
are bad to be in buildings where the prim flickers or there are gab.

Bertram Merlin

SL's best builder..

a toothpick (ASM joke)

I have about less than four months learning and developing for SL......today, here's what I come to be http://shop.onrez.com/Gusher_Castaignede

At first I started learning in SandBoxes, but then later I needed quiet private place to work and continue my learning so I bought my private land where I can concentrate without griefers bothering.

It really takes practice and dedication, don't waste time chatting with friends....waste your time learning. Study and take inworld courses, learn how other builders make their creations, read articles about building in SL, get books on Second Life Development.