How to Find Basic Info on Building a Low Prim Home?

Hi! Yet another newbie question you're all probably sick of! I apologize in advance!

I'd like to learn how to build a low prim house for a 1024 lot. I have no experience whatsoever with ANY building. I'm wondering where to go to get the basic building information (other than the less than overwhelming Linden sources). These forums are helpful, but the sticky subjects aren't helpful to me at this point. For example, what tools are needed? Are there software programs that can be used, and then the house uploaded into SL? Please forgive my ignorance.

I'm having a very hard time finding a home I like. I have one right now, but the quality is rather poor. The seams are driving me nuts! So far my favorite source is BLIP/Ace's Spaces prefabs. I know other newbies who bought their first home from there. Like the quality of the homes, but I personally prefer something a little less modern looking (clarification: less industrial looking. I like modern!). It's just a style thing. But other places I've gone make me feel RL claustrophobic! I want a little more flair than a basic box. I would like high ceilings. Any suggestions? Thanks!

unfortunately, there exists no (low prim) way to import something from a 3D program like 3DS max to SL. the way the importer for blender works (I think it's blender anyways) is by rezzing lots of small prims to make a given shape. same goes for the bezzier curve creator.

that said, given your lack of building experience I guess you wouldnt be after something complicated like a 3D modelling package!

the only viable tools you have are those building tools native to SL, in-world.

you're on the right track though, looking at existing houses, find bits you like, emulate them, and get playing with the shapes and see what you can come up with!

have a visit to the ivory tower of prims, and get building your ideal home

or, you could make a post in the "products wanted" forum, and get someone to build one for you, but I've no idea how much that'd cost to be honest!

Well, you could try mine. They are at Chez Petite in my Picks

But one thing I would suggest is that you by a copy/mod prefab and unlink it. Then use it to start learning how houses are put together and what tricks and shapes those of us who build low-prim homes use.

My low-prim methods are really, really different than my big build ones.

Thanks Dominguez! I just came from the Ivory Tower. It was a little crazy there, so I just got all the notecards.

I've been experimenting with the shapes. So far I've made a couch, and 2 chairs. Not too bad! Found a good texture place where I could buy them singly (Esprit Decor). I guess that's a start. *sigh* If only the griefers (Correct term? Anti-French election or something???) would stop filling my property with huge boxes with slogans. That would be a start! So far....the first land thing is a nightmare.

Thanks Sabrina! Great idea about the unlinking. I'll do that. I'll have a look around Chez Petite. Didn't know you did prefabs. I've already been to your store. You were kind enough to modify the fabrics on your pillows for me.

Thanks for your replies!

if they're persistantly pestering you, you can report them. there is a land setting that you can set so that it auto returns other peoples stuff after x seconds, or you may be able to disallow building on your land at all unfortunately, I dont have any land so I wouldnt know where these options are! but they're out there, have a look through your menues and you'll find 'em.


as for textures, there are looooads of free textures you can get your hands on, just head to places such as... *tries to remember some free places* urrg. complete mental block (!)

try "freebie heaven" "freebie warehouse" "freebies dungeon" etc, there's lots & lots.

Thanks! Have gotten some free textures that are decent. I just wanted to know where to go for something specific. I've retextured most of my house, but that doesn't get rid of the faults Oh well. I'll keep on trying to build!

I've set my land so that no one can build, no one can fly, and only certain avatars have access. Makes me feel a little unfriendly....but it's better than having this done again. I did report the abuse. Not only that, but I saw them doing it, took snapshots of them doing it, and wrote down their avatar names. I then sent the pics to all the land owners affected so they could also report it. Figured multiple complaints would get the Lindens' attention. Must of worked. It was all gone today. *sigh* Hopefully things will go better from now on.

Just turn off push and building. You can ban anyone who's a jerk immediately. I set mine to allow rezzing but auto return in five. That works fine for me. Of course I'm in a good neighborhood where my land is surrounded by friends so that helps too.

for 1 ,dont be ashamed at asking a noobie question... this is what the forums are for =)
ehh i think we only dislike the questions that have been answered numerous times o,o...

N e who some advice : make sure to use the scale,stay away from making steps, size things before u just make it.. annnnnnd o,o ehhh.. any other questions just ask me ingame =)

yea that's really usefull. I recently build my first house on my 2048 lot. But not only i had to watch the prim count (since i wanted quite some furniture in), but also the height. Since it's a nice tropical neighbourhood there's some rules about the max height of the building, and the minimal distance from the edge of your land etc. etc. I got it in the end, and it turned up pretty good if you ask me

The glitches at the joins of prims can be a nightmare, I agree there. Snapping, typing out exact coordinates, lots of things I tried so far, but those thin lines just stay there. I understood that the best way to solve it is to try remove any texture, mapping, everything from the faces where the 2 prims match, and just give those faces a color close to the textures on the visible surfaces. I still have to try it though.

In smaller buildings you may want to use hollowed out cubes, possibly with some cutting instead of seperate corners and walls. I sometimes even put a hollowed cube on a side, cutting away only the bottom side when needed, leaving 2 walls and a ceiling in a single prim. The maximum size of a cube is 10*10*10, and with 95% hollowed out, this would give you rather thick walls. But that's a very fair tradeof for reducing 3-4 prims to only 1. You won't be able to put doors into these walls though, but placing large detailed textures over them can still give the impression of windows if you want that and have the windows included in the texture.

Best tip I can give for building is the edge copy of prims. For many constructions it's great, quick, perfect alignment and no prim flicker.

My terrace of houses on the docks at 'Grange' are an example, the tavern next to it also an example although did have to tweak the floors a little due to prim flicker. (not my best building).

Prim flicker occurs for one of a few reasons. The render engine is attempting to determine which texture to show the viewer. Texture flicker will occur when a prim is not aligned exactly with its adjacent couterpart, or when there are different textures (most normally lighter or even blank) on adjacent edges (the two opposing sides of a pair of square prims placed aside one another, for example), or transparency on these same edges/sides, or when two or more prims compete for attention, as in they are located at the same coordinates and take turns being displayed by the engine.

The simplest method of alleviating this flicker is two-fold; ensure the edges which are hidden and butted together are neither blank, light colored nor transparent, and placed exactly edge to edge. The second method is to change the color of the opposing (hidden) faces butted together to black.

IM me in world if you have any further questions, it is always a pleasure to assist someone with building techniques.

Prince Gabriel of Castle Darkrose at Darkrose Island.

Great info! Thanks!

Hey, I was just wondering (as this is kind of on the topic of low prim buildings).

A while ago in SL, one of my friends mentioned something when I was complaining about me wanting to use 50 million prims. Apparently there is some sort of *thing* you can buy where it kind of amalgamates your prims....so basically it actually lowers your prim count.

Does that make sense? And if so, can anyone tell me where I can get one please? Thanks

Maddy,

I think you're talking about temp rezzers. My understanding of them is that they work but it puts a strain on the the sim due to its nature. I think they just rez your object and kills it every few minutes or so. I've never used one since someone told me that put a strain on the server and could cause lag. *shrug*

You can sit and watch the time dilation tank on a sim in sequence with temp rezzers respawning. Nobody gives a damn, though, so it's purely down to your sense of fair play whether you use them.

if your land can accommodate them - use the 20x20 prim for floors and walls. I cant remember where I got mine and I'm not in-world at the moment but if you are interested IM me or my hsuband Andru DuCasse (tell him I sent you). It's a great prim and can be cut in half to make a 10x20 prim as well - work out the prims savings right there