Take Control! (of that ‘do!)

While I never learned to build much in SL, I did, however, learn how to mod the snot out of things. I’m just vain enough that when it comes to hair or prims on my avi, I want them to be just right.  Hair especially irks me when it goes through my nose or ear, or just looks somehow wrong. Here’s how to mod hair a piece at a time. (I’m no expert, and I don’t play one on IW. This is just how I roll. Your mileage may suck.)

The hair I started with, from Emo-tions. (the style is called Myst)

And while it’s perfectly adorable, it moves a lot and covers my face, and it’s far too big for my head.

So I modified it. I’m not talking about stretching it, or making my head bigger or smaller to fit the hair. I’m talking about grabbing small sections of the hair and moving them to where I want them to be.

First things first- make a copy! In fact, make 2 or 3! Inworldz is glitchorama, you never know when you’ll crash in the middle of editing something, nor what you’ll have when you come back. But don’t, for the love of all that’s good, edit your hair without first making a copy. (I use Imprudence, easy peasy to right click copy/paste right back into the same folder.) Then I rename the one on my head, so I know it’s the modded version. (Modded is too a word.) And I never, ever, under any circumstances, purchase hair that is no mod.

Next things next, stand on a pose stand. In SL I’d edit my hair anywhere the mood strikes me, but in IW, things move at odd times or just drop through the ground, so a pose stand is your friend. There’s no shame in using one! Especially for something as important as your hair! (Can I get a witness? Hair! important!) Pose stands are free all over the land, or IM me inworld and I’ll happily send you one. Also turn off your AO just to be safe.

So you’re all stick personed out on your pose stand, now you right click and edit your hair while it’s on your head.

You’ll look like me, only different. Click the box next to Edit Linked Parts.

(And while you’re there go to the Textures Tab, and if Full Bright is checked, UNcheck it! Why why why do designers make hair Full Bright? Eww!)

Then, click on a piece of hair, any piece will do.

One little hair prim is now highlighted, or selected. On your screen, you’ll have the green, red and blue positioning arrows. You can now use those to move that wee hair prim. Or, if you want to make just that piece smaller or larger, use Stretch (Ctrl Shift). When you get that rogue hair fixed, move on to the next one by simply clicking on it.

And when you get all your hair prims where you want them, simply close the edit window, and then- don’t forget this step!- “Detach” the hair. Now it’s in your inventory, and it’s easy to find because you renamed it, right? The  detaching saves all of your changes. Pop that hair back on your cute little head and continue on your merry way feeling all happy because you not only look perfect, but you did it yourself! Right? (Work with  me here.)

Here’s the hair after I mucked with it:

Full discloser: I also unchecked the “Edit Linked Parts” boxed and then used Stretch to resize this hair slightly smaller to fit my head. I recommend doing this before you move prim parts around.

And, since I’m here:

Skin: yup, still Pulse.

Shape: yup, still my own. I’m this close to being happy with it.

Hair: Emo-tion

Pants: Boho Designs

Tank: part of a shirt from Snowpaw Designs

Overshirt: umm, eek, I have to go back and look! I’ll let ya know.

These pants make my ass look baggy.