Yes, This is Actually a Mesh-Based Avatar in Second Life

Yes, what you're looking at above, realistic and detailed though it may be, is a Second Life avatar, as rendered by the Milan artist known as Graphic Dix. Click here to embiggify, then boggle. And while Mr. Dix did add some post-production touches to the final product, he tells me the main features were shot in-camera in SL, capturing what a mesh-based avatar looks like when shot in dynamic lighting. As he explains it to me:

"I think many hate mesh avatars still," he notes. "Instead, I think it should be the future of SL. When almost everything you wear is made of mesh, there's no reason not to get all the avatar mesh too." That is a good point to make, made far more forcefully by the image above. Though as I said, Dix did add some post-image details; to wit, Photoshopping the tatoo, some detail to the hair, pants, and belt, and some light effects to the atmosphere. However, the rippled apps and chiseled features, set into sharp relief through light and shadow? All SL. Once again, click, embiggen, behold.

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Comments

[Jessi]

The problem I'm seeing with mesh av's, is that their skin tone is noticeably off - Even in the picture above.

Also: that shadow on his left arm makes it look like his arm sheers off into a stub xD

[foneco zuzu]

It could be the future and yet LL will find a way of messing with it as well!

[Hitomi Tiponi]

Very impressive!

[Seven Overdrive]

Looks good. However, I have no interest in wearing a mesh avatar until the shape can be modified by me and the face is able to animate as well as the standard SL avatar can, if not better. Static faces with unblinking, frozen eyes creeps me out.

Also I have no desire to look like a carbon copy of everyone else with only minor differences in hair and clothes to distinguish me from the 1000 other people that bought the same mesh avatar. The ability to modify your shape goes a long way in creating a unique look beyond what can be achieved with only superficial accessories.

Will the mesh deformer thingy being developed possibly allow these mesh bodies and faces to be modified easily with the shape sliders?

[Tracy Redangel]

It's a fantastic image, and really amazing avatar. It's not quite photo realistic because there's some distortion with the left arm's pose. But I'm assuming that's more or less the fault of the default avatar's movement, not the mesh avatar.
I love mesh, I think it's fantastic, but the thing that concerns me about going to a mesh avatar is the level of customization. People want control over those sliders. Most of the mesh avatars I've seen have been lovely, but I don't want to look like a 12 yr old girl or a pixie/elf.
I do have bare mesh feet, and I've even considered mesh hands (LL hands are terrible looking!). I think what is long overdue is a new default avatar with better hands, feet, and improved slider control.

[Adeon Writer]

Mesh eyes can move! They can even blink if the creator makes it that way! People only think it can't because no one really does it yet!

[Seven Overdrive]

I agree with Tracy. LL needs to improve/modernize the default avatar. I think that would be a much better option for me than a mass produced mesh avatar with limited customization options.

[August]

I am, unimpressed. Very visible lines at the shoulders, the hands are not a big improvement. Really, a good skin and shape(but really, it has to be a good skin and proportional shape) will do all of what the picture shows and you'll not have shoulder lines.
I'll pass.

[Metacam Oh]

What you guys don't like the barbie doll hands and feet and 4 eye cringing emotions that you can enact on the face of the current avatars? Why not? :)

[DMC Jurassic]

We just completed an 8 week development for both Male and Female SL compatible mesh assets. We are able work within SL limitations, but what we really need is a more advanced skeleton or the ability to import our own character rig.

Science Fiction.

[Nalates Urriah]

...rippled apps... how much was that app? (couldn't pass it up)

[Yordie Sands]

He's not my type.

Seriously though, seems a little like rubberband man. I'd like to see him in a vid. No, doesn't have to be naked. hehe.

I think my main concern/fear is, Mesh avatars would be like Mesh clothing. In particular, that all the work I put into developing my face and should would be replaced with a standard, out of the box shape. Jus sayin

[Rose]

Sorry, I still don't like mesh ~ avatars, building materials, or clothing.

One reason is that I have worked hard on my appearance, tweaking and tailoring my avatar to be an individual. Just as in real life I wouldn't wear a corset to distort my figure, I don't wish to wear distortions in SL.

Another reason is that the introduction of sculpt maps and mesh have taken the creative reins out of the amateur's hands and given them to those who are near professionals.

We are moving further away from an immersive experience where we create our reality. We are becoming spectators, forced to purchase more "advanced" technology to keep up and afraid to step out on our own creatively.

I realize I'm a VR Ludite, but I prefer to create my own reality rather than have it handed to me. I prefer to participate rather than spectate.

[Sunny]

well said, Rose

[Melissa Yeuxdoux]

I agree with you wholeheartedly on your first point, Rose. Until mesh avatars are as tweakable as the stock avatar (or more so--remember Proposition 125 (old style), or VWR-1258 (new style)!), I don't think they will be that widely adopted. It's like the embarrassment of showing up with the same dress on as someone else, only for your whole body!

As for the other--yes, collaborative in-world creation is the ideal, BUT LL can't afford to roll their own in-world mesh creation system, not compared with groups and companies who have devoted more resources to the UI of their 3D tools than LL ever could. LL can't afford NIH ("Not Invented Here" syndrome). I don't think it ever could, starting with throwing together their own scripting language instead of using one of many existing open source scripting languages that have far more work put into speed, efficiency, documentation, tutorials, and development environments than LL could ever muster.

Creation has never been fully in-world. It's the domain of near professionals who can use Photoshop/GIMP/etc.; Second Life doesn't have an in-world interface that lets you paint objects. Ditto for sounds, and for animations.