Old Farts Guide to Create Mode

 

This is a down and dirty and to the issues guide for those devs who are already skilled in the Previewer to ease their transition into the new in client Create Mode. If you haven’t used the Previewer this won’t make much sense, you should instead check out IMVU’s create mode guides if just beginning.

 

I will not be explaining how to use Create Mode as IMVU has already penned some comprehensive guides on its use. Instead I will be focusing on the stumbling issues folks will have transitioning to the new system.

 

What is Create Mode?

 

Create Mode is the new in client version of the Previewer, you access Create mode by logging into the client and clicking the Create option. Create contains most of the same functionality as the Previewer had as well as some new and very useful extras we never had before.

 

Why did they make create mode instead of just fixing the Previewer?

 

The Previewer’s code was so broken that fixing one thing would break ten other things in the process. Long term it was a better use of developments time to just scrap the old broken system and start fresh

 

Having the Previewer run on a separate client meant that it would always be out of sync with what the client was doing, making the issue of products being fine in the Previewer but broken in the client always a problem.

 

Having creating in the client allows for greater product security. While no system will be foolproof it is supposed to be a lot more difficult to rip other’s assets in the new system that the old. (content rippers have proven this otherwise)

 

Part One, Significant Changes

Changes that are at the core all new or dramatically different than what you are used to.

 

Creating Status

 

A great change that came with Create Mode’s development is the ‘Creating’ status. The first thing you’ll want to do when log in to work is change your status to ‘Creating’. You will not be bothered with invites and those inviting you will receive a message that you are in creating so they won’t feel you are ignoring them. You will still get a log of missed chats on your IMVU website dashboard.

 

Know the Fees and Derivability BEFORE you begin

 

With Create mode when you input a PID to derive from it will let you know how much that item is going to cost, and if or if not that item is derivable. If its not derivable it will not let you open it.

 

A side effect of this is you will no longer be able to look at others products in Create mode unless it is available for deriving. Now with ‘Try It’ for Rooms and Furniture live in client this is less of an issue as far as just wanting to look at stuff, but this also means it will be next to impossible to troubleshoot others problems for them as you wont be ale to look at their settings. Positive side is that this also means if you worked real hard to get some setting just so another dev can’t just open you product up and peek under the hood and copy your settings.

 

Inventory Access

 

Quick access to everything in your inventory including clothing, actions, poses, rooms, furniture and even your saved outfits. Because you are literally in the client every product you have access to in the client becomes available to you via your standard inventory at the bottom of the window. This function replaces the Previewer’s Scene Manager.

 

A side effect of this you can no longer try anything on or use a room that you do not own when product making/testing.

 

Your personal inventory replaces the Scene manager

 

Addition of the temp .chkn file

 

Any temporary file saved to your local machine will now be saved as a .chkn vs a .cfl. This was done as part of the new security features. When you click to upload it will be converted to a cfl.

 

The submission page is now separate form product page editing.

 

When you submit a pop up will appear to add the basic information needed for the product. One the product is submitted you can then create the product by using the ‘add html’ link at the bottom of the product page. This will bring up the submission page you are used too using.

Easy Access to Product Assets

 

When you start a project Create mode will create a directory on your local machine for all the assets you are adding to your project. When in the editor these can be accessed via the folder icon in toe top toolbar. Your assets will automatically be extracted this way.

This is also the folder you will use to place any additional files you need to add to a product, such as Flash xmls

 

For easy product assets access click on the folder to get to them all instead of extracting them one at a time.

 

XRFs are no more. (unless you want them)

 

XRFs are the texture info files the Previewer used, now that info is all done behind the scenes. If you want to add opacity all you do now is click and it is enabled, if you don’t want it just delete it and it goes away. (remember not all products were deigned for opacity so the same limits on use apply)

 

If you need custom xrfs or to reorder a parent product’s xrfs you can activate seeing them in the client. Go to ‘Settings’ and Create and you will see a check box to turn them on.

 

Add Actor

 

Add Actor is accessed on the Debug tab.

 

Add Actor opens a new tab in which you can control a second avie

 

 

This is a huge improvement over the add a second avie of the Previewer. With Add Actor you can literally be two avatars at once. The new actor has its own tab at the top of the interface, select that and you are driving it just as you would your own avie, dress it  up, move it to any seat you want, do any in client moods or actions you may need.

 

This is primary a boon for meshers who need more than one avatar to properly test couple seat alignments and catcher and pitcher node placement (which was impossible to do before without uploading, passing PR, and then testing with a second account.)

 

Play Animation WORKS!

 

A long time handicap for meshers and animators is that one of the very broken Previewer functions was the ability to play room and furniture animations. In create mode Play Animation works as intended.

 

Particles

 

Particles have No IMVU Support! Boo BOOOO I say!

 

IMVU has decided to shelf particles, but lucky for us some savvy creators though trial and error have been able to figure them out in spite of IMVUs lazyness. If your a code geek here is the forum psot on thier findings. 'Particles for Dummies'

 

 

Part Two, User Interface Changes

 

Changes while visually look a lot different at the core work exactly the same as it used to, it just looks different.

 

Create Landing Page

 

The Create page is your dashboard, it has the same function as the File menu of the Previewer. In addition to that it all has your credit balance information, dev status information.

 

This Screen Replaces the File Menu

 

The Editor

 

This is the new in client tab that opens when you open an item to edit. The Editor is what the Previewer itself was. You can have more than one Editor open at a time. IMVU made the choice to keep the color theme per area the same to aid in the transition.

 

The Editor Tab is the Previewer

 

Config Tab

 

This is the new Special tab (yellow) most everything works the same here. In addition to the numbers Fog and Lighting also have color sliders now. A new things is that Prop settings have been enabled on furniture items now, so you can now auto sync furniture items.

 

Not much different here, just new fog and lighting sliders and prop sync for furniture.

 

Meshes Tab

 

This tab combines the Materials tab (was white now purple) and the Geometry tab (green) into one. The top section is the geometry (mesh)  the bottom section is the materials (textures) While this all works exactly the same (sans the removal of xrfs) its layout is very different and confusing at first.

 

The Materials tab and the Geometry tab have been combined into one

 

For Meshers: If just replacing a xmf use the add xmf white button. If needing to add more than one mesh, click on the add button in the grey area up top and it will add a new ID, then use the add xmf to add the file to that ID. Multiple mesh IDs will appear vertically along that top slider.

 

For Texturers: Select the first mesh on the green area and its materials will appear below. The triangle and vertices count that used to be on the geometry tab will show above so it’s easy to see the weight (lag) of a product.

 

On the left column you now have a visual preview of the textures used instead of just numbers. Click on one of them and to the right that material’s assets will appear. Texture assets looks and functions much the same but now you can add opacity just by clicking the add button and then applying your texture. Material Parameters and Animation Settings are exactly the same.

 

If the product has more than one mesh part, go back up top to select the next piece and repeat.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: With the removal of the xrf also came the removal of the ability of a mesher to use the same texture on multiple parts and have that load automatically for you. While it now may be very tempting to use a different texture in every slot be very mindful that if your product may become too big. When at all possible maintain the doubling up on texture files to keep your final product size low. Using the same texture in multiple slots will only count as one texture towards the KB weight.

 

Assets Tab

Pretty much the same.

 

Debug Tab

Mostly the same but with the addition of the Add Actor fiction.

 

No Scene Manager tab

As mentioned earlier the Scene manager is no more, its core function has been replaced with having access to your personal inventory.

 

No more Advanced and Basic Mode.

Everyone now sees all the same options.

 

Apply Changes, Save and Upload

These are visually different but work mostly the same. They are all up top and will light up yellow when that option becomes available to you.

 

 

Apply Changes Makes your edits appear in the window

 

Save saves the product you are working on (for submission if new or resubmission if an edit),

 

‘Save As’ will make it into a new product (for submission only)

 

As mentioned before these saved temp files are now .chkn and not .cfls.

 

Upload opens your internet browser and sends you to the standard uploaded page (the submission page and process will be fundamentally changing at a later date)  As of now resubmission via overwriting an existing PID is not available.

 

This Old Farts Opinion

 

While I like where they are going I’m utterly frustrated with the loss of some core functions that were truly useful.

 

Gone Are

 

Being able to help folks by looking at their product’s settings.

Being able to look at suspected stolen products to see the asset’s.

 

Added Cool Features that I truly love

Add Actor

Working Animations

More intuitive to learn for new users