What the heck are these?!

abstract avatars! are miniature robotic avatars! They are designed to be very low-lag, have negligible impact on the sim you're in, and generally avoid many of the problems other attachment-based avatars face when wandering around Second Life.

 

How are they low-lag?

Unlike other avatars, abstract avatars! don't rely on complicated scripts, overuse of prims or huge textures on small surfaces. To make your avatar so small a single, simple script is used that works completely differently from an average animation override (which typically makes queries to the simulator several hundred times a second to find out what you're doing!); the script simply makes one call when you wear the avatar, and releases that call when you remove it. Prim usage is low, generally less than a hundred prims- that's less than prim hair or an individual shoe! Textures are small in file size (which helps on bandwidth and viewer lag) and used to accent the prim detail. All aspects of the avatar are designed with lag in mind.

 

How do I use them?

When you purchase an avatar you will receive a box. Just rez this box on the ground (drag it from your inventory onto the floor) and left-click it. Choose the option "Copy To Inventory." It is recommended that you also take the box as well to serve as a full backup of your avatar in case anything happens to the one you use; however all avatars are copyable as well. Once you choose "Copy To Inventory" you will see a folder in the root of your inventory named after the avatar you've purchased. For best results drag the full folder onto your body; this will ensure that all skins, shapes and body parts are replaced with the abstract avatars! avatar.

All avatars come with a skin, shape, and various body parts as well as a scripted main object that serves as the actual avatar. The body parts are simply used to make your body as least intrusive on the avatar as possible.

 

Why don't they look like the pictures?

While attempts have been made to take vendor artwork and screenshots with general "real world" settings, graphics may differ from person to person and depend entirely on your particular computer and graphics card. Off the bat the easiest setting you can enable is "Bump Mapping and Shiny." In the Second Life viewer go to Edit > Preferences > Graphics and check that box (you may need to check Custom first to see this option). This will enable the metallic effect that you see in the photos. Beyond that recommended settings are Mid or higher. abstract avatars! takes no responsibility for avatars that do not appear "normal" because of a customer's graphics settings.

 

Why don't they work with my Zhao, collar, scripted shoes, etc etc?

With certain exceptions most scripted objects that handle an animation override (like scripted shoes with a walk or AOs) will not work correctly while wearing an avatar. This is due to the way the avatars are constructed to squish your shape into such a compact form. For best results just drag the avatar folder onto yourself, which will ensure you aren't wearing any other scripted objects that might conflict with the avatar itself. There is no way at this time to correct such conflicts. Please be aware that I can only provide limited support on explaining why certain things won't work with your avatar, and I am not responsible for conflicts with other residents' products.

 

Why do they conflict with my flight assist?

All avatars have their own built-in flight assist script which will enable you to move vertically higher than the 200m skybox. As with other animation overrides other scripted flight assists might conflict with the avatar in various ways. For best results ensure that you simply drag the avatar folder onto your body so you aren't wearing any other attachments. If it's very necessary for whatever reason that you use your own flight assist please see the answer "What do I do if I still need help?" below for support in receiving a model of your avatar without the script included. Please understand that this will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

 

What permissions do your avatars have?

Unless otherwise noted all avatars and accessories are COPY, MOD, NO TRANSFER. Unfortunately no arrangements will be made for any resident interested in purchasing an avatar with different permissions.

 

What is your return policy?

As all items are sold with copy permissions, all sales are final. If you have questions about an avatar beforehand that cannot be determined from this site, the FAQ or in-world notecards, please contact Joshua Nightshade for further help. If an item goes missing reasonable efforts will be made to replace them for customers. However your safest bet, and the fastest way to replace items without contacting an employee, is to save the box your avatar/accessories came in. This will enable you to restore a brand new version of your lost items on your own instantly. And as all products come with updates this box is necessary to receive future versions.

 

I purchased something and Second Life took my money but gave me no product. Help!

All items that are lost because of Second Life glitches will be replaced as soon as possible for no extra cost. For instructions on contacting someone for support please see the last item, "What do I do if I still need help?" below.

 

How do I get help for an item received as a gift?

In order to obtain support for items purchased as a gift you MUST keep the gift voucher you were given for the item. As gift sales do not show up in the transaction history the same way direct sales do there is no way of verifying that an item was actually purchased without this voucher. As such there will be absolutely NO support provided for residents who have not saved this voucher. We apologize for any inconvenience this policy causes. If you do have your voucher simply send it to Joshua Nightshade along with your service IM and it will be taken care of promptly. Please check the answer "What do I do if I still need help?" below for instructions on creating a service IM.

 

How can I purchase an avatar for a friend?

There are two ways to purchase avatars as gifts. As all products are NO TRANSFER it is necessary to follow these methods because you cannot simply "give" an avatar to another resident. No refunds or exchanges will be made for avatars accidentally meant to be purchased for someone else. The simplest method is to purchase the avatar you want through OnRez and have it delivered to your friend quickly and easily. If you don't have an OnRez account you can purchase gift vouchers for most products in-world. Look for the "gift this avatar" box next to the avatar you want to purchase. Then simply give the contents of the folder to your friend. Be sure you give them all included notecards as they need these to understand that all gift vouchers must be retained if any sort of customer service is necessary in the future.

 

How do I use a gift voucher?

Simply rez the voucher in-world and left-click on it. Within seconds you will receive an inventory offer from the gift server containing your boxed avatar. Rez this box and left-click on it as normal.

 

How do I get new updates?

All abstract avatars! products now come with free updates for life. Simply keep the box your product came with and periodically rez it in-world to check for new versions. Also, updates will be posted to our official blog as they come out.

 

I love your avatars and want to offer you vendor space, a mall spot, etc etc...

While the offer and derivative compliments are certainly appreciated, abstract avatars! is not looking for vendor space or profit shares at any other locations. If this changes in the future an announcement will be made on this site. Thank you for your consideration.

 

Can I get your avatar in a different color, different size, with custom textures, etc etc...

As it is difficult to accommodate all custom requests, these will be taken on a case-by-case basis. Most requests for any changes to avatars from generation1 (as it is a retired, discounted line of products) will be denied. For fully featured avatars and further support please consider one of the other product lines. These feature the ability to custom color nearly all facets of a product.

As almost all avatars are now mod-enabled, you don't need to contact us to make your own changes! Be sure to create a backup copy of your avatar in case you make a mistake. For all other requests, please understand that accommodating them are very time consuming and most will be refused. If you have questions about an avatar before you purchase it please see below on the best way to contact someone for support and questions beforehand. Thank you for your consideration.

 

Will you make me a custom avatar?

As it is difficult to accommodate all custom requests, these will be taken on a case-by-case basis. All requests for content that is trademarked or copy written (videogame characters, etc) will be denied. Furthermore only custom requests that are in the same vein of products already available in-world will be considered. The focus of abstract avatars! is unique and interesting miniature robots, so please keep this in mind before you make a request for something else. See below on the best way to contact someone to arrange a consultation; for faster responses include your design idea and price considerations in your initial IM.

 

What do I do if I still need help?

If you cannot find your answer from in-world notecards or this FAQ, simply contact Joshua Nightshade for further help. If your question is of a service nature, for fastest responses please send an IM with your transaction number for the avatar you've purchased. To find your transaction number go to http://secondlife.com/account and then Transaction History. All transactions within 30 days will be available. It is NOT necessary to send a notecard along with your request the first time. While IMs do cap, all IMs to Joshua Nightshade are also emailed to a support database and will not be lost. If you haven't received a response within a day or two then feel free to send another IM or notecard. Along with your transaction number please specify whether you purchased the avatar from one of the boxes on the wall, OnRez, or a vendor machine as this detail will aid tremendously in tracking down your sales record. Please be patient and understand that while every attempt will be made to get in touch and solve your issue as soon as possible, guarantees cannot be made due to possible unforeseen circumstances. But you will NOT be ignored.