IMVU Tutorial links

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Developing Questions

I have not been developing that long, started in January 2007. I knew how to use Photoshop a little and had watched ppl making webpages. I think my most proud moment on IMVU was when I finally worked out how to change my homepage background!. The first item you make will be the hardest, because making it is only 1 part of about 10 you need to do. The actual deriving part is easy, then you need to submit your product to IMVU and get it to show up in the catalog. However once you get the hang of this its relatively easy depending on what products you make. Since I'm still very much learning myself I think the best thing I can do to help anyone is just give you some links to some really helpful and experienced IMVU users.

All developing questions should go in the Content Creator forums

Taunt.com Video Tutorials!

Make your own hair textures!

Top tutorials IMVU

Other imvu tutorial links ( I Grabbed these from the forums )

There are many others as well, these are just ones that I have used, or have inspired me. 95% of what I have needed to learn though has come from myself just diving in and giving it ago and trying to work things out myself, IMVU have it all setup to make things as easy as possible, sort of like redoing your home page, takes a bit of time at first, but then it becomes easy. If someone tells you how to do something you forget it in 30 minutes where as if you work it out yourself you never forget.

Here are some of the more easy items to derive from, when you starting these are great to learn from.

The E.Z. Tee this links to the girls version, guys click on this link this tee shirt is simple You only need one 256x256 image. Full instructions are on the page. Go on have a go make yourself a tee shirt!!!

And before you make anything ask yourself the most important question: How are you going to promote your products?

The below text is from the main tutorials thread in the IMVU developer forums for the latest version please check the IMVU forums This is a very big list and covers everything, if your new keep to the ones above, this is more if you want to do something and have no idea

Questions & Answers - Read These Before Anything Else
1. What's a developer token ?

A developer token is worth 10 credits towards submitting more items or shoutouts. You earn these either by reselling stickers from your home page [ Someone buys the sticker and got the link from your home page ], or if somebody purchases your items with promotional credits. You CANNOT trade these tokens, or do anything else with them EXCEPT purchase shoutouts and use them for submission fees.

2. Does it cost to submit items ?

Yes. It cost to submit items. There will be a deprivation fee as well as a submission fee for all items you submit. The deprivation fee will vary in price, and the submission fee will be 500 regardless... except for st ickers, which only cost 100 to submit.

3. What exactly is the deprivation and submission Fee?

The submission fee is basically a fee that IMVu charges you for submitting the item. They have to host the item on their servers and you are basically paying to have it hosted on the site, you are also paying for your own copy of the item. This is why you do not get a copy of your stickers. You do not get copies of your stickers because there is only a 100 credit submission fee, no deprivation or anything. Ect. A deprivation fee is the fee you pay for using the meshers, or creators, mesh to make an item.

4. What is a mesh ?

A mesh is a 3d design created in programs such as sketchup or Blender. Most people use 3d Max as their program of choice. This mesh provides the client with information on how to display certain areas of the 'avatar' and 'room'. This is the over all basis of the item. Someone who makes meshes is called a mesher.

5. What is a texturer ?

A texturer is someone who recolors, or redesigns using opacity maps and colors t he mesh that someone else has created. You derive from items, and edit the " Texture " of the item to what you think it should look like, then you are able to submit.

6. Limit of file size.

If you are retexturing a product, its combined size cannot be more then 2MB. The best way to figure out how big a object will be, is to highlight all of the included textures and right click them, and select " Properties " it will bring up a box that states how big all of them are combined tougher.

6. How long does it take for submitted items to be approved?

Submitted are sent to a peer review system when they re  uploaded to the server. This can take anywhere from 15 minutes to a few days.

7.If I update a product, how long will it take for the update to show?

If you update a product then it is best to delete your old product file from the products list. ( I'll find a tutorial on how to do that later ). Usually it takes 15 minutes to a few hours for the updated product to go through, however, it may take as long as a week.

8. Does the developer get the item he/she alters/develops for free after its accepted to be released?

The developer gets all the items they develop after they submit them to the catalogue except stickers. When you pay a submission fee and deprivation fee you are basically paying for your own copy, since a sticker does not have a deprivation fee or a large submission fee, you do not get that for 'free' and instead have to buy them.

9. Who sets the items credit cost?

The developer does. It is best to look around at other items simular to your own and make a good judgement on its price from there. If you price it too high or too low, people will either not buy or buy allot. However if it's too low and you go below break even, you will not be earning any profit per sell - but instead loosing profit per sell.

10. Does the developer receive any points or anything besides credit when others buy the items made by the developer?

If the item is bought with promo credits then the developer will receive a developer token which is worth 10 credits towards submissions or shoutouts. If the developers item is purchased with normal credits then the developer will receive normal credits.

11.Can a developer send others items directly made in exchange for credits instead of submitting it to the IMVU first?

No. You have to have the item uploaded to the catalog in order to gift it to anyone.

12. What do I derive from?

When you are ready to develop clothing you should start by deriving from products made by IMVU or meshers. To derive something is to use that persons mesh, opacity map, and texture and alter it to what you want it to look like.

13. Is it okay to set my product to derivable if I've derived from a mesher?

Yes and no. While the option exist, and there is nothing anybody can do to prevent the product from being set to derivable, it is common courteously to set the products to non-derivable. This is because you are using someone else's mesh, and you did not make the mesh. You only made the texture.

14. I have a opacity map I really like, can I set it to derivable?

Yes, in this case it may be okay to set the product to derivable. However, please try to make sure the opacity map completely changes the product...It is also advisable to alert the mesher of your decision to set it to derivable, and ask them if it's okay. You should also include the opacity map with the product you want to make derivable.

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TUTORIALS AND DERIVABLE PRODUCTS
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Below are some links that you may find useful. I will link to other topics that may be useful to you on this forum, as well as websites that contain art tutorials.

Now you may be thinking -- "How will reading about art and drawing help me improve my IMVU products? " The answer is simple. If you learn to draw, learn about shadows, highlights, contours, how to make this and that - ect, you can add more variation and originality to your work and enchant it's presence.

I suggest you study any and all available tutorials related to IMVu, as well as art. Therefore I am posting artistic ideas, websites with art galleries, how to draw links, and many other things below AS WELL as IMVU specific tutorials and links.

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IMVU SPECIFIC TUTORIALS
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[*]Many Of These Tutorials Can Also Be Found In Most of the Stickies In The Developer Section of the IMVU Forum.

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Textures & Misc:
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Keef's Tutorials - Keef's Site. At the top of the page you will see big words.
Click tutorials and it will take you to his tutorial pages. I suggest you do his shirt tutorial before you begin doing anything else
Make Stickers with GIMP - IMVU Tutorial created for gimp users making stickers.
More on Making Stickers - By NaughtyDom
Technique On Making Eyes
Female Bundles - by IMVU
Male Bundles - by IMVU
How To Make A Bundle - by Afina
Making Textured Products - by IMVU
Opacity Maps - by Adrenalynn333
More On Opacity Maps - by WaltzingMouse
Animated Scrolling Textures - by WaltzingMouse
Creating Videos- By Taunt
Creating Skins - by IMVU
Gateway API Reference - By Boogiepanda
Blender Basics

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Tutorials By KittenKat
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#1: How to Become a Developer
http://www.fergusonv.com/imvu/tutorials/tutorial_01.html
#2: Getting to Know the Previewer (E.Z Tee Tutorial)
http://www.fergusonv.com/imvu/tutorials/tutorial_02.html
#3: Intro to Texture Maps (Teddy Bear Tutorial)
http://www.fergusonv.com/imvu/tutorials/tutorial_03.html
#4: Understanding Texture Maps (Dress Tutorial)
http://www.fergusonv.com/imvu/tutorials/tutorial_04.html
#5: Opacity Maps (Skirt Tutorial)
http://www.fergusonv.com/imvu/tutorials/tutorial_05.html
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3D Products. Making Meshes:
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Meshing 3d Accessories - by WaltzingMouse
Make 3D Products - by IMVU
Avatar Actions and other even more advanced products
Composite
Mesh Tutorial - by WaltzingMouse
Make a Complex 3D Product - by IMVU
First Time
Previewer Tips
Making 3d Pets - by WaltzingMouse
Creating 3d Scenes - by WaltzingMouse
Morphing Facial Animations - Atheist
Blender Basics

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Tools And Whatnot
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Templets & Resources:

Old Thread

Exporters

Cal3d 0.9.1 Exporters (all official resources)
Old Thread - This links to the wrong version BTW

Other Tools

Photoshop(not free)
PaintShop Pro (not free)
Gimpshop, based on Gimp(both free)
3D Studio Max (not free)
Milkshape (cheap, but not free)
Blender (free)
Old Thread

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Other Topics That Might Assist You
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If you're having problems with the previewer, go here.
Tips For Developing.
TRADEMARK AND COPYRIGHT.YOU MUST READ THIS.CLICK HERE


Specific Tutorials - These tutorials can be on any subject so please look around. The ones below that are listed by program are sites to tutorials of which I'm not sure on what they teach you.

Gimp

Flash

Illustrator

The following list of sites specialize in giving tutorials on how to use

Illustrator

Cinema 4d

The Following Are Websites That Specialize In Using Cinema 4d

Light Wave

The Following Websites Specialize In Tutorials For LightWave

Rhino 3d

The Following Websites Specialize In Tutorials For Rhino 3d

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3D Studio Max Tutorials

Bryce Tutorials

Flash Tutorials



Image Ready Tutorials

Maya Tutorials

Open Canvas Tutorials

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Paint Shop Pro Tutorials

Photoshop Tutorials

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Random Tutorials

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References
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The Following Links Are Links To Reference Materials 

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On Drawing
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The Following Discuss Drawing

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