Updated on 12.31.20
Hello SecondLifers! For a moment, let us talk about Bakes on Mesh or as some people call it BOM! Many people have heard of it but STILL probably don’t have a clue on what it is or HOW to use it. All I can tell you is that it is f*kcing MAGIC! The person who created/implemented it should be awarded. Honestly I love the crap out of it and really don’t want to go back to appliers. For the longest time I had no clue how to do it and would have given my left arm for a simple guide like this. Thankfully my partner held my hand and walked me through it but it still took me a while to understand what the f*kc I was doing! So, I will try and make this as painless as possible.
First off, let me explain what it is. Because I know a lot of you have a very short attention span and don’t want a long, complicated explanation here is the TLDR:
BOM essentially takes old SL system--layers skins and tattoos and projects them RIGHT onto your mesh head and body!
So, if you are an older SL member like me you probably have a TON of these things that have been collecting dust. But fear not! You can use them again!! Most of them should be mapped properly but it is possible some may not line up with your body properly.
Pros:
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You can layer up to 60 layers (59 + your system skin) without them counting towards your attachment count.
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No alpha glitching or clipping. All those transparent textures won’t interfere with each other like mesh body layers do. So you can have scars and multiple tattoos, and more tattoos, and more tattoos, and TONS of makeup.
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You can achieve looks that you weren’t capable of achieving before with the small amount of layers on your mesh body and head.
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Much easier to take layers on and off and NO appliers needed after it is installed.
Cons:
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I can’t think of any… just kidding!
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Not all vendors make their stuff BOM. You still can use a combination of appliers and BOM though.
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There are no materials attached to BOM. So your tattoos or wounds will not have shininess or texture except what is on your skin. This may change in the future.
Let’s say I don’t like my BOM and want to change my head and body back if all else fails? Just reapply your normal non-BOM skin again to the head/body.
Is there a way to convert appliers to BOM? Well, yes there is. HOWEVER the process by which it is done is quite frowned upon as textures need to be ripped in order to make the tattoo layer and I am sure a lot of creators would not appreciate it. I am not going to encourage this. Some of them may not mind if you are using it for personal use but people who do this to resell it are doing a VERY bad thing! It’s just a BIG nono. You’re stealing! So, possibly send a very nice notecard to your creators and ask them if they can make it or will be making it in the future for you! A lot of creators are updating to or have updated to BOM so it shouldn’t be an issue.
Okay, let’s get DOWN and DIRTY! Follow these steps carefully:
Currently a lot of the new updated heads like Lelutka Evo and bodies such as Maitreya and legacy have magical one-touch BOM buttons so a lot of this process is obsolete. They have made it very easy to use BOM so if that is the case then you can skip this process. Otherwise this is for items without that magical BOM button.
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For starters you need to have a BOM viewer or everyone is going to look like a bright red tomato to you. I am going to assume you have updated to the latest version of your SL viewer by now. The BOM update was a while ago! DO IT!
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You need a mesh body and head. Duh!
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Be sure you have the proper OMEGA Kits for your head and body. They can be found here at the Official OMEGA Solutions store: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/133475
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Install OMEGA onto your body or head if it has not been already. Add the installation kit and click to install it.
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Once OMEGA is installed, some kits come with an OMEGA Relay that needs to be kept on when you are putting on appliers or installing BOM. Put the relays on if you have any.
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Buy the BOM installer here: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Bake-on-Mesh-skin-applier-Omega/14391590
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Add the BOM installer and once it appears on your HUD, click on it to install. You are possibly going to turn into a bright red tomato for a bit, but fear not! This is fine!
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Take off your relays, and the BOM installer.
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Take off ALL your alpha layers that make your classic SL avatar invisible. (These things: )
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Apply an eye only alpha. If you do not have one you can get one here: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Alpha-Eyes-BOM-Dulce-Tentaciones/19455301
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You are done! Your system skin that you are wearing on your classic SL avatar should be showing on your mesh head and body. If you don’t see this try relogging. Sometimes it works.
I recommend that once you are finished, take your head and body on and off to prevent a crash reset. Because all the changes you made will be reverted if you crash and that drives me nuts!
One thing you will want to look for on the marketplace or on vendors is the “works with classic avatars” symbol.
That or “classic tattoo layers” is a good indicator that it is BOM if it does not say that it is BOM.
FYI there are other things that are now BOM like the new Glimmer Eyes from Birth and I highly recommend them! If you are wearing BOM eyes then you don’t need the eye alpha. They make a kit for the eyes here: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Omega-System-Kit-Just-Eyes-Customer-Edition/15405052
Also, there is also a way to make mod items BOM such as if you want a tail to match your skin, etc. But that will be in a future tutorial!
If you are feeling confident to do it yourself, there is a link to a BOM Script for creators here: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Bakes-on-Mesh-simple-script/18459318
If you have any questions please feel free to send me an IM or a notecard in SL to: ziebzen.avril or contact me on Facebook.