NECK MATCHING

You have difficulties to match your head with your body ?

Find here all the recommendations to get the best match...

#1 - Wear compatible body and head skins

In order to have the best match between your head and your body, it is mandatory to wear the same skin or compatible skins on your head and your body.

If your GA.EG head does include only head skins, you can find at GA.EG several compatible body skins for many mesh bodies on the market (BoM, Omega, Maitreya, Legacy, Signature...).

! If your BoM skins come separated for your head and your body, you can wear one as SKIN LAYER and the other one as TATTOO LAYER (if available).

#2 - Use the SL Neck Standard (if available)

In order to well match together, the mesh heads and bodies should follow common rules otherwise the match is very difficult and even sometimes impossible.

Hopefully, a NEW NECK STANDARD has emerged on SL! This standard is based on the neck of the default SL avatar called Ruth.
Now, quite all the mesh bodies and mesh heads (check you have the last version) do integrate this neck standard!

! The global adoption of this SL Neck Standard allows a perfect match between your head and your body, without any bad shadow, in any windlight!

At GA.EG, all our Bento Heads integrate now this new SL Neck Standard.

! The new #BoMGenX and #HDGenX heads do all follow the new SL Neck Standard.

! If you have Barbara, Mia, Jennifer, Kylie, Lily, Morgan, Damon, Evan, Rick or Alan Bento Head, please check that you have at least the V2.2. To get the last version of your head, just get a redelivery at the GA.EG store.

So, if your body also integrates this SL Neck Standard, we recommend you to use it also for your GA.EG head :

If you have several head objects in your folder, use the one called "[SL Neck]",
If you have only one head object in your folder, it is ok, this head follows the SL Neck Standard.

Please refer to a following section to have specific recommendations for the most known bodies on the market...

#3 - Use a Windlight/Environment avoiding the "bad shadows" on meshes

The Windlight or Environment settings configure the day cycle, the sky and the water rendering by your SL viewer. You can choose this Windlight/Environment among a list or even create yours.

! The Windlight/Environment you use only affects your own SL experience (it has no effect on the other avatars).

Some Windlights/Environments, like "Midday" or "Default", display horrible shadows on meshes and are absolutely not recommended.

Some Windlights/Environments have been especially made to avoid these horrible shadows on meshes and we recommend you to use one of them:

CalWL
Annan Adored Optimal Skin
Nam's Optimal Skin 1
Nam's Optimal Skin 2
...

The following pictures give you an example of the big differences between two windlights, "Midday" and "Annan Adored Optimal Skin" :

This little video gives you one way to set your windlight under Firestorm :

#4 - Do not wear any neck fix or neckblend tool (wear one only if you can not reach a good match)

Neck fix and neckblend tools are made to help you only if you can not reach a good match without them.

So, If you do not wear the same skin for your body and your head, if your body does not follow the SL Neck Standard, such neck tools may be useful.

#5 - Refer to the following sections to get the recommendations according to the brand to your mesh body :

eBody Mesh Bodies

The eBody Mesh Bodies do integrate the SL Neck Standard! :)

Go in the Reborn HUD->Body tab and be sure to use the Lel Neck Size.

Legacy Mesh Bodies

The Legacy Mesh Bodies do integrate the SL Neck Standard! :)

They also integrate several neck sizes, so be sure to use the more adapted to your head.

You can change this neck size with the Legacy HUD, as shown on this little video:

If you want to use BOM (Bakes On Mesh) on your Legacy body, you need to wear your BOM Skin and apply BOM on your Legacy Body.

To apply BOM on your Legacy body, go in the Legacy HUD->Style tab->Skin button->Click the Apply BOM text and unwear any alpha hiding your body.

If you are using the same or compatible skins on both your head and your body and you still notice a tone difference at the neck level, please check that you do not have a Legacy Neckfade on...

To erase the Legacy Neckfade, go in the Legacy HUD->Style tab->Neck button->Eraser button->Click the Neckfade text in the popup message.

Maitreya Mesh Bodies

The Maitreya Mesh Bodies do integrate very well the SL Neck Standard! :)

Maitreya Lara and LaraX integrates several neck settings, so be sure to use the right ones with your GA.EG Head.

In the Maitreya HUD :

Go in the SKIN/BASE tab
Deselect the NECK FIX
For the #BomGenX and #HDGenX heads, select the NECK SIZE - TYPE 1 - 0
For the other heads, select the NECK SIZE - TYPE 1 - 5

Inithium Mesh Bodies

The Inithium Mesh Bodies (V.001/4) do now integrate quite well the SL Neck Standard! :)

Slink Mesh Bodies

The SLink Mesh Bodies do now integrate quite well the SL Neck Standard! :)

Signature Mesh Bodies

The Signature Mesh Bodies do integrate quite well the SL Neck Standard! :)

Be sure to wear the body named "(SL Neck)" this is the one integrating the SL Neck Standard. If you do not have any "(SL Neck)" body in the folder, retrieve the last version of your body at the Signature store:

Belleza Mesh Bodies

The Belleza Mesh Bodies V3 (update your body if needed) do integrate now the SL Neck Standard! :)

The new version (V3) of the Belleza Mesh Bodies (male & female) do now fully integrate the SL Neck Standard! If you have an older version, I highly recommend you to update it.

The male body, called Jake, do have a quite bit weird neck under some shape settings. If it is the case for you, I recommend you to edit the shape and adjust the neck settings:

Cinnamon & Chai Mesh Bodies

The Cinnamon & Chai Mesh Bodies do integrate quite well the SL Neck Standard! :)

! The Chai body does not follow the SL UVs for the feet but you can use the Ankle Blender Tattoos provided with the body.

! The Cinnamon body does not follow the SL UVs, so you will have to find a compatible skin for your head and body.

Aesthetic Mesh Bodies

The Aesthetic Mesh Bodies do NOT integrate the SL Neck Standard and the SL Skin UVs Standard! :((

Before purchasing a GA.EG Head or an Aesthetic Body, you need to be aware that the neck matching between both will not be very good.

Indeed the Aesthetic Mesh Bodies do not follow the SL Neck Standard at all (neither in size nor shape) and does not follow the SL UVs for the skin, this induces a lot of difficulties to match the neck with a head not especially made for these bodies.

However, some GA.EG customers do use their GA.EG Heads with an Aesthetic Mesh body, finding tricks for the neck (using long hair for example).

So always try demos and make up your mind before buying...