Running out of attachment slots? How do I merge several rigged items into one?
Rigged items find their own position no matter which attachment point they use, so you can link several of them into one object and wear it in a single slot. Non-rigged small items can ride along on the same root.
Why this saves slots
Rigged items are bound to your avatar's skeleton. Once worn, they move to the right place by themselves, and the attachment point is just a label. So after linking them together, you don't need to worry about them drifting or glitching.
See What is rigged? for the concept.
How to do it
- Rez all the rigged items you want to merge.
- Select them all. The last one you select becomes the root prim.
- Press Ctrl + L to link.
- Wear the linked object. It uses just one slot.
Choosing the root
The root decides which attachment point the whole set uses. Pick an item already attached to the attachment point you want. It doesn't have to be rigged.
The root doesn't have to be rigged; parts linked to it must be rigged if they need to stay at their own positions on the body. Small accessories that move with the root's attachment point can be non-rigged.
What I do: use a head-pat prop (non-rigged, attached to the head) as the root, then link these to it:
- Body deformer
- Body physics
- Face light
- Any other head-related accessories
Non-rigged items can ride along too
Non-rigged items such as a face light don't find their own position, but they follow the attachment point of the root. If the root is on the head, they move with the head.
So small fixed accessories on the head or face can be linked to the same root and still use only one slot.
Position non-rigged items first, then link them.
Multi-part outfits work too
If an outfit comes in separate pieces, such as gloves, shoes, top and socks, and they are all rigged, you can link them into one object the same way and use only one slot.
The catch: you can't put on or take off pieces separately anymore. It's the whole set or nothing, so this suits outfits you always wear together.
Notes
- If you pick the wrong root, the non-rigged parts end up on the wrong attachment point.
- After linking, it's one object. You can't take off a single part. Keep an unlinked backup if you need one.