Mertail Plus More - Roll Eyes, Read On

KC Riley-Gyer · January 2023

This post is long and I apologise in advance. Some of my requests read rather bluntly due to me trying to be succinct in an effort to be as complete as possible.

Yes, I know there are plenty on Daz and some new ones when G8.1 came out but none of them suit my specific needs. I did put this on hold after the latest lot were released. What I am after is not anatomy but clothing that needs to fit G8, G8.1 and now G9 Females & Males. If you wish to add other figures, have at it. I would also like some accessories, props and poses; all for males and females. With each group, while each product can be sold separately, I would also like them to be sold as bundle/s, please.

So I don't have to repeat it with every item, each product should come with texture maps (with the relevant bump, normal, and displacement maps - or whatever works - as well) and material zones, please. The need for the material zones is because I'm not artistic in Photoshop or the like to create texture maps, and I am a shaderholic. No, I do not want a recovery program lol.

In the real world, since the early 2000s, there has been a movement across the world where people have been dressing up, swimming and, for some, working, as mermaids/mermen and these numbers keep growing. Below the product requests, I'll include links to websites of the most popular tail makers who sell to the general public as references. It is by no means a complete list. I am not interested in movie/tv series-styled tails; that's what the existing products on Daz are for.

*Wearables*

Tail with fins and fluke

The tail begins at the narrow part of the waist and ends at the feet where the fluke will take over.
The tail should come with morphs for putting it on and taking it off; they'll be similar if not the same?
The fins, numerous fins. These can either be add-ons or permanent fixtures to the tail that can be made invisible without creating gaps/holes in the tail. Regardless of add-ons or made invisible, there should be no markers on the tail to indicate they aren't there. Whatever format you choose, they should be poseable, re-sizeable and include the ability to add Cutout Opacity for variety and to change its shape. MerNation Inc has a good placement guide in their Signature range. Others, like FinFolk, do as well. No matter the maker, there are plenty of photos on their sites and Pinterest (at least) for reference.
The fluke is to be dolphin/whale orientation, not fish/eel/shark orientation due to the way the human body moves when swimming. This too should be poseable, re-sizeable and include the ability to add Cutout Opacity. In real life, the fluke has a monofin in it with parts of the fluke (that extends past the monofin) flexes. This info is for movement/posing sliders as the fluke should act like it has a monofin in it.
Textures... You can go with texture maps or rely on shaders; your choice, but I would like to see fabric (Vancouver Mermaid uses scuba knit –which is not a neoprene- that seems to make the best version in that style), and silicone. While there are other materials used to make the tails with, scuba knit and silicone are the two most popular. Silicone texture will need bump, normal, and displacement maps for the 3D sculpting these real-world creators gorgeously achieve. The bump, normal and displacement maps for fabric are just that; fabric and stitching.

Top

I'm not sure what to ask in regards to tops due to copyright issues as creators such as MerBella, Mermaid Kariel and FinFolk (to name but a few) create some lovely tops but they own the rights to those designs. Looking them over might give you ideas. This particular style of top seems to be silicone connected to mesh/net as ties.
A sports crop top (Vancouver Mermaid) where the waistband meets the waist of the tail to give that (almost) seamless look. That is for those shy models who don't want that much chest exposed. This will just be fabric, not silicone or the like.
One of those long-sleeved sun protector style tops. Sorry, I don't know what they are called to be able to search for them.
While I have seen other tops worn, I can't remember what they are and haven't found the videos again for reference.

Leggings

Self-explanatory. Like the tops, the mer pattern should match so they look like one piece but aren't. It's a thing to have leggings and tops to mimic their tails.

Monofin

Google is your friend in this instance - single foot pocket that might or might not have a divider, and separate foot pockets. Ones with heel straps (adjustable or not) or a closed-in heel. There are so many styles, one can have fun with this. From the blocky professional style to those shaped like a mertail fluke. Shapes can get quite fancy. What would work in this instance? Individual versions or one shaped via Cutout Opacity? You decide. Materials seem to range from plastic, rubber and silicone. If other stuff (professionally made, so not interested in the non-professionally made look; I want this to promote swimming as a mer is a good thing), I have no idea.

*Other Swimming-related Wearables*

Forearm band with fins. These are to match the tails in designs and materials.
A bunch of modern goggles from just covering the eyes, to eyes and nose. Some of the mers have been having fun sticking pearls, shells and plants to the outer sides to give the goggles that mer feeling; so with and without decorations would be cool, please.
Silicone finger webbing. Google it and it will show up. This can be any colour or range of plain single colours.
Nose clips like those used in synchronised swimming. When googling, there appears to be a few varieties. While I'm more interested in the clip style, the plugs exist as well and it would be interesting to have more than a single choice.

*Other Wearables*

Clothing, while wearing a tail, seems to consist of a scarf worn around the low waist, hips and covers the butt. Most images show the 'scarf' to be netting or gauzy fabric that may or may not have danglies. Let your imagination run free. While it should have dForce, I would like poseability for those times dForce can't be used. Temperamental computers and all that (yes mine, unfortunately).
Jewellery. This should not be jewellery store quality but home-made arts and crafts type things. Crowns, necklaces, hair clips and anything else you can think of. Shells, fake flowers, pearls, dangly strings of beads and greenery-like strands of small-leafed sea grasses and seaweed. While I have seen the mers wear this stuff, I haven't come across good pics to add to my Pinterest board.
If viable, something for the tail as well but must not obstruct the knees and ankles, and to look way better than the one reference that's in my Pinterest mer board.
Please create some male jewellery as they are dearly lacking in mer-themed stuff.

I would also like non-wearable versions of all of the above items, please. Some of the YouTube videos by Courtney Mermaid (and probably other mers with YouTube channels) show why I want these items as non-wearable versions better than I can explain when you see her pack her bag with stuff. Either way, these items should include L&R hand-holding and a static prop that can be placed anywhere (Scene-setting).

*Non-Wearables*

Carry bag for the monofin.
Stand-alone shells (several varieties), starfish, pearls, plant life (not sure what to list here as I haven't been to a beach in over 20 years). These are for extra adornment to hair, clothing, skin, etc.
A bottle of eyedrops, lip balm, and sunscreen.
PVC piping tail drying rig - just the PVC pipe frame only. I'm sorry, but the couple of images on my Pinterest board (3 images but 2 styles - link below) were the only ones I could find.
Tail pose over the PVC pipe frame.
Wall hooks with a distance apart from each other the width of the tail's 'ankles'.
A standard clothes drying rack to drape fabric tails on.
Duffle bag to pack mer gear into.

*Poses*

Mirror poses to be included, please? I really, really want them but asked for politeness lol.
Exercise/warm-up poses - links to articles below. True, most probably don't do them but some do and I have a character who does.
To include poses with and without tail and props, including parenting items to hands and arms for carrying.
Poses putting on and removing the mertail, monofin, goggles, and other wearables.

*Extras*

If anyone feels inspired enough to create the following, have at it. For me, these aren't a requirement but if created, they should be for both males and females.

Skin/characters
Themed make-up
Themed hair. While these are to be like normal hair out of the water, they must have poses to look like they are under water such as floating, swimming, turning, in the face, etc. This one is probably more of a must for me because few of the lovely hairs sold here have under water-style poses for them.

Feel free to ask me questions and I'll answer to the best of my ability. This request is the closest I can get to being a mermaid; my disabilities prevent me from dressing up as one for real.

*Various links for reference. All links are active at the time of posting this.*

Exercises/Warm-up Articles - Google has more articles.

10 Best Strength-training Exercises for Swimmers

The Monofin: Your Weapon for a Killer Dolphin Kick

When it comes to the professional dolphin kick, most mers don't stick to it strictly. Like anything, there are good forms and bad, but most mers go for a relaxed version of the manoeuvre which can be seen in any number of YouTube videos. But do feel free to include the professional dolphin kick, please.

Tail Makers: Most, if not all, have other social media accounts as well, such as Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc. Just for the sake of it, I will note all these creators have copyrights of their work, this includes all the way down to the design of the scales and pattern/colour scheme designs. You know this better than I do since you guys are creators as well.

Finfolk Productions - Facebook - Finfolk website

Mermaid Kariel Facebook - Mermaid Kariel website

The MerNation Facebook - The MerNation website

MerBella Studios Facebook - MerBella website

Mertailor Facebook - The Mertailor website

Vancouver Mermaid Facebook - Vancouver Mermaid website

My Pinterest Mer board

Go here - this board is divided into sections while the main board has things that don't strictly fit into those sections.