Toolbox Updates

Avatar Toolbox got some updates this weekend. The website now has a page about the basic avatar shape, and I added an avatar ruler with more features and a box of free hair textures to the freebie toolbox.

Good Stuff - Client Options and LSL tools

Torley brings us more useful options hidden in the client.

Scriptors, we may be getting a useful script performance tool.

Philosophical ramblings

Prok writes some interesting stuff when the tinfoil hat comes off. Reminds me how our personal paradigms and beliefs shape our experiences.

My beliefs are very much about living consciously and personal responsibility; understanding the effects of my choices and accepting responsibility for them allows me to create what I want. Seeing patterns and reactions that aren't conscious choices allows me to change them. I've no interest in a better world; I believe we're constantly creating the world we're in now.

The grid is a mirror; the reflections of our choices and actions are so much easier for us to recognize here.

Do you believe that people treat you a particular way because you're male, female, black, young, old, fat, ugly? All those things can be changed in SL. Do you dare change them and find out if it is about your appearance instead of your behavior? What do your appearances say to the people around you? What do your appearances say to you? Do you behave differently if you look different? What won't you look like, and why?

What are you doing that attracts the same dramas to you over and over? Relationships of all kinds grow amazingly fast on the grid. Patterns that might take you years to see in RL are obvious in merely a month. What biases do you hold that you aren't conscious of? And why? Do you mock people who are X when you're feeling a little weak in the self esteem? How does it change your impression of someone you know on the grid when they tell you that they're X?

What do you do with your freedom? Build communities? Enjoy music? Share your creations? Learn new skills? Explore your sexuality? Teach? Surround yourself with symbols of material success or tranquility? Perceived risk and costs are much lower on the grid. All of the SL careers are yours for trying (with the exception of casino-operator.) And if you do well at them, there's rewards - everything from the satisfaction of a job well done to community acclaim and fame to real world cash.

Wagering it all on gambling?

As expected, LL has now banned gambling from the grid. And thankfully, Robin Linden realized that the Knowledge Base is often painfully slow and posted the text of the policy to the blog entry.

Wagering appears to be a requirement of the gambling activities that are now banned. So donation based 'sploders are out. But lucky chairs (which require no wager) are still allowed. I'm not sure about Money Trees - I half expect to see new money trees that only allow donations by avatars that are over the age allowed to received money from them.

Assuming age verification ever actually happens, I'm wondering how nationality verification and server location may affect this policy. Will it simply remain banned since LL is based in California, USA? or will other factors play a role in determining whether forms of gambling will be allowed on certain sims and/or for certain people?

*grin* They do still have casinos listed on their site as something to do in SL.

Hmmm

Spotlight... Elevator... Which do I want to work on?
Or should I just go play tourist instead? :D

Doings. And Stuff.

Let's see. I did a lot of little things.

Did a bit of socializing. Even met a graduate/escapee from the Teen Grid. Worked on some of my avatars. Made a pink poodle "plushie" stuffed animal - it is a freebie available at my main shop. Did some shopping. Looked for AOs - a frustrating task. Put the Temple of the Original Prim into inventory. Made a transporter with a surprisingly good looking crystal. Rebuilt Blacklight Club Supply. Passed out things to newbies, and taught one how to use landmarks. Visited an ancient Mayan temple and picked up some nice freebies. Tried to go to the Greenies sim, but it was always full. I'm either seeing the summer economic slowdown or a side effect of the problems buying lindens; sales are down by about a quarter. Noticed that particles are released inconsistently in the current version of the client. Had several times where prims existing on the grid weren't being drawn on my client. Talked to someone looking for "doll" like skins for a fashion show. Bought a set of poodle shapedbarrettes (hair-slides) for one of my human avatars. Updated my profile web page.

I think I'm about at the point where I can write a decent article on ways to manipulate the basic avatar shape sliders, and about how the shape affects the way skin textures appear. Put a writeup of making the catyr avatars up on Avatar Toolbox, and added some anchors to existing pages. The animations page is too big, so I'm thinking about other ways to organize it.

Oh, I found someone who sells Wonder Woman Underoos. I may have to get Garmes a set.

Windlight - How do you want your skies?

If you've got dreams about sharing our skies, give Torley a comment!

I want a unique icon for them as an inventory type. I want to be able to copy, mod, trade, sell, store them in prims, and imbed them in notecards.

I want a big SAVE button on the sky configuration dialog. I want a selection box in that dialog, one that lets me choose from the sky settings I have in my inventory.

I want to be able to change your sky using LSL. I want "widescreen" HUDs with stunning views. I want scripted camera setups including sky options. I want to see the HUDS for role-play systems including the chosen sky setting for the sim - think of how that will set the mood!

Tracking Particle Spotlights

llVolumeDetect doesn't care whether it is in a parent or child prim. llPassCollisions is ignored for collisions caused by llVolumeDetect. I ended up using sensors. Once again, the math involved in making sure the objects work regardless of the direction they face when installed was a pain. Worth it though. :)

Tracking particle spotlights are cool. They're up in the Workshop if you want to play with them.

Default UI Sounds

Turns out the UUID of the "rez a new prim" sound is f4a0660f-5446-dea2-80b7-6482a082803c. It is hardcoded inside of llcontroldef.cpp so you can't configure it without either altering the source, or (as my buddy Malevolent Garmes did) put on your Wonder Woman Underoos and take a hex editor to the executable. So, while you can't simply alter one of those nice config files included with your install to change the default sounds, they can be changed.

Avatars, and a list

I'm thinking about trying to organize a group project. Like the hair challenge several people blogged about last fall. Everyone picks an avatar, and makes three versions of it. Child, adult, and very old. I can do all of the steps, but I'm no expert at any of them. Skins, shapes, making hair, clothes, animations, photos... I'd like a chance to have people show/write/talk about parts they're great with.

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TODO:
- I'm making a particle based tracking spotlight for Blacklight and it is going well. I thought of an easy way to configure it while travelling last night.
- Write up making the last bunch of avatars.
- And I must remember to add the free hair textures to the inworld avatar toolbox and update it.

UI sounds, blogger meetup, and bikinis

I'm going to have to explore my SL install. I'm wondering how the default sounds the client uses are stored, and having a mild fantasy of being able to swap them out for more personally pleasing choices. I didn't spot anything specific on the open source wiki, and I don't recall seeing anything about them go thru the client development mailing list.

The SLBloggers group had a pirate themed meet, so I dropped in, said hello, and made some pirate jokes until real life intervened and I had to log out. Saw some names I recognized, some that were new to me.

Goofed around and made a bikini using Vint's free bikini template. I decided on a Coca-Cola theme since Coke is being bravely experimental in SL. I can't drink coke anymore in RL, but I like their attitude about the grid. I'll probably drop the bikini into the freebies hat next time I'm on.

I think I'm going to take a good pic or two of the Temple, and then move it to my inventory. I'm not sure what I'll build next, but I'm in a mood to play with big blocks again. Maybe I'll go cartoony.

Finally done with the new avatars, and some simple fun scripting.

I finally finished boxing up the new avatars and got them loaded into the vendor. The one on my left is my favorite of the bunch. I still have to go and write up a how-to for Avatar Toolbox, but the rest is done! One of my buddies has been keeping me company in the Workshop while working on an adorable bright blue cartoon dragon avatar.

I made a neat particle effect for spotlights for Blacklight. When you change the color of the prim, the color of the particles changes. ( Changed event with CHANGED_COLOR. ) Some of the prettiest scripting effects are really simple.

Doings.

Had an impromptu party at the workshop last night. Wrangling prims, taking pics, uploading stuff, etc... Building and chatting go well together. The next set of avatars is close to done; I've got to make some color variations and wrap them up for sale.

Rocket City's Saturday dance is focused on furry canine avatars; I need to see if I can toss in one of my poodles as a prize. Or maybe my scottie, now that I've finally worked out the skin texturing problem.

If the current client hates you...

If you're using a box with an older AMD processor and can't log in with the newest update, VWR-1610 might be of interest to you.

Back, and Fullbright

I'm back.

I've been fascinated lately by fullbright. If you're curious, my latest playthings are on the grid here. Most of it is modelling with the same two textures. The dance floor is scripted to cycle through several patterns.