03 October 2011
02 October 2011
I is for Inventory: Alphabet Game
Articles, blog entries, and tutorials about organizing and cleaning out your avatar's inventory abound. I always find things I never knew I had.
Remember to laugh now and again!
25 September 2011
Release Viewer, Masks and Shadows
If I'm wearing an avatar mask that makes the entire avatar invisible, I have no shadow.
If I wear a mask that covers part of the body, that hidden part appears on my shadow. Notice the pants legs, and the feet.
23 September 2011
Viewer hair + shadows glitch
I was very excited today to realize that when I turned shadows on (in the release viewer) I was both seeing shadows and not seeing my alpha textures disappear! Pictures! With both hair and shadows! Squee!
But then I saw this... Noooo! What is this strange glitch around my avatar's head?
I began experimenting. It didn't appear on all my outfits. So I began taking thing off... No help there. But that shape was so familiar...
Aha! That's the shape of Ruth's hair! But why?
There's three ways to do bald hair.
1. Pull all the default hair lumps and bumps into your skull.
2. Use a transparent texture as the hair texture.
3. Wear an alpha mask that hides the default hair.
Some of my outfits use #2, and those were the ones that have the mysterious glitch. The solution is to either change your default hair to one that pulls all the hair lumps inside your head, or wear an alpha mask that hides default hair. Making an alpha mask that hides the default hair is much easier (just check the hair box when editing the mask!) so that's what I did.
The glitch does reappear when I've got the outfit in EDIT mode, but when I return to normal mode things look right again.
But then I saw this... Noooo! What is this strange glitch around my avatar's head?
I began experimenting. It didn't appear on all my outfits. So I began taking thing off... No help there. But that shape was so familiar...
Aha! That's the shape of Ruth's hair! But why?
There's three ways to do bald hair.
1. Pull all the default hair lumps and bumps into your skull.
2. Use a transparent texture as the hair texture.
3. Wear an alpha mask that hides the default hair.
Some of my outfits use #2, and those were the ones that have the mysterious glitch. The solution is to either change your default hair to one that pulls all the hair lumps inside your head, or wear an alpha mask that hides default hair. Making an alpha mask that hides the default hair is much easier (just check the hair box when editing the mask!) so that's what I did.
The glitch does reappear when I've got the outfit in EDIT mode, but when I return to normal mode things look right again.
21 September 2011
H is for HTTP: Alphabet Game
HTTP with lsl
You can use llHTTPRequest() to get text information from the web. The free landmark HUD I offer uses it.
You can also run a http server inside the grid. Note the section about URL lifetime limitations! If you're doing anything beyond light testing you'll want to explore a URL-mapping service so sim reboots don't break your code.
You can use llHTTPRequest() to get text information from the web. The free landmark HUD I offer uses it.
You can also run a http server inside the grid. Note the section about URL lifetime limitations! If you're doing anything beyond light testing you'll want to explore a URL-mapping service so sim reboots don't break your code.
20 September 2011
G is for Greyscale: Alphabet Game
Greyscale and 'tint' textures
A lot of people use greyscale tiling textures and gradients for texturing metal objects, but they're useful for more than that.
If you're looking to lessen lag on a sim or other large area, consider experimenting with prim color. If you make greyscale or tint textures (sepia, cool blue, etc) or a greyscale texture with a bit of color in some spots, you can use prim coloring to give the objects a bit of variety without requiring a lot of textures.
There's a couple items in the Library that use this. Grab a copy of the Sea Fan and see a greyscale texture in action.
To try a tint texture, grab a copy of Seaweed 1 from the same spot and change the prim color on it from green to white. Notice the white one has a bit of yellow on the top and light purple down in the center.
It's also handy with clothing. I've noticed a number of clothing makers that make one or two versions of greyscale textures and tint the various colors instead of uploading each color as it's own texture. I've used this myself, but I found that sometimes it's better to make a light greys version for pastels and a dark version for stronger colors, or to make a warm color version and a cool version.
Torley has a pack of greyscale textures that are fun to experiment with. There's also a couple in here scattered in the other sets.
A lot of people use greyscale tiling textures and gradients for texturing metal objects, but they're useful for more than that.
If you're looking to lessen lag on a sim or other large area, consider experimenting with prim color. If you make greyscale or tint textures (sepia, cool blue, etc) or a greyscale texture with a bit of color in some spots, you can use prim coloring to give the objects a bit of variety without requiring a lot of textures.
There's a couple items in the Library that use this. Grab a copy of the Sea Fan and see a greyscale texture in action.
To try a tint texture, grab a copy of Seaweed 1 from the same spot and change the prim color on it from green to white. Notice the white one has a bit of yellow on the top and light purple down in the center.
It's also handy with clothing. I've noticed a number of clothing makers that make one or two versions of greyscale textures and tint the various colors instead of uploading each color as it's own texture. I've used this myself, but I found that sometimes it's better to make a light greys version for pastels and a dark version for stronger colors, or to make a warm color version and a cool version.
Torley has a pack of greyscale textures that are fun to experiment with. There's also a couple in here scattered in the other sets.
16 September 2011
F is for Flexi: Alphabet Game
F is for Friday! Wait a minute...
F is for Flexible prims
Flexible prims were brand new to the grid when I signed up back in spring 2006. They're used for everything from flags and hair to tentacles and ballgowns.
Natalia's is still one of the best tutorial on using flexi prims.
If you want to make a more complex shape flex, it's possible to group flexi prims into units that move as one, although there are a lot of restrictions on making that work.
Flexi properties can be manipulated with lsl using the PrimitiveParams() functions.
F is for Flexible prims
Flexible prims were brand new to the grid when I signed up back in spring 2006. They're used for everything from flags and hair to tentacles and ballgowns.
Natalia's is still one of the best tutorial on using flexi prims.
If you want to make a more complex shape flex, it's possible to group flexi prims into units that move as one, although there are a lot of restrictions on making that work.
Flexi properties can be manipulated with lsl using the PrimitiveParams() functions.
15 September 2011
E is for Exporting Sounds: Alphabet Game
E is for...
I considered Environment (as in windlight) but right now I loathe the interface for it in the release viewer. Whoever came up with that needs to locked up in a room with 20 newbies and not allowed out until they can all make fashionista-quality snapshots. I can't see both shadows and textures with transparency at the same time, and I can't use shadows and antialiasing at the same time. The current release viewer is going through some rough times. I thought about Editing prims or terrain, but I'll save you the rants those thoughts inspired. E could be for Errors, but again with the rants!
So E is for Exporting sounds because that's something new I learned today. Cache location is on the Advanced tab instead of the Setup tab in the current release viewer, but everything else was right on.
I considered Environment (as in windlight) but right now I loathe the interface for it in the release viewer. Whoever came up with that needs to locked up in a room with 20 newbies and not allowed out until they can all make fashionista-quality snapshots. I can't see both shadows and textures with transparency at the same time, and I can't use shadows and antialiasing at the same time. The current release viewer is going through some rough times. I thought about Editing prims or terrain, but I'll save you the rants those thoughts inspired. E could be for Errors, but again with the rants!
So E is for Exporting sounds because that's something new I learned today. Cache location is on the Advanced tab instead of the Setup tab in the current release viewer, but everything else was right on.
14 September 2011
D is for DPW: Alphabet Game
Dept of Public Works
Do you like to travel? If you do, you've probably come across places the Department of Public Works built. Many of the public roads, railways, and seas on the mainland were made by them.
Three of my favorite places they've done are the funfair at Pyri Peaks (make sure to explore the Tunnel of Love), Rizal (a great place to go with a friend or three), and the Linden Memorial Park.
It would also seem that D is for Darn. Or maybe Disconnect.
At least the message made me laugh, right?
Do you like to travel? If you do, you've probably come across places the Department of Public Works built. Many of the public roads, railways, and seas on the mainland were made by them.
Three of my favorite places they've done are the funfair at Pyri Peaks (make sure to explore the Tunnel of Love), Rizal (a great place to go with a friend or three), and the Linden Memorial Park.
It would also seem that D is for Darn. Or maybe Disconnect.
At least the message made me laugh, right?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)